Oklahoma educators disappointed over failure of budget deal that included teacher pay raise

House Republicans couldn’t find enough votes to reach the supermajority required to pass a revenue increase and, because of that, pressed pause on the possibility of a pay hike for Oklahoma teachers whose salaries, as a rule, trail neighboring states. Senate staff had put a $132 million price tag on the teacher pay raise for the next fiscal year.

In their responses to Wednesday’s legislative impasse, local school administrators and State Superintendent of Education Joy Hofmeister stressed the importance of fixing the state’s budget issues. Educators and others reacted angrily to the news and invoked the state’s teacher shortage.

“It is tragic that there is not yet a solution to avoid catastrophic cuts in services that help our most vulnerable citizens,” Hofmeister said in a statement. “The individuals affected here are families and children in our communities and in our classrooms. These services are absolutely critical, and I pray that our leaders can find consensus for a stabilizing solution.”

One Tulsa Public Schools teacher, Emily Durbin, who was among those who spoke to legislators about the state’s teacher shortage a few weeks ago, said the low pay she and her fiance receive as teachers has them worried about starting a family.

“The failure of our Legislature to pass any budget to give teachers hope is disheartening to say the least,” said Durbin, a Hale High School teacher. “The solution lies in revenue for our state. Revenue that does not come in the form of excise taxes. The solution lies in our legislators listening to their constituents and not oil and gas executives. We all want education in Oklahoma improved for future generations.”

The Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association also chimed in. Its vice president, Shawna Mott-Wright, wrote on Facebook, “For goodness sake, I got less shenanigans from my high schoolers than from legislators.”

Two Tulsa superintendents, Deborah Gist of Tulsa Public Schools and Kirt Hartzler of Union Public Schools, said the state’s future was at stake.

“Our state’s future depends upon our leaders coming together to create a sustainable solution to Oklahoma’s structural deficit. I urgently encourage Oklahomans to contact their legislators to show support as our state leaders grapple with this critical issue,” Gist said.

Hartzler expressed disappointment.

“While it is disheartening to hear this news, the stakes are too high for our Legislature to fail at fixing our current budget shortfall,” Hartzler said. “The time has come for this body to put aside partisan politics and address what is best for Oklahoma and not necessarily one’s self-interest. We have a moral responsibility to fund our core essential services.”

World Staff Writer Barbara Hoberock contributed to this story.