Legislative passage of a teacher pay raise this year did not solve the education crisis or end teacher shortages.

It took a decade of missteps and miscalculations by lawmakers to get into this mess, and it’s going to take time — and money — to get out of it.

Stories last week by Tulsa World reporters Andrea Eger and Samuel Hardiman show the severity of the challenges faced by local school districts.

They found that despite the state’s average teacher raise of $6,100, a lack of qualified educators continues in urban, suburban and rural districts.

Nearly 60 percent of Oklahoma’s superintendents report that teacher hiring is more difficult this year than last year, and 66 percent say they will need emergency certified teachers to fill vacancies.

It used to be rare for a district to request an emergency certification — there were just 32 in all of Oklahoma during the 2011-2012 school year.

Now, it has become far too common, with record highs being set annually including 1,975 last year.

Tulsa Public Schools is the largest area district and second-biggest in the state this year. During the past three years, the district has had a 50 percent turnover.

Union officials are alarmed at the district’s vacancies, and Broken Arrow has an uptick in turnover.

Lawmakers get full credit for passing a tax package to raise the minimum teacher salaries. But work remains undone.

Reforms are needed to put more resources into classrooms and reduce class sizes, particularly in areas facing socioeconomic challenges.

A wave of retirements is expected in the next five years, placing more importance on encouraging students to enter and remain in the teaching profession.

Lawmakers have changed the course of Oklahoma schools, but the journey is not complete. Only with tenacious dedication to more progress and more funding can the ship arrive at safe harbor.