Oklahoma’s State Senate leadership has announced a set of education priorities as they head into the upcoming legislative session. These proposed changes, backed by influential lawmakers, could impact every public school and student across the state.
Senator Adam Pugh (R-Edmond), Chair of the Senate Education Committee, emphasized his focus on giving schools more independence. “I want to continue to empower them, utilize local control to be unique, to work autonomously,” Pugh said.
Senator Ally Seifried (R-Claremore), Vice Chair of the Senate Education Committee, highlighted her commitment to supporting both students and teachers.
“The biggest priority for me and my biggest passion is trying to help students and help teachers,” Seifried stated.
For the third consecutive year, Pugh and Seifried held a press conference outlining their education reform bills. As legislative committees begin reviewing proposals next week, these bills—championed by key Senate figures—have a higher chance of advancing to the Senate floor.
Key Bills Proposed for Oklahoma Education
Several major bills were introduced on Monday, addressing issues like diversity programs, student distractions, and teacher salaries.
1. Eliminating DEI Programs from Campuses
A significant proposal seeks to remove Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs from Oklahoma’s college campuses.
“We are committed to ending DEI on our campuses in any form or fashion. It is time to get that stuff off our college campuses and focus on giving people skill sets so they can stay employed in the state of Oklahoma and help our state flourish,” Pugh said.
2. Restricting Cell Phone Use in Classrooms
Senator Seifried introduced a bill aimed at removing cell phones from classrooms, arguing that they are a major distraction to students and a burden for teachers.
“We know that when cell phones are in the classroom, students are distracted. Teachers are having to manage trying to make cell phones go away, trying to teach their lesson plans. A big part of going bell to bell is ensuring that the burden of implementation doesn’t fall on teachers,” Seifried explained.
3. Raising Teacher Salaries to $50,000 Minimum
One of the most impactful proposals would increase the starting base salary for teachers to $50,000.
“That is the north star for the State of Oklahoma. We are thousands of teachers short in our state. We will continue to work on teacher pay because we know our neighbors and surrounding states are working on the same,” Pugh said.
4. Moving School Board Elections to November
Both senators support a bill that would shift school board elections to the general election ballot in November, aiming to increase voter turnout.
They believe the current system results in low voter participation, making it difficult to accurately represent school districts.
“If we really want to empower our schools to utilize local control and serve their community uniquely, we have to make sure their school board elections are reflective of their communities at large,” Pugh stated.
Next Steps: Bills Still Need Approval
None of these proposed measures have become law yet. Each bill must pass through the State House and Senate before being signed by the governor.
Several of the proposed changes also require cooperation from the Oklahoma State Board of Education. Pugh emphasized the importance of coordination between the education committee and the state superintendent.
“We want to make sure the education committee and state superintendent are communicating heads and not competing heads,” Pugh said.
The State Board of Education is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, where discussions on these proposed bills may continue.
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