DID YOU KNOW?

Teacher pay questions and answers

Q: What is Oklahoma’s starting teacher pay?

A: The minimum starting pay for first-year teachers in Oklahoma is $31,600. That starting salary increases some depending on education level, topping out at $34,000 for a doctor’s degree. Around 325 districts pay the state minimum.

Q: What districts pay the most?

A: The top five paying districts for first-year teachers, according to the state Department of Education, are Maple Public Schools in Canadian County ($35,666), Stroud Public Schools in Lincoln County ($36,600), Putnam City Schools in Oklahoma County ($36,915), Grove Public Schools in Delaware County ($37,426) and Crooked Oak schools in Oklahoma County ($37,985).

Q: What is the state’s average pay, how does it compare with other states?

A: Oklahoma’s average teacher salary, including benefits, was $44,921 during the 2016-17 school year, according to the state Department of Education. The regional average is $48,450 and the national average is $58,064.

Q: What pay raise plans are there?

A: There are several teacher pay raise proposals headed into the 2018 legislative session. They include a $5,000 raise as part of a budget proposal being pushed by business leaders, the Oklahoma Education Association teacher’s union has called for a $10,000 pay raise, and state schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister has advocated for a $5,000 raise phased in over three years.

There are likely to be several bills filed in the coming weeks calling for teacher pay raises, but finding the money to fund those raises will continue to be the challenge.

Three state lawmakers recently announced a proposal to fund a $5,000 pay raise with money from the Oklahoma school land trust. However, the Commissioners of the Land Office Secretary has said it would require a constitutional change.