Let wind help fund teacher pay raises
Afew years ago, I took a mission trip into the mountains of Nicaragua. We loaded up pack mules with school supplies and delivered them to students and teachers in remote areas. The struggles of Oklahoma teachers to make ends meet in their classrooms and at home reminds me of that trip. It’s a shame that we’ve reached the point our teachers have become charitable causes.
It has been 10 years since the Legislature passed a pay raise for teachers. Over that same decade, one industry has thrived in Oklahoma, making money for its outof-state and foreign company owners and generating a product primarily for use outside our borders. While Oklahoma students go without, the wind industry continues to thrive.
It’s true that wind has contributed significantly to some of the communities where their projects are located, but any industry located here that is leading the nation — we’re third in the country for installed wind capacity and fourth for number of turbines — should be expected to contribute to the well-being of all Oklahomans.
A pay raise for teachers will be my top priority next session, and the growing wind industry should do its part to fund it. To that end, I’ll be proposing the Oklahoma Renewable Power Assessment Plan, which would assess $5 on each megawatt hour of wind energy produced in our state. The $100 million annually the legislation generates would be recurring revenue directed to fund an initial $2,000 pay raise for every classroom teacher. And that’s just the start. Recently, a Chicago energy developer announced plans to build in the Panhandle the largest wind operation in the nation. Since all signs point to continued growth in this industry, teacher pay will grow as the industry grows. It’s time to stop picking winners and losers in the energy sector and put the oil and gas industry and the renewable energy industry on a level playing field.
In looking for partners to pass this plan, I started first with the educators in my district. Moore Superintendent Robert Romines supports this plan because he knows we need more and better qualified teachers in the classroom. Oklahoma Education Association President Alicia Priest has also offered support for the plan.
This is a nonpartisan issue, and I welcome Democrats and Republicans alike to come together for the benefit of all Oklahoma students.
We’ve been chasing this teacher pay raise around the barn long enough — it’s time to get it done. Renewable energy has a bright future in our state, so I hope the wind industry will join me at the table in finding solutions to our education funding crisis.
This is a nonpartisan issue, and I welcome Democrats and Republicans alike to come together for the benefit of all Oklahoma students.