Req. No. 7179 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 STATE OF OKLAHOMA 1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021) HOUSE BILL 1592 By: Provenzano AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to schools; creating the Teach in Oklahoma Act; amending Section 3, Chapter 394, O.S.L. 2013, as last amended by Sect ion 1, Chapter 10, 2nd Extraordinary Session, O.S.L. 2018 (70 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 18-114.14), which relates to teacher minimum salary benefits; eliminating certain out -of- state teacher experience cap; providing for noncodification; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows: This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Te ach in Oklahoma Act". SECTION 2. AMENDATORY Section 3, Chapter 394, O.S.L. 2013, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 10, 2nd Extraordinary Session, O.S.L. 2018 (70 O.S. Supp. 2020 , Section 18-114.14), is amended to read as follo ws: Section 18-114.14 A. Beginning with the 2018 -2019 school year, certified personnel, as defined in Section 26 -103 of this title, in the public schools of Oklahoma shall receive in salary and/or fringe Req. No. 7179 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 benefits not less than the amounts specified in th e following schedule: MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE National Years of Bachelor's Board Master's Doctor's Experience Degree Certification Degree Degree 0 $36,601 $37,759 $37,991 $39,381 1 $37,035 $38,193 $38,425 $39,815 2 $37,469 $38,628 $38,859 $40,249 3 $37,904 $39,062 $39,294 $40,684 4 $38,338 $39,496 $39,728 $41,118 5 $38,810 $39,968 $40,200 $41,590 6 $39,273 $40,432 $40,663 $42,054 7 $39,737 $40,895 $41,127 $42,517 8 $40,200 $41,358 $41,590 $42,980 9 $40,663 $41,822 $42,054 $43,444 10 $41,684 $42,844 $43,568 $45,945 11 $42,177 $43,336 $44,061 $46,438 12 $42,670 $43,829 $44,554 $46,931 13 $43,162 $44,322 $45,047 $47,424 14 $43,655 $44,815 $45,539 $47,916 15 $44,167 $45,327 $46,052 $48,430 16 $44,660 $45,820 $46,545 $48,923 17 $45,153 $46,313 $47,038 $49,416 Req. No. 7179 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 18 $45,646 $46,806 $47,531 $49,909 19 $46,139 $47,299 $48,024 $50,402 20 $46,652 $47,813 $48,538 $50,917 21 $47,145 $48,306 $49,031 $51,410 22 $47,639 $48,799 $49,524 $51,903 23 $48,132 $49,292 $50,018 $52,397 24 $48,625 $49,785 $50,511 $52,890 25 $50,049 $51,232 $51,971 $54,395 Master's Degree + Years of National Board Experience Certification 0 $39,149 1 $39,583 2 $40,018 3 $40,452 4 $40,886 5 $41,358 6 $41,822 7 $42,285 8 $42,749 9 $43,212 10 $44,728 11 $45,221 12 $45,713 Req. No. 7179 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 13 $46,206 14 $46,699 15 $47,212 16 $47,705 17 $48,198 18 $48,691 19 $49,184 20 $49,698 21 $50,192 22 $50,685 23 $51,178 24 $51,671 25 $53,153 B. 1. When determining the Minimum Salary Schedule, "fringe benefits" shall mean all or part of retirement benefits, excluding the contributions made pursuant to subsection A of Section 17 -108.1 of this title and the flexible benefit allowance pursuant to Section 26-105 of this title from the flexible benefit allowance funds disbursed by the State Board of Education and the State Board of Career and Technology Education pursuant to Section 26 -104 of this title. 2. If a school district intends to provide retirement benefits to a teacher such that the teacher 's salary would be less than the amounts set forth in the Minimum Salary Schedule specified in Req. No. 7179 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 subsection A of this section, the district shall be required to provide written notification to the teacher prior to his or her employment or, if already employed by the district, no later than thirty (30) days prior to the date the district elects to provide retirement benefits such that the teacher 's salary would be less than the Minimum Salary Schedule. C. Any of the degrees referred to in this section shall be from a college recognized by the State Board of Education. The Board shall accept teaching experience from out -of-state school districts that are accredited by the state board of education or appropriate state accrediting agency for the districts. The Board shall accept teaching experience from out -of-country schools that are accredited or otherwise endorsed by the appropriate national or regional accrediting or endorsement authority. Out -of-country certification documentation in a language other than English shall be analyzed by an educational credential evaluation service in accordance wit h industry standards and guidelines and approved by the State Department of Education. The person seeking to have credit granted for out-of-country teaching experience shall be responsible for all costs of the analysis by a credential evaluation service. The Board shall accept teaching experience from primary and secondary schools that are operated by the United States Department of Defense or are affiliated with the United States Department of State. Req. No. 7179 Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 D. For the purpose of state salary increments and retirement, no teacher shall be granted credit for more than five (5) years of active duty in the military service or out -of-state or out-of- country teaching experience as a certified teacher or its equivalent. For purposes of state salary increments, teache rs with active duty in the military service or out -of-state or out-of- country teaching experience as a certified teacher or its equivalent shall be granted credit for the respective years of experience. Nothing in this section shall prohibit boards of edu cation from crediting more years of experience on district salary schedules than those allowed for state purposes. E. The State Board of Education shall recognize, for purposes of certification and salary increments, all the years of experience of a: 1. Certified teacher who teaches in the educational program of the Department of Corrections, beginning with fiscal year 1981; 2. Vocational rehabilitation counselor under the Department of Human Services if the counselor was employed as a certified teacher by the State Department of Education when the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation was transferred from the State Board of Career and Technology Education or the State Board of Education to the Oklahoma Public Welfare Commission on July 1, 1968; 3. Vocational rehabilitation counselor which were completed while employed by the Department of Human Services if such counselor Req. No. 7179 Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 was certified as a teacher or was eligible for certification as a teacher in Oklahoma; 4. Certified teacher which were completed while employed by the Department of Human Services Child Study Center at University Hospital, if the teacher was certified as a teacher in Oklahoma; and 5. Certified school psychologist or psychometrist which were completed while employed as a doctoral intern, psychological assistant, or psychologist with any agency of the State of Oklahoma if the experience primarily involved work with persons of school - or preschool-age and if the person was, at the time the experience was acquired, certified as, or eligible for certification as, a school psychologist or psychometrist. F. The provisions of this section shall not apply to teachers who have entered into postretirement employment with a public school in Oklahoma and are still receiving a monthly retirement benef it. G. If a person employed as certified personnel, as defined in Section 26-103 of this title, by a school district during the 2017 - 2018 school year was receiving a salary above the step level indicated by the State Minimum Salary Schedule for the 2017 -2018 school year, the person shall receive a salary increase amount equal to the amount indicated in subsection A of this section for the step level indicated for the person, provided they remain employed by the same district, unless the hours or the duties of the certified personnel are reduced proportionately. Req. No. 7179 Page 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021 . 58-1-7179 AMM 01/13/21