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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
HOUSE BILL 2840 By: Caldwell (Trey)
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to teachers; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-204.2, which relates to National Board
certification; updating Commission name; providing
annual bonus for teachers with National Board
certification; increasing amount of bonus for certain
teachers; removing reference to additional salary
increment; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 18-114.14,
which relates to the Minimum Salary Schedule;
deleting salary increment for certain teachers with
National Board certification; providing an effecti ve
date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6 -204.2, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 6-204.2 A. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher
Preparation Educational Quality and Accoun tability and the State
Board of Education are authori zed to establish the Educati on
Leadership Oklahoma program.
B. The purposes of the Education Leadership O klahoma program
are to:
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1. Provide teachers throughout the state information about
National Board certification and the Education Leadership Oklahoma
program services;
2. Provide technical assistance and National -Board-certified
mentors to all teachers s eeking National Board certification upon
request;
3. Reward teachers who are seeking National Board certification
by awarding them a portion of the a pplication processing charge and
assessment fee and a scholarship as provided in subsection D of this
section; and
4. Provide recognition to National -Board-certified teachers.
C. To fulfill the objectives of the Education Leadership
Oklahoma Act, the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation
Educational Quality and Accoun tability shall:
1. Inform teachers of the Education Leadership Oklahoma pro gram
and services it provides to teachers seeking National Board
certification, emphasizing recruiting effort s toward teachers at
high-poverty schools, schools identified as in need of improvement
and in counties with the lowest percentage of teachers who have
achieved National Board certification; and
2. Ensure that all teachers seeking National Board
certification receive adequate inform ation regarding the level of
commitment required to acquire National Board certification.
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D. The Commission shall sele ct not more than one hundred
applicants to participate in the program each fiscal year for whom
the Commission shall pay one-half (1/2) of the application
processing charge and assessment fee for National Board
certification. The total amount paid by the Commission shall not
exceed One Thousand Three Hundred Dollars ($1,300.00) per applicant.
In addition the Commission shall also provide to the selected
applicants a scholarship in the amount of Five Hundred Dollars
($500.00) to cover other expenses associated with obta ining National
Board certification.
E. The Commission shall promulgate rules establishing a pr ocess
for accepting applications for the Education Leadership Oklahoma
program and for providing to applicants selected for the program up -
front payment of the a pplication processing charge and assessment
fee and scholarship. If a selected applicant who r eceives the up-
front payment does not complete National Board certification within
three (3) years, the applicant shall repay the Commission the full
amount paid by the Commission pursuant to subsection D of this
section. All selected applicants who do no t receive an up-front
payment and successfully complete National Board certification shall
be reimbursed by the Commission for the application processing
charge and assessment fee. The total amount of reimbursement paid
by the Commission shall not exceed One Thousand Three Hundred
Dollars ($1,300.00) per applicant.
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F. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma
Commission for Teacher Preparation Educational Quality and
Accountability contract with Southe astern Oklahoma State University
to establish Education Leadership Okl ahoma program training in
higher education teacher preparation programs in the state to assist
teachers in meeting the requirements to obtain National Board
certification.
G. All teachers seeking National Board certification sh all be
eligible to participa te in Education Leadership Oklahoma program
training to assist them in meeting the requirements of the National
Board certification process, free of charge.
H. Subject to district board of education policy or collective
bargaining agreement, additional pr ofessional leave days may be
granted to teachers seeking National Board certification for
National Board certification portfolio development. During the two
(2) days of the additional p rofessional days granted to teachers for
National Board certification portfolio development, a substitute
teacher shall be provided by the school district at no cost to the
teacher.
I. 1. The State Board of Education shall provide to teachers
who attained National Board certification prior to Ju ne 30, 2013, a
bonus in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) annually
over a ten-year period, to be paid no later than January 31 each
year. The Beginning July 1, 2023, the Board shall provide a bonus
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in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) annually over a
five-year period, to be paid not later than January 31 each year to
any teacher who:
a. attains National Board certification after June 30,
2013, if the teacher was selected for the Education
Leadership Oklahoma program before June 30, 2013, or
the teacher has submitted an application for National
Board certification to the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards before June 30, 2013
July 1, 2023,
b. attained National Board cert ification before July 1,
2023, and was receiving a bonus in the amount of Five
Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) annually, for the
remaining time of the ten-year period, or
c. attained National Board certification before July 1,
2023, and was receiving an additional salary increment
pursuant to the Minimum Salary Schedule in Section 18-
114.14 of this title, for the remaining time of the
ten-year period.
2. The teachers eligible to receive the annual bonus as
provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection shall receive the
annual bonus for the ten-year five-year duration of their Nat ional
Board certification or for the remaining duration of their National
Board certification if they attained National Board certification
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before July 1, 2023, and have less than ten (10) years remaining in
their certification and so long as they are teaching in the
classroom full-time in an Oklahoma public school. No school or
school district shall be liable for payment of bonuses pursuant to
this section.
3. The bonus shall not be included in the calculation of the
teacher's salary for purposes of meeting the district or statutory
minimum salary schedule Minimum Salary Schedule or for purposes of
compensating Oklahoma Teachers ' Retirement System contributions or
benefits.
4. Teachers eligible to receive the annual bonus as p rovided
for in paragraph 1 o f this subsection shall not be eligible to
receive the additional salary increment for National Board
certification as set forth in the minimum salary schedule in Section
3 of this act.
5. Teachers who attain National Board cer tification after June
30, 2013, shall be eligible to receive the additional salary
increments for National Board certification as set forth in the
minimum salary schedule in Section 3 of this act.
6. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules for a
process by which a Nation al-Board-certified teacher will verify
that:
a. the National Board certification has not lapsed,
b. the teacher is still a full -time teacher, and
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c. for teachers eligible for the bonus, the teacher has
not exceeded the limit of annual bonus payments as
provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection.
J. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma State
Regents for Higher Education incorporate the National Board
certification portfolio development into all programs in ed ucation
leading to a master's level degree.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 18 -114.14,
is amended to read as follows:
Section 18-114.14 A. Beginning with the 2018-2019 2023-2024
school year, certified personnel, as d efined in Section 26 -103 of
this title, in the public schools of Oklahoma shall r eceive in
salary and/or fringe benefits not less than the amounts specified in
the 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
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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
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
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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
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
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25 $53,153
B. 1. When determining the Minimum Salary Schedule, "fringe
benefits" shall mean all or part of retirement benefits, exc luding
the contributions made pursuant to subsection A of Section 17 -108.1
of this title and the flexible benefit all owance pursuant to Section
26-105 of this title from the flexible benefit allowan ce 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 in tends 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 Minimum Salary
Schedule specified in subsection A of this section, the district
shall be required to pr ovide written notification t o the teacher
prior to his or her employment or, if a lready 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 le ss than the minimum salary schedule
Minimum Salary Schedule.
C. Any of the degre es referred to in this section shall be from
a college recognized by the State Board of Education. The Bo ard
shall accept teaching experience from out -of-state school distric ts
that are accredited by th e state board of education or appropriate
state accrediting agency for the districts. The Board shall accept
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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 se rvice in accordance with
industry standards and guidelines and approv ed by the State
Department of Education. The person seeking to have credit grant ed
for out-of-country teaching experience shall be responsible for all
costs of the analysis by a credenti al evaluation service. The Board
shall accept teaching experience fr om primary and secondary sch ools
that are operated by the United States Departmen t of Defense or are
affiliated with the United States Department of State.
D. For the purpose of state sa lary increments and retirement,
no teacher shall be granted credit fo r more than five (5) years o f
active duty in the military service or out -of-state or out-of-
country teaching experience as a certified teacher or its
equivalent. Nothing in this section shall prohibit boards of
education from crediting more years of exper ience 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 ye ars of experience
of a:
1. Certified teacher who teaches in the educ ational program of
the Department of Corrections, beginning with fiscal year 1981 ;
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2. Vocational rehabilitation counselor under the Department of
Human Services if the counselor was empl oyed as a certified teacher
by the State Department of Education when the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation was transferred from the State Board o f Career and
Technology Education or the State Board of Education to the Oklahoma
Public Welfare Commissio n on July 1, 1968;
3. Vocational rehabilitation counselor which were completed
while employed by the Department of Human Services if such counselor
was certified as a teacher or was eligible for certification as a
teacher in Oklahoma;
4. Certified teache r which were completed while employed by the
Child Study Center locat ed at University Hospital, i f 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 t he State of Oklahoma
if the experience primarily involved work with persons of sc hool- or
preschool-age and if the person was, at the time the experience was
acquired, certified as, or el igible for certification as, a school
psychologist or psychometrist.
F. The provisions of this s ection shall not apply to teachers
who have entered into postretirement employment with a public school
in Oklahoma and are still receiving a monthly retiremen t benefit.
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G. If a person employed as certified personnel, as define d 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 state Minimum Salary Schedule for the 2017-
2018 school year, the person shall receive a salary incre ase 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.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof th is act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
59-1-6603 EK 01/10/23