1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
3 HOUSE BILL 2558 By: McBride and Baker
4
5
6 AS INTRODUCED
7 An Act relating to teachers; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-204.2, which relates to National Board
8 certification; updating Commission name; providing
annual bonus for certain teachers with National Board
9 certification; modifying duration of bonus; removing
reference to additional salary increment; amending 70
10 O.S. 2021, Section 18-114.14, which relates to the
Minimum Salary Schedule; deleting salary increment
11 for certain teachers with National Board
certification; providing an effective date; and
12 declaring an emergency.
13
14
15 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
16 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-204.2, is
17 amended to read as follows:
18 Section 6-204.2 A. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher
19 Preparation Educational Quality and Accountability and the State
20 Board of Education are authorized to establish the Education
21 Leadership Oklahoma program.
22 B. The purposes of the Education Leadership Oklahoma program
23 are to:
24
Req. No. 5468 Page 1
1 1. Provide teachers throughout the state information about
2 National Board certification and the Education Leadership Oklahoma
3 program services;
4 2. Provide technical assistance and National-Board-certified
5 mentors to all teachers seeking National Board certification upon
6 request;
7 3. Reward teachers who are seeking National Board certification
8 by awarding them a portion of the application processing charge and
9 assessment fee and a scholarship as provided in subsection D of this
10 section; and
11 4. Provide recognition to National-Board-certified teachers.
12 C. To fulfill the objectives of the Education Leadership
13 Oklahoma Act, the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation
14 Educational Quality and Accountability shall:
15 1. Inform teachers of the Education Leadership Oklahoma program
16 and services it provides to teachers seeking National Board
17 certification, emphasizing recruiting efforts toward teachers at
18 high-poverty schools, schools identified as in need of improvement
19 and in counties with the lowest percentage of teachers who have
20 achieved National Board certification; and
21 2. Ensure that all teachers seeking National Board
22 certification receive adequate information regarding the level of
23 commitment required to acquire National Board certification.
24
Req. No. 5468 Page 2
1 D. The Commission shall select not more than one hundred
2 applicants to participate in the program each fiscal year for whom
3 the Commission shall pay one-half (1/2) of the application
4 processing charge and assessment fee for National Board
5 certification. The total amount paid by the Commission shall not
6 exceed One Thousand Three Hundred Dollars ($1,300.00) per applicant.
7 In addition the Commission shall also provide to the selected
8 applicants a scholarship in the amount of Five Hundred Dollars
9 ($500.00) to cover other expenses associated with obtaining National
10 Board certification.
11 E. The Commission shall promulgate rules establishing a process
12 for accepting applications for the Education Leadership Oklahoma
13 program and for providing to applicants selected for the program up-
14 front payment of the application processing charge and assessment
15 fee and scholarship. If a selected applicant who receives the up-
16 front payment does not complete National Board certification within
17 three (3) years, the applicant shall repay the Commission the full
18 amount paid by the Commission pursuant to subsection D of this
19 section. All selected applicants who do not receive an up-front
20 payment and successfully complete National Board certification shall
21 be reimbursed by the Commission for the application processing
22 charge and assessment fee. The total amount of reimbursement paid
23 by the Commission shall not exceed One Thousand Three Hundred
24 Dollars ($1,300.00) per applicant.
Req. No. 5468 Page 3
1 F. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma
2 Commission for Teacher Preparation Educational Quality and
3 Accountability contract with Southeastern Oklahoma State University
4 to establish Education Leadership Oklahoma program training in
5 higher education teacher preparation programs in the state to assist
6 teachers in meeting the requirements to obtain National Board
7 certification.
8 G. All teachers seeking National Board certification shall be
9 eligible to participate in Education Leadership Oklahoma program
10 training to assist them in meeting the requirements of the National
11 Board certification process, free of charge.
12 H. Subject to district board of education policy or collective
13 bargaining agreement, additional professional leave days may be
14 granted to teachers seeking National Board certification for
15 National Board certification portfolio development. During the two
16 (2) days of the additional professional days granted to teachers for
17 National Board certification portfolio development, a substitute
18 teacher shall be provided by the school district at no cost to the
19 teacher.
20 I. 1. The State Board of Education shall provide to teachers
21 who attained National Board certification prior to June 30, 2013, a
22 bonus in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) annually
23 over a ten-year period, to be paid no later than January 31 each
24 year. The Beginning July 1, 2023, the Board shall provide a bonus
Req. No. 5468 Page 4
1 in the amount of Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00) annually over a
2 five-year period, to be paid not later than January 31 each year to
3 any teacher who:
4 a. attains National Board certification after June 30,
5 2013, if the teacher was selected for the Education
6 Leadership Oklahoma program before June 30, 2013, or
7 the teacher has submitted an application for National
8 Board certification to the National Board for
9 Professional Teaching Standards before June 30, 2013
10 July 1, 2023, or
11 b. attained National Board certification before July 1,
12 2023, and was receiving an additional salary increment
13 pursuant to the Minimum Salary Schedule in Section 18-
14 114.14 of this title, for the remaining time of the
15 ten-year period.
16 2. The teachers eligible to receive the annual bonus as
17 provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection shall receive the
18 annual bonus for the ten-year five-year duration of their National
19 Board certification or for the remaining duration of their National
20 Board certification if they attained National Board certification
21 before July 1, 2023, and have less than ten (10) years remaining in
22 their certification and so long as they are teaching in the
23 classroom full-time in an Oklahoma public school. No school or
24
Req. No. 5468 Page 5
1 school district shall be liable for payment of bonuses pursuant to
2 this section.
3 3. The bonus shall not be included in the calculation of the
4 teacher's salary for purposes of meeting the district or statutory
5 minimum salary schedule Minimum Salary Schedule or for purposes of
6 compensating Oklahoma Teachers' Retirement System contributions or
7 benefits.
8 4. Teachers eligible to receive the annual bonus as provided
9 for in paragraph 1 of this subsection shall not be eligible to
10 receive the additional salary increment for National Board
11 certification as set forth in the minimum salary schedule in Section
12 3 of this act.
13 5. Teachers who attain National Board certification after June
14 30, 2013, shall be eligible to receive the additional salary
15 increments for National Board certification as set forth in the
16 minimum salary schedule in Section 3 of this act.
17 6. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules for a
18 process by which a National-Board-certified teacher will verify
19 that:
20 a. the National Board certification has not lapsed,
21 b. the teacher is still a full-time teacher, and
22 c. for teachers eligible for the bonus, the teacher has
23 not exceeded the limit of annual bonus payments as
24 provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection.
Req. No. 5468 Page 6
1 J. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma State
2 Regents for Higher Education incorporate the National Board
3 certification portfolio development into all programs in education
4 leading to a master's level degree.
5 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 18-114.14,
6 is amended to read as follows:
7 Section 18-114.14 A. Beginning with the 2018-2019 2023-2024
8 school year, certified personnel, as defined in Section 26-103 of
9 this title, in the public schools of Oklahoma shall receive in
10 salary and/or fringe benefits not less than the amounts specified in
11 the following schedule:
12 MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE
13 National
14 Years of Bachelor's Board Master's Doctor's
15 Experience Degree Certification Degree Degree
16 0 $36,601 $37,759 $37,991 $39,381
17 1 $37,035 $38,193 $38,425 $39,815
18 2 $37,469 $38,628 $38,859 $40,249
19 3 $37,904 $39,062 $39,294 $40,684
20 4 $38,338 $39,496 $39,728 $41,118
21 5 $38,810 $39,968 $40,200 $41,590
22 6 $39,273 $40,432 $40,663 $42,054
23 7 $39,737 $40,895 $41,127 $42,517
24 8 $40,200 $41,358 $41,590 $42,980
Req. No. 5468 Page 7
1 9 $40,663 $41,822 $42,054 $43,444
2 10 $41,684 $42,844 $43,568 $45,945
3 11 $42,177 $43,336 $44,061 $46,438
4 12 $42,670 $43,829 $44,554 $46,931
5 13 $43,162 $44,322 $45,047 $47,424
6 14 $43,655 $44,815 $45,539 $47,916
7 15 $44,167 $45,327 $46,052 $48,430
8 16 $44,660 $45,820 $46,545 $48,923
9 17 $45,153 $46,313 $47,038 $49,416
10 18 $45,646 $46,806 $47,531 $49,909
11 19 $46,139 $47,299 $48,024 $50,402
12 20 $46,652 $47,813 $48,538 $50,917
13 21 $47,145 $48,306 $49,031 $51,410
14 22 $47,639 $48,799 $49,524 $51,903
15 23 $48,132 $49,292 $50,018 $52,397
16 24 $48,625 $49,785 $50,511 $52,890
17 25 $50,049 $51,232 $51,971 $54,395
18 Master's Degree +
19 Years of National Board
20 Experience Certification
21 0 $39,149
22 1 $39,583
23 2 $40,018
24 3 $40,452
Req. No. 5468 Page 8
1 4 $40,886
2 5 $41,358
3 6 $41,822
4 7 $42,285
5 8 $42,749
6 9 $43,212
7 10 $44,728
8 11 $45,221
9 12 $45,713
10 13 $46,206
11 14 $46,699
12 15 $47,212
13 16 $47,705
14 17 $48,198
15 18 $48,691
16 19 $49,184
17 20 $49,698
18 21 $50,192
19 22 $50,685
20 23 $51,178
21 24 $51,671
22 25 $53,153
23 B. 1. When determining the Minimum Salary Schedule, "fringe
24 benefits" shall mean all or part of retirement benefits, excluding
Req. No. 5468 Page 9
1 the contributions made pursuant to subsection A of Section 17-108.1
2 of this title and the flexible benefit allowance pursuant to Section
3 26-105 of this title from the flexible benefit allowance funds
4 disbursed by the State Board of Education and the State Board of
5 Career and Technology Education pursuant to Section 26-104 of this
6 title.
7 2. If a school district intends to provide retirement benefits
8 to a teacher such that the teacher's salary would be less than the
9 amounts set forth in the minimum salary schedule Minimum Salary
10 Schedule specified in subsection A of this section, the district
11 shall be required to provide written notification to the teacher
12 prior to his or her employment or, if already employed by the
13 district, no later than thirty (30) days prior to the date the
14 district elects to provide retirement benefits such that the
15 teacher's salary would be less than the minimum salary schedule
16 Minimum Salary Schedule.
17 C. Any of the degrees referred to in this section shall be from
18 a college recognized by the State Board of Education. The Board
19 shall accept teaching experience from out-of-state school districts
20 that are accredited by the state board of education or appropriate
21 state accrediting agency for the districts. The Board shall accept
22 teaching experience from out-of-country schools that are accredited
23 or otherwise endorsed by the appropriate national or regional
24 accrediting or endorsement authority. Out-of-country certification
Req. No. 5468 Page 10
1 documentation in a language other than English shall be analyzed by
2 an educational credential evaluation service in accordance with
3 industry standards and guidelines and approved by the State
4 Department of Education. The person seeking to have credit granted
5 for out-of-country teaching experience shall be responsible for all
6 costs of the analysis by a credential evaluation service. The Board
7 shall accept teaching experience from primary and secondary schools
8 that are operated by the United States Department of Defense or are
9 affiliated with the United States Department of State.
10 D. For the purpose of state salary increments and retirement,
11 no teacher shall be granted credit for more than five (5) years of
12 active duty in the military service or out-of-state or out-of-
13 country teaching experience as a certified teacher or its
14 equivalent. Nothing in this section shall prohibit boards of
15 education from crediting more years of experience on district salary
16 schedules than those allowed for state purposes.
17 E. The State Board of Education shall recognize, for purposes
18 of certification and salary increments, all the years of experience
19 of a:
20 1. Certified teacher who teaches in the educational program of
21 the Department of Corrections, beginning with fiscal year 1981;
22 2. Vocational rehabilitation counselor under the Department of
23 Human Services if the counselor was employed as a certified teacher
24 by the State Department of Education when the Division of Vocational
Req. No. 5468 Page 11
1 Rehabilitation was transferred from the State Board of Career and
2 Technology Education or the State Board of Education to the Oklahoma
3 Public Welfare Commission on July 1, 1968;
4 3. Vocational rehabilitation counselor which were completed
5 while employed by the Department of Human Services if such counselor
6 was certified as a teacher or was eligible for certification as a
7 teacher in Oklahoma;
8 4. Certified teacher which were completed while employed by the
9 Child Study Center located at University Hospital, if the teacher
10 was certified as a teacher in Oklahoma; and
11 5. Certified school psychologist or psychometrist which were
12 completed while employed as a doctoral intern, psychological
13 assistant, or psychologist with any agency of the State of Oklahoma
14 if the experience primarily involved work with persons of school- or
15 preschool-age and if the person was, at the time the experience was
16 acquired, certified as, or eligible for certification as, a school
17 psychologist or psychometrist.
18 F. The provisions of this section shall not apply to teachers
19 who have entered into postretirement employment with a public school
20 in Oklahoma and are still receiving a monthly retirement bene