By Senator Michael Bergstrom
My, what a difference a week makes.
I found it interesting, the emails I have received in recent weeks in which I was accused of not supporting education, of not caring about Oklahoma’s children, and I even had a fair number that ended with the declaration of “Shame on you.”
So let me set the record straight.
Almost two years ago, when I launched my campaign for my state Senate seat, I declared that getting Oklahoma’s teachers a significant pay raise was a top priority. I never wavered from that and on Wednesday night the Senate passed the first true revenue bill in almost thirty years to fund those raises. Then we passed a bill defining those raises, over $5,000 for new teachers, and pay escalating based on years in the classroom so that a teacher with 25 years in the classroom will see an $8,000 rise in pay.
It comes out to a $6,100 average pay raise for classroom teachers. They will now be paid far above the regional average, with only Texas paying more, until you consider pay plus benefits and factor in the cost of living and Oklahoma comes out above Texas, ranking 12th in the nation.
Not bad. That’s a 15% – 17% increase in pay. No, that’s phenomenal.
Additionally, we are providing a raise for school support personnel, replacing education funds recently cut and we restored line item funding for textbooks.
Truly historic.
We cobbled together revenue sources the public generally supports, most of which should be considered use taxes, with a $1.00 cigarette tax, motor fuel diesel at a 6 cent increase, gasoline rising 3 cents, and raising the gross production tax (GPT) on all oil and gas wells for the first 36 months to five percent before rising to 7 percent.
This is the first revenue increase to be passed by the legislature in almost three decades.
This is major. This is truly historic.
But then there are some who seem to have no interest in giving the legislature any credit for the progress that’s been made for education.
Some are like my five-year-old grandson’s teacher, who told him the other day she was going to walk off the job “Because she didn’t make enough money.”
Why would you tell your kindergarten students something like that?
Allow me to insert a personal note.
During my two decades as a classroom teacher, I rarely took personal days and I avoided using sick days whenever I could. I would not have ever walked away from my classroom. I was going to be there for my students, not doing anything that would undermine their education.
I took the job, despite the pay, because I thought I was able to make a positive difference in my students’ lives. Any teacher, who does not have that as his or her top priority, needs to re-evaluate their choice of profession. For me, the kids came first.
That does not mean I don’t understand the frustration of good teachers who struggle to pay college loans and take care of their families under the existing salary structure. I certainly do. So, for those who felt that working with your administrators to have a day to remind the legislature of the need to follow through on our teacher pay promises, I respect your choice.
To those who threatened disrupting testing schedules, family schedules and our state’s children’s education, and especially to those who continue to threaten such disruptions because you didn’t get all you want, shame on you.
We have taken a huge step forward for Oklahoma schools and students. Let’s be glad and continue moving forward.
