State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister made the following remarks after Gov. Fallin’s signing of House Bill 1010xx. The landmark legislation, the first to earn the required three-fourths majority in both chambers since the passage of State Question 640 in 1992, provides nearly half a billion dollars in funding for common education, including a significant teacher pay increase, raises for support staff and restored textbook funding.
“This bill represents a tremendous step forward for public education in Oklahoma. Firstand foremost, this is the culmination of the hard work and tireless advocacy of educators, parents and community leaders who drove this effort and who for years have been fighting for funding to meet the needs of kids.
“This advocacy can and must continue, but it is not all that is needed to reverse a decade of student growth that has outpaced funding for public education. This bill allows us to begin to reverse Oklahoma’s severe teacher shortage and begin attracting new talent to the profession while also rewarding career educators.
“Building a competitive public education to lift student outcomes will require continued engagement and sustained investment.”