{"id":35557,"date":"2023-02-07T11:08:28","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T17:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=35557"},"modified":"2023-02-08T16:12:09","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T22:12:09","slug":"oklahoma-governor-kevin-stitts-education-agenda-vouchers-performance-based-teacher-raises-new-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2023\/02\/07\/oklahoma-governor-kevin-stitts-education-agenda-vouchers-performance-based-teacher-raises-new-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt\u2019s education agenda: Vouchers, performance-based teacher raises, new schools"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt revealed $382.6 million in education priorities for this legislative session at the State of the State Address Monday, and vouchers are at the top of his wishlist.<\/span><\/p>

Stitt\u2019s big ticket ask is $130 million toward the establishment of education savings accounts, also known as vouchers, which would allow public dollars to be used for education expenses, including private school enrollment. The legislature will decide what, if any, of Stitt\u2019s proposal it wants to include in the final budget.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cParents spoke loud and clear at the ballot box last November in support of our vision to create more options for kids,\u201d Stitt said at Monday\u2019s address. \u201cWe know not every student learns the same way. Every child deserves a quality education that fits their unique needs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Sen. Julie Daniels (R-Bartlesville) filed <\/span>Senate Bill 822<\/span><\/a>, which sets up savings accounts to be used for qualifying expenses as long as the student is not enrolled in a public, charter or magnet school. Her bill allocates nearly $275 million to these accounts.<\/span><\/p>

Stitt\u2019s education wishlist also has similar priorities to the <\/span>proposal recently presented by State Superintendent Walters<\/span><\/a> \u2014 with a few alterations. The governor wants to dedicate $100 million toward student reading initiatives, like Walters\u2019 budget. And, similarly, it also includes a performance-based teacher pay raise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

But instead of $150 million for teacher merit raises that Walters proposed, Stitt\u2019s list takes that down to $50 million. Both are a far cry from the budget proposal approved by previous Superintendent Joy Hofmeister last year, which included $309 million for an across-the-board $5,000 teacher raise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

There are educator teacher pay raise bills, all of which include across-the-board raises:<\/span><\/p>\n