The School Counselor Corps program will add 300 counselors to Oklahoma schools to support student mental health. The OSDE is investing $35 million in federal COVID relief funds to cover half the cost of the program, which helps address students’ academic and social-emotional needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As Pinson notes, when students receive that support, it transfers into the classroom, improving performance and allowing teachers to focus their energy on teaching. “Oklahoma’s current student-to-school counselor ratio of 411:1 is significantly higher than the recommended ratio of 250:1,” said Hofmeister. “School counselors and school-based mental health professionals play an integral role in helping students build academic, college and career, and social and emotional skills. This help, in turn, positively impacts student mental health and well-being.” Kirk is grateful for the Employee
meet all of those mandates, like an online module, which diminishes the quality significantly. While it might have been a good idea, the execution doesn’t have the proper resources to have the intended effect.” A reduction of class sizes, which Hicks notes would increase student academic achievement and reduce teachers’ workloads, could also help reduce teacher turnover and burnout. In 1990, state House Bill 1017 mandated class sizes, curriculum standards, testing and early childhood education programs, with schools subject to accreditation and financial penalties for failure to comply. Without the necessary budgeting, though, many of the mandates couldn’t be maintained, and in 2010 a moratorium was passed. Hicks wonders what educators and students could achieve with lower class sizes if districts had the funds to invest equitably in teachers and facilities. “We build new buildings but don’t have the money to hire more teachers,” said Hicks. “We need both in equal proportions.”
Assistance Program, which provides teachers free, confidential counseling and referral services through the U.S. Department of Education, and she’s actively working to encourage teachers in her site and district to take advantage of it when needed. “The district has put an effort into recognizing that teacher work is hard and stressful, that we can’t turn it off and that we’re thinking about our kids while we are at home, wondering if they are safe,” said Kirk. “We take on the emotional energy of our students, and knowing we have services that we don’t have to worry about how much they cost or if taking advantage of them will affect our jobs is comforting.” For the first time in 2021, Oklahoma college students in their final year of a teacher preparation program were paid during their student teaching. This initiative removes obstacles for those who have to work in addition to completing their student teaching and helps with housing and transportation costs they would otherwise need another job to fund. “Student teaching is a really challenging
Kirk would like to see state university education programs require more time in real-world classroom management experiences. She also says it’s necessary to place more veteran teachers in schools with the highest need, which currently often receive the most emergency certified teachers instead. In addition, Kirk believes an increase in teacher pay should not be based on performance or student outcomes because while some students will never test at a specific proficiency level, that doesn’t mean they haven’t achieved tremendous growth, and teacher pay shouldn’t be penalized for it. At the end of the day, though, Kirk believes the current climate and negativity surrounding the education industry in Oklahoma is one the state “can’t legislate its way out of.” “Changing mindsets can’t be done legislatively,” said Kirk. “We have to promote the positives of education so communities and partners understand and value education.”
time for a lot of students because you’re essentially paying to work, which can be a huge burden,” explained Eschbach. “This program is revolutionary, paying student teachers a stipend and then an additional stipend to stay in Oklahoma, adding qualified teachers to our workforce.” While Oklahoma lags in terms of average pay, Pinson said the state has increased teacher pay over the past two years, with an average increase of $7,400. She said just as important as the pay raise is the message conveyed that educators are valued and respected. For future initiatives, Hicks would like to see the state invest in educators’ professional development. Currently Oklahoma has 26 professional development mandates that teachers must complete annually, on top of federally-required mandates. “We mandate professional development but haven’t paid for it in over a decade,” said Hicks. “The state professional development budget is zero, so it’s up to local schools to try to find a cost-effective way to
Community collaboration Because teachers are quite literally molding the next generation of our communities, all Oklahoma citizens have a collective responsibility to support the industry. “The number one way we can help educators in 2022 is simply by offering support,” said Hofmesiter. “Each member of the community has something unique to offer.” At the beginning of the pandemic, Hicks recalls talking with administrators in the public schools in her district to ask what they needed in terms of financial support to reopen. “You could have knocked them over with a feather,” said Hicks, who adds that educators, unfortunately, have gotten used to receiving whatever is left over, not being asked (and provided) what they need most.
34 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / JAN-FEB 2022
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