Against a backdrop of record emergency certifications issued in the state and high staffing vacancy levels, a new report suggests a potential “turning point” in the momentum to recover Oklahoma’s teacher workforce.
According to a new report from the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, after years of decline, public colleges and universities in Oklahoma increased the number of awarded bachelor’s degrees in teacher preparation programs in the 2023 to 2024 academic year. Those degrees rose by 6.1% from the previous year.
The increase is still a long way from reversing the workforce decline. Over the last decade, teacher preparation bachelor’s degrees fell by 27%.
Goldie Thompson, associate vice chancellor for teacher preparation and special programs for the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, spoke to state regents about the report at a Dec. 5 board meeting.
She said recent statutory efforts like the Inspired to Teach college scholarship and paid student teaching internships, as well as increased federal funding for emergency and alternatively certified teachers to receive additional education, have made a difference. Since the inception of Inspired to Teach, she said there has been a 30% growth in teacher prep programs.
“Students are noticing — seeing that as an incentive, and noticing the support that they’re receiving, to enter the program,” Thompson said. “I think with those types of resources and funding supports, we’re starting to notice an increase in certain areas. … We were on a decline — a very significant, steady decline. But you’re starting to see that kind of roll back in recent years.”
The teacher shortage has led to the state breaking records for emergency certified teachers, who are educators that have no teaching degree and are on a provisional certificate that can be renewed and held for up to three years. In January, the state issued more than 4,600 emergency certificates.
Regent Jeffrey Hickman voiced concerns about the extent to which emergency certified personnel are prepared to deliver quality education, saying Oklahoma’s “emergency situation” has left classrooms with educators “not prepared to inspire.”
“I think we have a lot of students that, they don’t like school. They’re not inspired to be there. And I think a lot of that has to do with, we have failed to prepare teachers because we’ve just been plugging people in,” Hickman said.
Hickman said he had “no doubt” some emergency certified teachers are “exceptional,” but he wants to see more mandated training for teachers to earn full certification. Currently, Oklahoma law requires completion of competency exams within the three-year emergency certification period to earn traditional certification.
He said the report was hopeful, but also showed some “alarm bells.”
“I think we’re moving in the right direction,” Hickman said. “But this tells me we have a lot of work to do as a state.”
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma colleges awarding more teaching degrees: See the report