Last week, the AP reported that Oklahoma lawmakers want to give teachers a $6,000 raise that would be phased in over three years. That's about half of what teachers requested via SQ 779, but who cares, right? As they say, teachers can not be choosers.
Here are the details via The Oklahoman...
New House Speaker Charles McCall is endorsing a pay increase for Oklahoma teachers that would phase in a $6,000 pay raise during a three-year period.
McCall said in a statement released Thursday that he believes House Republicans will support the bill by Broken Arrow Republican Michael Rogers, chairman of the House Public Education Committee.
Rogers' House Bill 1114 includes a $1,000 raise next year, followed by raises of $2,000 the following year and $3,000 the next year.
$6,000 over three years? I guess that's better than nothing. It would bump a starting teacher's salary to about $38,000... which is about how much an entry-level QuikTrip employee makes in a year.
Via News 9:
The pay of Oklahoma school teachers compared to employees at QuikTrip is causing a buzz online.
It can take a teacher, with a degree, 11 years to reach QuikTrip's starting salary for full-time employees with just a high school diploma.
Let's say a teacher with a decade of experience came to work at Eugene Field Elementary, they would make $38,000, including benefits. Or, they could, with no degree and no experience, go down the street and make more at QuikTrip.
Come on, is that really a fair comparison? Do QuikTrip employees get summers off, lots of sick leave and their own special parking lot, lounge and bathroom. I doubt it. Then again, I think they get free fountain drinks, so it's kind of a wash.
Plus, teachers have a pretty good benefits. Sure, we may pay them like shit while they're educating our children, but at least they get decent insurance and financial security for their sacrifice.
Well, at least they do for now. Republican legislators are already complaining about teacher pensions in editorials for The Oklahoman. I'll bet a QuikTrip Blueberry Pancake Roller that they plan on gutting that system to pay for the $6,000 a year raise.
Until that officially happens, lawmakers are playing dumb:
McCall has said increasing teacher pay will be one of the caucus' top priorities, but it's not clear how lawmakers plan to pay for it.
Every $1,000 pay increase for public school teachers would cost the state about $60 million. The Legislature already is facing a budget hole of nearly $870 million.
I have an idea. How about we install tribal bingo slots machines in public school cafeterias and then use a portion of proceeds to fund teacher pay raises? Sure, that may sound like robbing Peter to pay Paul, but it makes sense. The only chance a teacher really has to make money in this state is to hit a slot machine jackpot – or work at QuikTrip – so we might as well make it as convenient as possible. Hell, even the evil, greedy school district superintendents can play along. They may be looking for more money, too.
