The Teacher Shortage in Oklahoma Has Become a Crisis!

Oklahoma is facing a serious problem as the kids head back to school this year. There's a teacher shortage in the Sooner State and it's quickly becoming a crisis. More and more educators and administrators are leaving the state or profession to find better opportunities elsewhere. The classroom sizes are increasing all the time and the number of teachers and required support staff is decreasing in schools all across the state.

It's been an ongoing problem for years now but has only gotten worse. Some teachers are retiring, others are resigning and in large numbers. It's no secret that teachers don't make enough money for all they do, not near enough. But it's not just the lack of a decent salary. There's the ever-increasing classroom sizes, workload, stress, and the lack of support from administrators, school boards, and even city, county, and state officials.

Not only are teachers leaving in record numbers, but it's also counselors, secretaries, and just about every other type of support staff that's employed by Oklahoma schools. These people are expected to work an outlandish amount of hours and for very little pay. We need to do better, a lot better. Our teachers and school staff should know we value and appreciate them. The best way to do that is by paying them a livable wage!

Hit play on the video below to learn more about Oklahoma's teacher shortage

It's been said that there's a mass exodus of Oklahoma teachers leaving the state. It's easy to see why. They can get higher pay and better opportunities in other states including Texas and Kansas. The fact is the starting pay in these other states is much higher and raises are far more frequent. Not to mention smaller classroom sizes and a more manageable workload. It's no wonder why teachers are leaving OK. in mass!

Another big problem facing Oklahoma is that there aren't enough people going into education and becoming teachers. Those that do more often than not leave the state and go someplace that offers a lot more money and better opportunities for career advancement. That means as more teachers retire or leave, we don't have anyone to replace them. So it's looking like the teacher shortage is going to get worse before it gets better.

As we head into the 2022/2023 school year I hope Oklahoma legislators and all of our school boards work together to resolve this crisis. There's no reason for a teacher or anyone else that's employed by the school system to work 2 jobs just to make ends meet. Or have to put in unreasonable hours to get everything done due to unrealistic workloads. They need to be paid more and get the support they need and deserve.