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Teacher pay raises

The FY2027 Oklahoma budget deal includes teacher pay raises, a recurring priority in state politics following years of underfunding that led to significant teacher shortages and a high-profile walkout. The 2026 governor's race debate highlighted disagreements about whether the state is doing enough to invest in public education versus prioritizing tax cuts.

Should Oklahoma increase teacher pay beyond what is included in the current FY2027 budget?

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Sources

Oklahoma Legislature / Gov. Kevin Stitt — https://nondoc.com/2026/04/01/oklahoma-legislature-strikes-early-fy-2027-budget-deal-teacher-pay-hike-cola
Legislature strikes early FY '27 budget deal with mostly flat budgets, teacher pay hike, COLAs
2026 Oklahoma Governor's Debate participant — https://www.pbs.org/video/2026-oklahoma-governors-debate-6vc3iw
When I came into the legislature, we faced a $1.5 billion budget deficit after Republican income tax cuts that we know help the wealthiest. And there were massive cuts to public education, health care, infrastructure programs that were so vital to our working families.
KOSU / Oklahoma legislature watchers — https://www.kosu.org/politics/2026-01-28/what-to-watch-for-during-oklahomas-2026-legislative-session
This year, lawmakers' priorities include improving math and reading outcomes in public schools, putting property tax cuts to a vote of the people, and adjusting
Positions on this issue  ·  liberal → conservative
  1. Substantially increase teacher pay to match national averages, funded by progressive tax reform if necessary.
  2. Increase teacher pay well above the FY2027 deal amount and tie future raises to student outcome improvements.
  3. The FY2027 teacher pay raise is a good step; continue modest annual increases as the budget allows.
  4. Teacher pay increases should be tied strictly to performance metrics, not across-the-board budget allocations.
  5. Focus on school choice and competition rather than increasing pay; the market should set teacher compensation.