“We know that early childhood education is important and requires special training,” McCane said. “It is imperative we make sure we have certified teachers in these classrooms. Furthermore, I can say having just come from working at a public school after the pandemic, we have serious issues with behavior that require training for classroom management. This bill would be an ineffective fix to the ongoing teacher shortage in Oklahoma. What we really need to ensure we have certified teachers in every classroom is to increase teacher and support staff pay, give teachers and support staff better insurance rates, and incentivize teachers to want to come to the State of Oklahoma. We have a State Superintendent who has no qualms attacking our public schools and our public school teachers and yet we have done nothing to rein him in when we know he is causing teachers to leave the classroom. This bill does not provide a temporary solution to the teacher shortage, it is a Band-Aid on a gaping wound.”
Waldron said a better solution would be to place certified teachers in every classroom.
“We need to figure out how to put certified teachers in every classroom, and this bill does not do that,” Waldron said. “Instead, this bill normalizes lowering the standards for our public school teachers. Simply put: one can love students and want to teach, but not know how to manage students and all their complexities, especially classrooms containing our youngest students.”
Fugate said childhood education is the foundation of all students’ education and should be prioritized.
“Children deserve the best start to their education,” Fugate said. “While we emphasize the science of reading and teaching, these principles are often overlooked when decisions are made. Adjunct teachers bring passion and dedication to the classroom, but young learners need educators with thorough training and a variety of teaching methods to truly thrive.”
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