Sen. Carri Hicks statement in response to governor’s executive order

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, released the following statement in response to the executive order issued by Gov. Stitt regarding the teacher shortage.

“The safety of our students and educators should be the top priority by local decision makers. Today, the governor issued an executive order purporting to keep schools open, by urging public employees to substitute as classroom teachers two days a week. This is a short-sighted solution to the challenges our schools have been facing for 22 months during a global pandemic.

“Without mitigation efforts to protect the health and safety of students, many who are immunocompromised, I fear for the long-term effects of this heavy-handed approach. We do not have an interchangeable workforce.

“The executive order shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the problem. It diminishes teachers’ contributions and expertise in the field of education, undermines the safety of our classrooms and ignores the complexity involved in educating a child.

“The shortage of highly qualified educators has been at a critical level for years and this executive order is a charade. In 2012, the state of Oklahoma had 32 emergency certified teachers. In contrast, this school year, we have more than 3,600 emergency certified teachers in the state.

“I stand with the hundreds of thousands of public-school parents who value, support and appreciate their local school district and educators. These are extraordinarily challenging times for educators, parents, and students, but together we will get through this.”

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For more information, contact:  Sen. Hicks: (405) 521-5543 or Carri.Hicks@oksenate.gov