Senate Republicans Announce Education Priorities

OKLAHOMA CITY – Members of the Oklahoma Senate Education Committee today laid out their education initiatives for the upcoming regular session that begins Monday.

Chairman of the Senate Education committee, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, was joined by fellow members Sen. Dewayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee, Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond and Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore to lay out a robust plan that includes additional teacher pay raises, advanced reading criteria, initiatives to get more teachers into the classroom and reforms to higher education.

“This plan is ambitious and will build on the successes we had last year,” Sen. Pugh said. “If we want to get to where we need to be to improve education in Oklahoma, we must put our priorities in the right places. This slate of legislation is targeted and will put us on the right trajectory to what Oklahoma kids deserve, while rewarding teachers working in our classrooms and deliver much needed reforms. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to see these measures come to fruition.”

“I’m proud of the work we’ve put into this year’s education agenda. We are addressing important issues from teacher retention and recruitment to improving student outcomes,” Sen. Thompson said. “Oklahoma students deserve a high-quality education, every single day, so they are college, military or career ready when they graduate.”

“This comprehensive agenda will help strengthen our education system by better supporting our teachers, finding innovative ways to get more highly trained educators into the classroom, and providing more learning opportunities for our students,” Sen. Pemberton said. “This will continue to build on the tremendous accomplishments we’ve made in recent years for Oklahoma’s students and schools.”

“I’m looking forward to building on the momentum we started last session to strengthen and reform education in Oklahoma,” Seifried said. “This plan focuses on critical areas to improve classroom learning and student outcomes, address the ongoing teacher shortage, and help support our local school districts and families.”

To review a copy of the 2024 Senate Education Bills, click here.

###