OKLAHOMA CITY (May 20, 2022) – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister made the following remarks today after House Bill 3564 was passed by both the House and the Senate. The measure creates the Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program under the State Regents for Higher Education, providing up to $25,500 in scholarships and payments to prospective teachers over the course of a four-year teacher preparation program, and five subsequent years of classroom service.
"In the midst of an unprecedented and worsening teacher shortage, it is imperative we look for long-term solutions that also ensure all students are receiving instruction from highly competent and trained teachers. Right now, the state's teacher preparation programs are not producing the number of teachers needed to fill the vacancies in schools, and this bill has tangible solutions for changing that.
"I applaud the bill's authors, Rep. Mark McBride and Sen. Dewayne Pemberton, as well as all others who supported the measure, for recognizing that the status quo is unsustainable and for lifting up this innovative incentive package to show that Oklahoma values professional teachers.
