Legislative watchdog office to evaluate Oklahoma teacher pay, K-12 education funding
Pictured left to right: Liz Nicholson, Kay County 4-H Educator, Susan Rhea, and Dr. Steve Beck, Oklahoma State 4-H Program Leader. Susan Rhea is a parent volunteer with the Newkirk Go-Getters 4-H Club. Susan was nominated by the Kay County 4-H Parent Leader Organization for the Kay County Parent Volunteer Award and the Northeast District Parent Volunteer Award. Rhea is credited in her community for the success of its 4-H livestock programs. She loves sharing her knowledge about exhibiting livestock with members and guiding them through challenges. Rhea won and was awarded at the State Volunteer Conference on the OSU Campus June 26, 2021. (Courtesy photo) Pictured left to right: Liz Nicholson, Kay County 4-H Educator, Stacie Grossardt, and Dr. Steve Beck, Oklahoma State 4-H Program Leader. Stacie Grossardt is the leader of the Blackwell OK-Okies 4-H Club. Stacie was recently nominated by the Kay County 4-H Parent Leader Organization for the Kay County Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award and the Northeast District Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award. Grossardt prioritizes her members’ best interest by providing positive experiences through triumphs and challenges. She has also served a term on the State 4-H Volunteer Board of Directors. Grossardt won and was awarded at the State Volunteer Conference on the OSU Campus June 26, 2021. (Courtesy photo)
Jul. 22—A state legislative watchdog office will evaluate Oklahoma teacher pay in comparison to neighboring states and take a comprehensive look at state funding for K-12 education.
A state legislative committee on Wednesday approved a work plan for the Legislative Office of Fiscal Trans parency for the next year.
The plan puts a priority on examining state education funding and looking at outcomes tied to those dollars.
LOFT Executive Director Mike Jackson said the evaluations will serve as a deeper dive into Oklahoma’s education funding.
Sen. Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, who co-chairs the LOFT Oversight Committee, said he often sees different numbers for Oklahoma when looking at state-by-state breakdowns of teacher pay. The LOFT evaluation on teacher pay can’t come soon enough, he said.
“I’ve been here (at the legislature) seven years, and we’ve talked about teacher pay all seven years,” Thompson said.
Saying more discussion and transparency was needed on LOFT’s proposed priorities and how the items on the work plan were decided, Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, was the lone member of the oversight committee to vote against the plan.
LOFT conducts evaluations of state agencies, programs and operations to determine their effectiveness and get a better idea of how state funds are being spent. The entity also makes policy recommendations to state lawmakers about where there’s room for improvement.
Under the plan approved Wednesday, LOFT will also evaluate Department of Corrections operations, state spending on mental health, the economic impact of tourism and Oklahoma’s state parks, the state’s medical marijuana regulations and enforcement and state spending of federal stimulus funds.
LOFT evaluations can take anywhere from three months to more than a year.
In the past year, LOFT has issued reports on state unemployment compensation and the Employment Security Commission, the state’s contact tracing efforts, COVID-19 stimulus spending and Oklahoma’s Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust.
LOFT plans to issue reports following up on some of the previous evaluations.
The office also is in the process of reviewing Oklahoma’s early childhood programs and the state’s 13-year waiting list for community-based services for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
LOFT, a priority of legislative leaders, was formed in 2019.