QUESTION:

I read the following article in the Tulsa World.  Could you clarify if we are going to receive our bonuses this year.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20091223_16_A3_OKLAHO275622
It would be sad to find this information out right now.  Superintendent Garret should have announced this earlier, so families could plan for it.  I would like to see how happy our legislators would be if they received notice the day before Christmas that they were losing $5000.00.  Of course, we pay taxes to the state on our money, so we really do not see the full amount.  I had originally heard that we might lose 5% of the bonus.  That is acceptable to me, as I do understand these are difficult times. Please let me know how OEA is addressing this issue.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Griffin NBCT 2002

ANSWER:

OEA is Fighting for NBCTs

The state’s economic shortfall is hitting everyone, and you have no doubt experienced how funding cuts are affecting your school. You also may have heard that the state is considering cuts to the annual stipends paid to National Board Certified Teachers.

The Oklahoma Education Association was instrumental in achieving the legislation that provides for scholarships and stipends for National Board Certification and we want you to know that we are working diligently to ensure that the National Board program remains a priority in our state. To that end, we are lobbying regularly on your behalf with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and other state leaders to find the money to fund the full $5,000 stipends for all National Board Certified teachers.

Superintendent Garrett has voiced her continued support for this program and is committed to finding a way to pay you what you have been promised by our legislature.With the legislature not in session to provide additional funding until February 1, 2010, we are currently focusing our lobbying efforts on the State Department of Education. We have asked them to take larger cuts in other programs in order to protect the promises that have been made to you.

We will continue to monitor the situation and may be calling on you to activate your very dynamic network to help influence the outcome of this situation. We will keep you updated as we proceed. Please pass this on to other National Board Certified teachers who might need this information. We appreciate all you do for the students in your classrooms and for your dedication to excellence in our profession.

Please call the Teaching and Learning Center (800-522-8091) if you have questions and follow our progress by checking our website (okea.org), Facebook (OEA Facebook) and Twitter (OEA Twitter) sites.

Want the latest news from the capitol?  Want to know exactly what specific bills will mean to public education?  Need to know the latest campaign updates?

Then email our legislative and political department at: PoliticalQuestions@okea.org

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