Nearly 1,200 fewer emergency-certified teachers are working in Oklahoma classrooms than two years ago, but State Board of Education members say districts should rely less on temporary certifications as lawmakers prepare to review the issue.
OKLAHOMA CITY — The number of emergency-certified teachers working in Oklahoma schools has fallen by more than 1,100 over the past two years, but State Board of Education members say the state still has significant work to do to reduce reliance on temporary classroom certifications.
During a meeting Thursday, board members reviewed new figures showing Oklahoma employed 3,928 emergency-certified teachers during fiscal year 2026, down from 4,385 the previous year and 5,114 in fiscal year 2024.
Emergency certification allows individuals with bachelor’s degrees to teach before completing traditional teacher preparation requirements and state certification exams. School districts often use the certifications to fill vacancies in early childhood and elementary classrooms, counseling positions and other hard-to-staff subject areas.
Board members said the declining numbers represent progress but expressed concern that some districts continue to rely heavily on emergency-certified educators instead of traditionally certified teachers.
The board discussed creating a working group to examine whether Oklahoma’s emergency certification policies should be revised to discourage long-term reliance on temporary credentials. Members also suggested districts could be required to provide parents with greater transparency about how many emergency-certified teachers they employ.
Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, chairman of the House Common Education Committee, told board members the Legislature plans to conduct an interim study this summer examining Oklahoma’s emergency and provisional teacher certification policies.
Board members also discussed legislation approved this year aimed at helping school districts recruit and retain traditionally certified teachers.
Separately, the board highlighted a new partnership between the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Oklahoma School Security Institute, a division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, to expand school safety training and security assessments statewide.
Under the agreement, the institute will conduct school risk and vulnerability assessments, provide behavioral threat assessment training, and help law enforcement agencies and school personnel prepare for active-threat situations.
State Superintendent Lindel Fields said the partnership is intended to strengthen school safety through prevention, response and recovery training.
The board also received an update on a long-running legal dispute involving Impact Athletics and its administration of part of the state’s Summer Food Service Program. Following an executive session, the board took no action on the matter.
Read the original story at the Tulsa World.
