"Shortfall
It’s easy to see why some Oklahoma teachers might be upset over news that funding is short for bonuses promised when they received national certification. Education officials put the shortfall at about $4.7 million.
The only good news is that the budget may have overestimated how many teachers qualify for the bonuses this fiscal year. Teachers who earn National Board Certification qualify for an annual $5,000 bonus for 10 years as long as they stay in teaching. The state program also helps pay for the certification process.
Ted Gillespie, head of the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation, suggested reducing the bonus rather than suspending or ending it. That’s an idea worth considering. So, too, are cost-control measures for the next few years as the state’s budget recovers. That might mean suspending the bonus opportunity for teachers not already in the certification process pipeline or rethinking the bonus amount for new participants with a focus on high-need teaching areas."
