OAESP Legislative Goals

OAESP Legislative Goals 2025-26

2025-26 OAESP Legislative Goals

ACADEMICS: OAESP will

Promote grade-level appropriate student assessments aligned with current research and the Oklahoma Academic Standards.
Protect and promote recess as a crucial and necessary component of a child's development.
Support a plan for investment into innovative learning initiatives to improve outcomes in reading and math and other academic areas.
· Support adequately and appropriately funding literacy-focused professional development for PreK-3 grade teachers as determined by the local school board.

FUNDING: OAESP will

Oppose unfunded mandates and any efforts to divert public funds to non-public schools.
Support teacher and support employee salaries with the goal of reaching and maintaining the regional average for per pupil funding and increasing starting salaries for new teachers.
Support funding formalized induction programs for all new teachers, including emergency certified and alternative certified teachers.
Support ensuring that state appropriated per-pupil funding reaches regionally competitive levels to achieve appropriate class sizes for all age levels.
Provide funds for principal/teacher professional learning designed to equip educators to address the needs of our most challenging populations, including children in trauma, and to successfully implement state-mandated initiatives.
Support funding and resources for alternative education and learning environments that provide student support for behavioral and mental health to establish a safe environment for students and staff.
Support the Oklahoma State Department of Education in pursuing and procuring federal grants to support schools, students, and staff.

ACCOUNTABILITY: OAESP will

Support the continued development and implementation of evidence-based curriculum materials and accountability measures that include multi-criteria indicators of student growth.
Support teacher and leader evaluations that ensure that student data from state assessments are not a significant factor for determining teacher or principal effectiveness but rather a snapshot.
Support equal accountability for all schools receiving public dollars.
Support reducing bureaucratic regulations and oppose administrative rules not supported by law.
Eliminate student attendance from any accountability measures.
Support efforts to streamline the accreditation process in statute to assure support to districts while reducing redundant reporting.

EMPLOYEES: OAESP will

Support legislation to address the current teacher and support staff shortage by removing barriers, protecting benefits, and improving compensation for current, future, and retired education employees.
Support examining teacher and administrative preparation programs to reflect the changing needs of students.
Support streamlining the development, training, and mentoring of teachers.
Support continued investments in funding to ensure teacher salaries are competitive regionally.

LOCAL CONCERNS: OAESP will

Oppose any legislation that removes educational decisions from locally elected Boards of Education.
Support legislation that will maintain student transfer decisions at the local level.
Oppose the expansion of charter schools without input from local boards of education or local community support.

FEDERAL: OAESP will

Support the expansion of E-rate funding.
Support efforts to maximize and work against reductions to Oklahoma federal education funds.
Work with the legislature to establish guardrails to protect federal funding for districts with the potential of federal funds disbursements through state block grants.

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