Literacy, teacher retention among Senate Education priorities for 2026 legislative session

By Paige Taylor, Fox 25

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — On Thursday, the Oklahoma Senate Education Chair and Vice Chair laid out their education priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

Last year, the spotlight on education in Oklahoma was largely on former State Superintendent Ryan Walters.

Now, there is new leadership at the helm of the Oklahoma State Department of Education following Walters' resignation last September.

"I hope that we have a great working relationship over the next year. But if we don't, when the legislature accomplishes great things, it's still their job to implement the laws and it's still their job when we appropriate dollars for them to fund the things we've told them to fund and to be good stewards of those tax dollars and I do believe in that," Senate Education Chairman Adam Pugh (R-Edmond) said.

Pugh is proposing a teacher retention tax credit of $10,000 for teachers who begin their eighth consecutive year within a school district.

"We've gotta work on the teacher retention, teacher recruitment, because we can't be static. We can't be stagnant. It's year over year. And I understand for some of my colleagues that may seem exhausting, but it's my job to champion the things we need to move education forward in the state of Oklahoma," Pugh said.

Paid paternity leave is also something he has filed legislation for.

"We know it's a female dominated profession. Seventy six percent of all teachers are female, but a number of male teachers asked well, what about paternity leave," Pugh said.

Vice Chair Ally Seifried (R-Claremore) is proposing more recess time for elementary students and full-day kindergarteners.

"Right now, state law says 20 minutes minimum for kids K through five, and it's traditionally seven hour school day. I don't think that's enough," Seifried said.

She also wants the cell phone ban that was implemented this school year in Oklahoma schools to become permanent. Right now, districts have the option to extend it past this school year.

"It was implemented and had such positive feedback that the schools and the parents and the teachers have said, can you please extend this? And so I have filed the extension for the cell phone restriction to be permanent," Seifried said.

Pugh also said literacy will be a big discussion at the State Capitol this year, and he is running two bills related to literacy. One would "require intensive reading interventions for 1st through 3rd grade students with significant reading deficiencies." The other would expand literacy instruction teams through the HEROES program.

To view the full list of the Senate Education priorities, click here.