Education; requirements for adjunct teachers who do not hold valid certificate to teach; State Board of Education to establish salary guidelines for part-time noncertified adjunct teachers; effective date; emergency.
Summary
HB3022 amends Oklahoma’s alternative placement and adjunct teacher statutes to tighten and clarify requirements for people teaching without a standard teaching certificate. For alternative placement teachers, the bill largely retains the existing pathway to certification but continues to require a qualifying degree or work experience, subject-area competency, a plan to earn standard certification within three years, and employment or prospective employment in an Oklahoma public school district. It also preserves the State Board of Education’s authority to grant exceptions in limited circumstances.
The bill makes more specific changes to adjunct teachers who do not hold a valid certificate to teach. It prohibits those noncertified adjuncts from serving as full-time or part-time classroom teachers in core subjects—math, science, English language arts, and social studies—in prekindergarten through grade 6 in district-run public schools and public charter schools. It also requires such adjunct teachers to hold at least a high school diploma and directs the State Board of Education to establish salary guidelines for part-time adjunct teachers without valid certificates. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and contains an emergency clause for immediate effectiveness upon passage and approval.
Impact
HB3022 would amend 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-122.3, affecting teacher certification, alternative placement programs, and the use of adjunct teachers in Oklahoma schools. It would impose new statutory limits on noncertified adjunct teachers in elementary core subjects, require a minimum educational credential of a high school diploma for those adjuncts, and require the State Board of Education to adopt salary guidelines for part-time noncertified adjunct teachers. The bill would also continue to shape how alternative placement candidates are admitted, renewed, and supervised under state law, while leaving the State Board with rulemaking and exception authority.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or recorded vote information was provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears aimed at strengthening qualifications and boundaries for noncertified teaching roles while preserving alternative pathways into the profession. The overall tone of the bill is regulatory and protective of instructional quality, especially in early grades and core academic subjects.
Contention
The likely points of contention are the restrictions on noncertified adjunct teachers and the degree to which schools may rely on them in core subjects for younger students. Supporters would likely view the bill as a safeguard for instructional quality and student outcomes, while opponents may argue it reduces staffing flexibility, especially in hard-to-fill positions, and could make it harder for districts and charter schools to cover classrooms. Another possible issue is the State Board’s new responsibility to set salary guidelines for part-time adjuncts without certificates, which could affect district hiring practices and compensation structures.
Teachers; adjunct teachers; State Board of Career and Technology Education to promulgate certain rules; requiring State Department of Education to assist in implementing rules; effective date; emergency.
Teacher certification; directing the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to have certain authority over teacher certification until certain date. Effective date. Emergency.
Teachers; directing the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability to establish a grant program to provide grants to certain individuals seeking alternative certification. Effective date. Emergency.