iCapitol.net
Your view inside Oklahoma government
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor
- I am an education support employee, just who are education support employees. They are school secretaries, teachers’ aids, building maintenance people, school bus driver and others. Since the late 90’s bills have been introduced to give education support employees salary increases ranging from 50 cents per hour to 3.00 dollars per hour. These bills all died in committee because they were never considered. This 51st Oklahoma Legislature session 1 seems intent on keeping the tradition alive. Senate committees didn’t meet this last week and there is no indication they plan to meet this week. The legislative deadline for bills to be out of committee in body of origin is March 12th.
I wonder what would happen if on a certain school day all education support employees were absent. It would be the most chaotic day school systems across the state ever saw. Don’t worry it won’t happen as education support employees are to dedicated. However, it is food for thought.
Like teachers, education support personnel deserve a living wage. School districts across the state try to provide some relief in yearly contracts with discretionary spending resulting from carry over funds. Carry over funds are a dwindling commodity as districts across the state have to uses the funds to pay for what our legislature under funded or failed to fund.
For people that say that if education support personnel should get a real job if they don’t like the pay. I have this to say, I have a real job the kids that ride my bus depend on me as do their parents.
Steve Lower
