State leaders say they’re still pursuing solutions to reverse a yearslong decline in traditionally trained teachers entering the classroom, all while emergency certified educators continue to fill essential teaching roles.

The number of graduates completing Oklahoma teacher preparation programs, including college degrees in education, has fallen by about 40% since 2013, state officials told the Oklahoma State Board of Education on Thursday.

Traditionally certified educators who completed these programs have represented less than half of all first-year teachers entering the state’s public schools since 2018.

Image

Some states have experimented with training programs to better prepare educators for classroom challenges, as shown by a South Dakota initiative that helped teachers integrate technology into their instruction.

State education officials have faced scrutiny over teacher hiring practices, as documented in a 2023 subpoena involving a $2 million contract that raised questions about how the state manages its educator workforce.

To help fill in the gap, Oklahoma districts hire thousands of emergency certified teachers, who might not have traditional classroom training, when a candidate with full or partial credentials is unavailable. Uncertified adjunct instructors, who must have relevant career experience but aren’t required to have a college degree, also have taken on a growing role in public schools.

The state Board of Education has placed increasing scrutiny on Oklahoma’s reliance on emergency certified teachers, who were a rarity a decade and a half ago. The board votes monthly to issue emergency certifications.

“I’m not against it,” said Becky Carson, a retired teacher and one of the most vocal board members on the issue. “I just want to make sure that the educators that we’re putting there are supported and we’re giving them the right training and being able to remove those that might not be (in) the best place for them.”

Image

Research shows teacher quality and credentials impact student academic achievement, she said. If Oklahoma wants to rise from the bottom of national education rankings, Carson said, “we have to look at all aspects that could be of a concern that’s putting us there.”

The state issued 3,928 emergency certifications for the 2025-26 school year, state data shows.

So far, 1,392 more have been approved for 2026-27, said Jeff Smith, program director for teacher certification at the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

More than 470 of those teachers are renewing past emergency certifications, he said.

The number of applicants seeking renewals — some as many as eight times after failing to pass certification tests or not completing required coursework — has been one of the state board members’ top complaints.

Sixty of the 638 applicants approved Thursday have been issued an emergency certificate more than three times, according to an Oklahoma Voice analysis of state records. Emergency certifications are typically renewed every one to two years, according to state administrative codes.

“Why are we having people that are having to ask for that renewal eight times?” Carson said. “Why aren’t we being able to get them to pass the test if that’s the reason?”

Data agency staff presented at the board’s meeting Thursday showed the stark reality of the pipeline feeding Oklahoma’s teacher workforce.

Emergency certified educators, once considered a stop-gap measure, were the most common of all first-year teachers in 2025. They represented 38.8% of teachers in their first year and more than 5% of all Oklahoma educators, state officials said.

Traditionally certified educators made up 87.8% of the overall teacher workforce in 2025 and only 37.1% of those in their first year, but their numbers could rise in 2026. So far, they represent 45.5% of 2026 first-year teachers, but state data doesn’t yet reflect the full hiring cycle.

Provisional educators, who have completed some requirements but still have testing or coursework to complete, represented 7.6% of all teachers and 24.1% of first-year educators last year.

That presents a striking difference from 2010, when emergency certifications amounted to 0.5% of incoming new teachers. Those with traditional certifications counted for 96.3% of the classroom teacher workforce and 64.7% of first-year entrants. The rest held a provisional certificate.

The data sheds light on an “unfortunate situation” that state leaders must work together to solve, said Representative Dick Lowe, R-Amber. The state House Common Education Committee leader, who attended the board meeting Thursday, said he’s going to participate in interim studies and a working group with the state Board of Education to explore solutions.

“I think if you look at those numbers, you kind of understand where our test scores are, where they’re at and why they’ve been there,” Lowe said of Oklahoma’s poor academic results.

The weakening teacher pipeline wasn’t a shock to Carson, she said, given how many educators complain of classroom behavior issues and a lack of support.

State lawmakers in recent years have increased minimum teacher salaries, created scholarship programs for aspiring educators and established other perks in the hopes of combatting the education workforce shortage.

A state initiative known as TeachForward is helping 450 emergency certified educators earn a standard certification within one year, Education Department staff said Thursday. Six Oklahoma universities partnered with the program to offer accelerated coursework and exams at no out-of-pocket cost to participants.

The agency also touted a program it will launch Monday to give 463 early career teachers a week of professional development and mentoring throughout the school year. The program serves first- and second-year teachers with any type of certification.

State Superintendent Lindel Fields expressed enthusiasm for the program’s potential to help retain participating teachers in the classroom long term.

“There’s a lot of talk about recruiting teachers. The real problem is keeping teachers,” Fields said during the state Board of Education meeting. “Everything we can do to help those teachers be successful in this program is super exciting.”