TULSA, Oklahoma – It’s been a problem for years.
There are not enough teachers to fill the classrooms in Oklahoma.
The day has begun and this school year is no exception.
Marisha McBrayer is a mother of one child in Tulsa Public Schools. All four of her children are enrolled in the school district, and her two younger children attend Tulsa’s Virtual Academy.
She said that her experiences with TPS had been mostly positive, but that her children had clearly felt the strain.
“When he was in first grade, he had about five different teachers a year, and she had maybe three different teachers last year,” she said.
The day before the first day of school, Tulsa public schools were 95% full.
2 News has contacted over ten local districts to find out about the staffing situation.
The eight respondents noticed a common problem:
- Tulsa public schools need 14 special education teachers.
- Sapulpa Public Schools needs two elementary special education teachers.
- Owasso Public Schools needs two special education teachers.
- Broken Arrow Public Schools needs 11 special education teachers.
- Jenks Public Schools needs a special education teacher.
- Glenpool Public Schools needs three special education teachers.
- Pryor Public Schools needs several special education teachers.
There are six vacancies at Union Public Schools, but no details were provided as to which positions need to be filled.
Jenks Public School administration said it will assign an existing teacher to fill the vacant position.
It is unclear what the other districts will do to meet the demand.
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