OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) — Oklahoma Legislative Democrats on Thursday outlined a comprehensive education and literacy agenda for the 2026 legislative session, emphasizing long-term investment, educator-led policy, and sustained funding as central to improving student outcomes across Oklahoma.
The package includes a series of Senate and House bills focused on teacher pay, literacy instruction, tutoring, counseling, and early intervention. Lawmakers described the plan as a multi-year commitment rather than a short-term fix, pointing to research-backed strategies and lessons learned from other states.
The Democratic agenda comes as literacy has emerged as a central, bipartisan focus ahead of the 2026 session. Republican leaders have also introduced a series of literacy-related proposals in recent weeks, while the State Chamber of Oklahoma has elevated early reading as a core pillar of its Oklahoma Competes framework, linking third-grade literacy outcomes to long-term workforce readiness and economic competitiveness. Together, the initiatives reflect growing consensus that education outcomes — particularly early reading — are increasingly shaping how policymakers across parties assess Oklahoma’s ability to compete nationally.
“We want to see educators at the table to really understand and navigate the things that we know are evidence-based,” said Senator Hicks, who highlighted her background in early childhood education and as a public school parent. “Oklahoma’s commitment is a comprehensive plan. It is a long-term commitment of our state that we want to see through to our children’s academic success.”
Key proposals include Senate Bill 1363, which would provide an across-the-board teacher pay raise with an additional 5% increase for hard-to-fill positions, and Senate Bill 1293, which would shift responsibility for LETRS literacy training from expiring federal grants to the state. Other measures would expand literacy coaches from 10 to 100 statewide, increase access to high-dosage tutoring, and strengthen school counseling services.
Funding was a central focus of the press conference. Representative Ellen Pogemiller noted Oklahoma’s low per-pupil spending and argued that meaningful reform requires new, sustained revenue. Democrats proposed repealing the parental choice tax credit and establishing a vape excise tax as potential funding sources, estimating a combined $270 million to support education investments.
“Any literacy effort without new funding would be an unfunded mandate,” Pogemiller said. “Families, parents, and educators are asking us not to cut corners.”
Lawmakers repeatedly referenced Mississippi’s long-term literacy reforms as an example of sustained investment paying off over time. Senator Mark Mann, a former school board member, stressed that Mississippi’s gains were the result of patience and consistency rather than a single policy change.
“It was no miracle what happened in Mississippi,” Mann said. “It was a commitment, an investment, and a willingness to wait and keep making that investment until it began to reap rewards.”
Several speakers also cautioned against retention policies that are not paired with early and meaningful intervention. Representative Trish Ranson said any retention approach must include parental involvement, educator input, and additional resources to support students before they fall behind.
“There is no retention without intervention,” Ranson said. “And there is no intervention without additional investment.”
Democrats framed the agenda as a starting point for broader discussion during the upcoming session, arguing that literacy, workforce readiness, and long-term economic competitiveness are inseparable from sustained investment in public education.
