Oklahoma Voice

Oklahoma is offering bonuses up to $20,000 and thousands more in retention incentives to attract special education teachers to the state. The Oklahoma State Department of Education budgeted $1.875 million for the initiative with the goal of attracting 110 more teachers to special education classrooms in the 2025-26 school year, the agency announced Monday. The money will come from a federal fund called IDEA Part B, which supports students with disabilities. Special education teachers working in schools out of state could earn a $20,000 signing bonus if they accept a position in an Oklahoma public school. A newly certified special education teacher could earn a signing bonus of $10,000 to enter the profession.