Oklahoma lawmaker proposes loan forgiveness for teachers

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Oklahoma is trying to hold onto teachers, and one lawmaker says he has an idea to help.

“I want to propose a bill that would forgive student loans for our Oklahoma kids coming out of Oklahoma colleges and teaching in Oklahoma classrooms,” said State Representative John Waldron.

A former history teacher, before becoming a lawmaker, Waldron says it is important to address the teacher shortage.

“It’s the first problem, the keystone of education. Reform in Oklahoma has to be the teacher pipeline. If we don’t put good people in the classroom, we can’t do anything else,” said Waldron.

Micah Wise is a dance teacher at Tulsa Legacy and says she is living her dream, but it came with a cost -- student loans.

“Definitely. Parent Plus Loans, a lot of school loans, and my mom and dad kind of made, did whatever they had to do to make up for whatever else I needed,” said Wise. She says a loan forgiveness program would be a great benefit and would attract students to the teaching profession.

Waldron says eligible teachers would have to commit to teaching in low-income schools.

“Then, if you taught in a Title I classroom every year for the first five years, we would take 20 percent of your student loan away. By the end of that time, you would be free and clear and hopefully committed to teaching in Oklahoma public schools,” said Waldron.

He plans to file his bill in December and then take up the issue in January.