Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-6-101

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 336

A. Except as provided in subsection E of this section, no

person shall be permitted to teach in any school district of the

state without a written contract, except as provided herein for

substitute teachers and except teachers of classes in adult

education. Except as provided in subsection J of this section, the

board of education of each school district, wherein school is

expected to be conducted for the ensuing year, shall employ and

contract in writing with qualified teachers for and in the name of

the district. One copy of the contract shall be filed with the

clerk of the board of education and one copy shall be retained by

the teacher.

B. Except as otherwise provided by subsections J and K of this

section and any other law, no board of education shall have

authority to enter into any written contract with a teacher who does

not hold an Oklahoma criminal history record check as required by

Section 6-190 of this title and who does not hold a valid

certificate issued or recognized by the State Board of Education

authorizing the teacher to teach the grades or subject matter for

which the teacher is employed. Any board of education paying or

authorizing the payment of the salary of any teacher not holding a

certificate, as required herein, shall be adjudged to be guilty of a

fraudulent expenditure of public funds and members voting for such

payment shall be held jointly responsible for the return of the

amount of any public monies thus expended, upon suit brought by the

district attorney or by any interested citizen in the district where

such funds have been expended.

C. It shall be the duty of the superintendent of schools under

whose supervision teachers have been contracted to teach to certify

to the treasurer of the contracting district the names of the

teachers holding valid certificates and student teachers with whom

contracts have been made and the names of substitute teachers

employed in accordance with law. The treasurer shall not register

any warrant issued in payment of salary to any teacher whose name is

not included in such list and shall be liable on the official bond

for the treasurer for the amount of any warrant registered in

violation of the provisions of this section.

D. Whenever any person shall enter into a contract with any

school district in Oklahoma to teach in such school district the

contract shall be binding on the teacher and on the board of

education until the teacher legally has been discharged from the

teaching position or released by the board of education from the

contract. Except as provided in Section 5-106A of this title, until

such teacher has been thus discharged or released, the teacher shall

not have authority to enter into a contract with any other board of

education in Oklahoma for the same time covered by the original

contract. If upon written complaint by the board of education in a

district any teacher is reported to have failed to obey the terms of

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 337

the contract previously made and to have entered into a contract

with another board of education without having been released from

the former contract except as provided in Section 5-106A of this

title, the teacher, upon being found guilty of such charge at a

hearing held before the State Board of Education, shall have such

teacher’s certificate suspended for the remainder of the term for

which the contract was made.

E. A board of education shall have authority to enter into

written contracts with teachers for the ensuing fiscal year prior to

the beginning of such year. If, prior to the first Monday in June,

a board of education has not entered into a written contract with a

regularly employed teacher or notified the teacher in writing by

registered or certified mail that a recommendation has been made not

to reemploy the teacher for the ensuing fiscal year, and if, by
n contracts with teachers for the ensuing fiscal year prior to

the beginning of such year. If, prior to the first Monday in June,

a board of education has not entered into a written contract with a

regularly employed teacher or notified the teacher in writing by

registered or certified mail that a recommendation has been made not

to reemploy the teacher for the ensuing fiscal year, and if, by

fifteen (15) days after the first Monday in June, such teacher has

not notified the board of education in writing by registered or

certified mail that such teacher does not desire to be reemployed in

such school district for the ensuing year, such teacher shall be

considered as employed on a continuing contract basis and on the

same salary schedule used for other teachers in the school district

for the ensuing fiscal year, and such employment and continuing

contract shall be binding on the teacher and on the school district.

F. Whenever a school district is engaged in contract

negotiations with teachers employed by that school district after

the school year has begun and the teachers are employed on a

continuing contract basis, the school district shall, beginning at

the first of the school year, pay the teachers any state-mandated

salary increases and salary schedule increases to which each teacher

is otherwise entitled.

G. No school district or any member of the board of education

of a district shall be liable for the payment of compensation to a

teacher or administrator under the provisions of any contract for

the ensuing year, if it becomes necessary to close the school

because of insufficient attendance, disorganization, annexation,

consolidation, or by dispensing with the school according to law,

provided, such cause is known or action is taken prior to July 1 of

such ensuing year.

H. No school district or any member of a board of education

shall be liable for the payment of compensation to any teacher or

administrator for the unexpired term of any contract if the school

building to which the teacher or administrator has been assigned is

destroyed by accident, storm, fire, or otherwise and it becomes

necessary to close the school because of inability to secure a

suitable building or buildings for continuation of school. Teachers

and administrators shall be entitled to pay for any time lost when

school is closed on account of epidemics or otherwise when an order

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 338

for such closing has been issued by a health officer authorized by

law to issue the order.

I. A teacher may contract with more than one school district

for the same school year as provided in Section 5-106A of this

title.

J. A board of education shall have authority to enter into

written contracts for the ensuing fiscal year prior to the beginning

of the year with persons who are not certified to teach by the State

Board of Education as long as the person is actively in the process

of securing certification. The person shall not be allowed to teach

in a classroom until the person has met or completed all of the

requirements for certification as provided for in Section 6-190 of

this title. If the person has not obtained valid certification by

the first day of the ensuing school year, the contract shall be

terminated.

K. A board of education of a school district shall have the

authority to enter into written contracts for employment for the

ensuing fiscal year with persons who are student teachers as defined

in Section 1-116 of this title while such persons are still student

teachers. A student teacher shall not be allowed to teach in a

classroom during the ensuing fiscal year until meeting or completing

all of the requirements for certification as provided for in Section

6-190 of this title. If the student teacher has not obtained valid

certification by the first day of the ensuing school year, the

contract shall be terminated. A board of education of a school
teachers. A student teacher shall not be allowed to teach in a

classroom during the ensuing fiscal year until meeting or completing

all of the requirements for certification as provided for in Section

6-190 of this title. If the student teacher has not obtained valid

certification by the first day of the ensuing school year, the

contract shall be terminated. A board of education of a school

district shall have the authority to commit to payment of a stipend

or signing bonus to a student teacher as defined in Section 1-116 of

this title while that person is still a student teacher, if that

person has entered into a written contract for employment for the

ensuing fiscal year. A board of education shall make any such

student teacher stipend or signing bonus conditional on such person

fulfilling the first year of his or her contract for the ensuing

fiscal year. Any stipend or signing bonus paid under the terms of

this subsection shall not be considered compensation for purposes of

teacher retirement or the minimum salary schedule.

L. A teacher whose certificate was suspended by the State Board

of Education pursuant to Section 3-104 of this title and Sections

314 and 314.1 of Title 75 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall be placed

on suspension pursuant to the provisions of Section 6-101.29 of this

title while proceedings for revocation or other action are pending

before the State Board of Education. The provisions of this

subsection shall not preclude the initiation of due process

procedures in accordance with Section 6-101.20 et. seq of this

title.