A. Persons certified to teach in the State of Oklahoma and meeting all minimum qualifications set by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, who are hired or employed as Correctional Teachers or Vocational Instructors by the Department of Corrections educational program, shall receive in salary the minimum amounts specified in Section 18-114.12 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes multiplied by a factor of 1.20. Correctional Teachers serving as lead workers with supervisory responsibilities shall receive the minimum amounts specified above multiplied by a factor of 1.25. Correctional Teachers who have a special education certificate shall receive salary of an additional five percent (5%). Correctional Teachers shall receive the benefits set forth in Sections 1370 and 1707 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes; provided, however, Correctional Teachers shall not be eligible for longevity payments pursuant to Section 840-2.18 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

B. Persons employed by the Department of Corrections school system as nonteaching administrators shall be in the unclassified service and shall not be placed under the classified service; however, any classified employee occupying an administrative position prior to July 1, 2000, shall retain the right to remain in the classified service. At such time as such position becomes vacant, it shall be placed in the unclassified service.

C. Except as provided by this section of law, the employment of persons by the Department of Corrections educational program as teachers or administrators shall be entirely governed by the provisions of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes and any other laws or rules regarding state employees and their employment; however, no Department of Corrections Correctional Teacher or Vocational Instructor, whose salary is calculated in accordance with the provisions of this section, shall be entitled to receive any pay increases for state employees authorized elsewhere in statute, rule or law. Correctional Teachers or Vocational Instructors shall receive any legislated pay increases granted in addition to the Title 70 minimum salary schedule; provided, such increases are given to all common education/vocational technical teachers.

D. The salaries for all Correctional Teachers and Vocational Instructors shall be adjusted annually on July 1 unless legislation authorizes a pay raise for educators with an implementation date other than July 1, in which case the annual adjustment shall occur on the date of the pay raise implementation.

E. The monthly salaries of Correctional Teachers and Vocational Instructors employed by the Department of Corrections on the effective date of this act will be adjusted according to the procedures authorized in subsection A of this section on the first day of the month following the effective date of this act. Longevity payments will be eliminated in the month following the effective date of this act for Correctional Teachers and Vocational Instructors whose salaries are calculated according to the provisions of this section. The salaries of the employees governed by this section who are employed on the effective date of this act will be recalculated. The recalculation will be based on the provisions of subsection A of this section for actual time employed as a Department of Corrections Correctional Teacher or Vocational Instructor between July 1, 2004, and the last day of the month in which this act becomes effective. Authorized employees will receive a one-time payment equal to the difference between the recalculated salary amount and the compensation received.

Added by Laws 2000, c. 282, § 1, eff. July 1, 2000. Amended by Laws 2005, c. 424, § 1, eff. July 1, 2005; Laws 2012, c. 304, § 246.