Oklahoma’s state legislators will be collectively honored Friday for their support of public education with the Oklahoma State School Boards Association’s Legislator of the Year Award.

House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and Senate Majority Leader and President Pro Tempore-designate Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, will accept the award on behalf of their colleagues during the association’s annual conference at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City.

“Passage of the state’s largest-ever teacher pay raise honored the critical role educators play in the lives of our children and finally allows Oklahoma school districts to offer regionally competitive teacher pay,” said OSSBA Executive Director Shawn Hime. “OSSBA is proud to recognize legislators for their work to pass the teacher pay raise and their commitment to ensuring every child has an outstanding teacher.”

OSSBA’s government relations committee selected this year’s winners.

“The members of the Oklahoma Senate are grateful for this honor and recognition of our herculean efforts to pass the largest teacher pay raise in the state’s history,” Treat said. “We know that one of the most important factors in a student’s success is a quality classroom teacher, and the teacher raise will help keep quality teachers in Oklahoma classrooms. Education has been and always be a priority in the Oklahoma Senate, which is why we’ll continue to focus on enacting the resources and reforms to support our teachers and help our students excel.”

McCall said House support for education will continue. “It is an honor to accept this award on behalf of all the members of the House of Representatives who helped us pass a record investment in our public education system, including millions in new dollars for the classroom and the largest teacher pay raise in state history. We believe that investment will help keep experienced teachers in the classroom and attract new teachers to the profession, which is the starting point for creating a stable learning environment for our students. The House has made a commitment to public education, and we intend to continue supporting our students, teachers and schools to ensure they have the resources and framework necessary for improving student outcomes.”