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Bill

SB 346

School personnel; requiring certain letter from previously employed full-time teacher to include certain attestation. Effective date. Emergency.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Micheal Bergstrom and 1 co-sponsor

Oklahoma bill mandates that reference letters from former full-time teachers include specific required attestations for school personnel job applicants.

Coauthored by Representative Hays (principal House author)
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Bill Summary · SB 346

Legislative bill overview

SB 346 requires that reference letters from previously employed full-time teachers include a specific attestation when written for job applicants seeking school personnel positions. The bill establishes this as law with an emergency effective date, suggesting urgency in implementation.

Why is this important

Reference letters are critical gatekeeping documents in teacher hiring, influencing which candidates schools interview and employ. This requirement standardizes what attestations must appear in such letters, potentially affecting transparency in the hiring process and how prior employment information is communicated between schools.

Potential points of contention

  • Attestation specificity unclear: The bill text doesn't specify what exact attestation is required, leaving ambiguity about compliance standards and enforcement
  • Former employer burden: Teachers may resist mandated language requirements or view them as constraining their ability to provide honest, nuanced evaluations
  • Hiring implications: Standardized attestations could mask legitimate concerns about candidate performance or create legal liability issues for former employers writing letters

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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