Another success for “reform.” Oklahoma, like most other states, is facing teacher shortages.

Remember the “reformers” who said we need to fire teachers whose students had low scores? Who said that “great” teachers should have larger class sizes? They keep saying it, and they have promoted ruinous policies that cause teachers to take early retirement.

“An Oklahoma survey last year showed about 1,000 unfilled vacancies, resulting in larger class sizes and the elimination of some courses. The state’s average teacher salary is $44,128 — 49th in the nation….

“Some former teachers say an increase in mandatory testing and a sense of hostility from lawmakers has crushed morale. Recent Oklahoma measures are designed to increase rigor as well as imposing a grading system for schools that many teachers and administrators felt was unfair. But per-pupil funding has kept declining, and teachers haven’t received a pay raise in nearly a decade.

“We used to be treated as professionals who were allowed to have autonomy in our classrooms and play to our strengths or our background or education,” said Rebecca Simcoe, a high school English teacher in Tulsa with a doctorate who resigned last year to do nonprofit work. “Now we’re expected to be automatons following their robotic instructions, just getting these kids to pass tests.”