DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS WORKING TO CALL BACK FROM SOME TEACHERS, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN TEACHER BONUSES. LET'S SAY SUPERINTENDENT RYAN WALTERS IS BLAMING TEACHERS AND THE MEDIA NEWS FOUR'S CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF KAYLEE OLIVAS HAS NEW INFORMATION. >> REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS CONCERNED EVEN FRUSTRATED AND NOW THE IDEA OF CEASING CERTAIN AREAS OF FUNDING TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS ON THE TABLE. >> MOST PEOPLE AND IN OUR HAVE IN THE BACK OF MINES HELD THE CLASS WAS YOUR FUNDS WAS HANDLED. THERE WAS NO CALL BACK ON THAT. AND YOU KNOW, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HERE WE ARE MORE THAN 500 EDUCATORS.
SO 117 FROM OUT OF STATE REPORTEDLY QUALIFIED FOR THE TEACHER SIGNING BONUS. >> AS FIRST REPORTED IN OKLAHOMA, WATCH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS DEMANDING AT LEAST 9 TEACHERS WHO THEY SAY, QUOTE, MISREPRESENTED THEIR EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS, PAY BACK THE FULL AMOUNT. THAT'S OUR JOB AS LEGISLATORS NOT TO CHAMPION THAT. >> BUT THE STEP IN AND SAY, WELL, THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. WALTERS NOW CLAIMING IN A MEMORANDUM TO GOP LAWMAKERS, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS STILL IN THE MIDST OF VERIFYING APPLICATIONS.
HE CLAIMS THE MEDIA PREMATURELY REPORTED. >> BUT STANDS BY CLAWING BACK BONUSES FROM THOSE TEACHERS, SENATE EDUCATION CHAIR ADAM FEW SAYS IT'S AN UNFAIR REQUEST AND IF THE CLAWBACK GOES THROUGH, EDUCATION COULD TAKE A FINANCIAL HIT. THE FIRST THING THAT WE CAN DO IS FUNDING. >> TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT FOR PROGRAMS THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR. IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED PROPERLY OR HAVE THE RIGHT ACCOUNT ABILITY IN FINANCIAL CONTROLS. BUT THAT'S A WORST-CASE SCENARIO. LEGISLATION AIMED AT CLEANING UP THE TEACHER SIGNING BONUS IS ALSO IN THE WORKS, WERE TRYING >> MAKE IT MORE TRANSPARENT.
>> MAKE IT TO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT MORE MAKE THE APPLICATION PROCESS MORE STRINGENT. IT WAS JUST BADLY ADMINISTERED. WANT TO IMPROVE ON THE HOUSE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON AN UPDATED VERIFICATION PROCESS REQUIRING A WRITTEN LETTER FROM DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS, MORE IN-DEPTH WORK HISTORY AND A CANCELED CHECK FROM THE LAST TEACHING JOB. THE APPLICANT HAD. >> MOVING FORWARD, THE BONUS MAY BE CAPPED. A $30,000 SPREAD OUT OVER SEVERAL YEARS.
I DON'T WANT. >> TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA TO LOSE FAITH. IN THEIR GOVERNMENT. >> AT THE CAPITOL KILLER, LEAVE US OKLAHOMA'S NEWS 4. WE ASKED THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR FURTHER COMMENTS. WE DIDN'T GET ONE, .