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Michael Flores loved teaching in Oklahoma. Liked it so much he still feels conflicted about leaving behind his friends and fellow educators for more money in Texas.

A native of Plano, Texas, Flores graduated from the University of Oklahoma and taught math for two years at Norman High School before joining a school district near Dallas that paid him $18,000 more annually.

“At some point, it became harder and harder to justify staying when there was so much for me in Texas,” he said recently. “When you tack on family and friends to the salary difference, that’s kind of what made the decision for me.

“I was lucky to teach with really good people in Norman, and OU is putting out a lot of really good, really passionate teachers. But those people are leaving, and there’s almost a sense of shame in knowing that I was one of those people.”