Articles
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Education, Law & Principles
Oklahoma parents resort to desperate measures to save their children
To obtain a better education for their kids, some parents lie about their place of residence and thus face up to a year in jail. (To determine residency, one Tulsa Union employee demanded to inspect a 12-year-old girl’s bedroom.) Oklahoma can do better.Jonathan Small | January 29, 2024
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Education
Already short school year includes virtual days at some Oklahoma schools
In most states, public schools provide around 180 days of instruction per year. But in Oklahoma, schools can provide 165 days or fewer. Indeed, students in one district may receive just 148 days of in-person instruction in a school year.Ray Carter | January 25, 2024
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Education, Law & Principles
Oklahoma lawmakers look to limit school misuse of virtual days
Two state lawmakers hope to rein in public-school reliance on virtual-learning days, which have been strongly linked to major learning loss due to the often-subpar product provided.Ray Carter | January 23, 2024
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Budget & Tax, Education
Oklahoma school reserves hit $1.2 billion high
The amount of money that Oklahoma public schools carried over at the end of the last state budget year, a sum representing both cash-flow reserves and savings, hit a new high of $1.2 billion on June 30, 2023, according to state government figures.Ray Carter | January 15, 2024
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Education
A Call to Action: Changing the Trajectory of Reading in Oklahoma
Research has provided a large body of evidence that tells us how reading and writing should be taught. It’s time for Oklahoma to implement the science of reading.Staff | January 11, 2024
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Education, Economy
COVID learning loss impacting Oklahoma students, economy
The learning loss from school shutdowns is estimated to result in a nearly 9 percent lifetime income loss for Oklahoma students impacted by COVID closures, tied for the greatest impact in the nation.Ray Carter | January 11, 2024
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Education
Working-class families benefit from Oklahoma school-choice program
Nearly half of Oklahoma families that have applied for the state’s new private-school tax credit are from lower-income or middle-class backgrounds. And because tuition at many private schools is relatively inexpensive, the average tax credit so far is only $6,035.Ray Carter | January 4, 2024
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Education
DEI commitments influence hiring in Tulsa Public Schools
Tulsa Public Schools unashamedly embraces the principles of “diversity, equity, and inclusion”—and that influences the district's teacher-hiring decisions.Ray Carter | January 3, 2024
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Education
Rural charter school to expand into Okmulgee
The State Board of Education has approved a request by The Academy of Seminole, a rural charter school, to open a new branch in Okmulgee after community leaders voiced support, citing parental dissatisfaction with the academic results produced by the community’s traditional public school.Ray Carter | December 22, 2023
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Education
Walters calls for elimination of DEI in public schools
Following Gov. Kevin Stitt’s recent executive order that restricts “diversity, equity, and inclusion” programs and staff in state colleges and universities, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said the Oklahoma State Department of Education is proposing new regulations that will impose similar restrictions on public K-12 schools.Ray Carter | December 21, 2023