Articles
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Budget & Tax, Education
Nearly $100 million unspent from school COVID funds
Although some school officials have claimed COVID-19 has created new spending needs that exceed available funding, creating financial strain in state schools, districts have been slow to spend federal bailout money provided specifically for those needs, state senators were told Monday.Ray Carter | January 11, 2021
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Budget & Tax, Education
Pay hikes may do little for teacher shortage, student reading
In the 2018 legislative session, lawmakers passed some of the biggest tax increases in Oklahoma history, saying the additional taxes were needed to boost teacher pay and increase the number of educators in public schools.Ray Carter | January 11, 2021
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Education
Nearly $200 million allotted for ‘ghost’ students in Oklahoma
Newly released enrollment figures for Oklahoma schools show districts may receive around $195 million combined for 55,236 “ghost” students who do not attend classes in the district but are nonetheless included in enrollment counts used to determine state funding for each district.Ray Carter | January 11, 2021
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Education
Thousands of ‘ghost students’ in Oklahoma schools
Newly released enrollment figures show districts across Oklahoma are likely receiving state funding for students who no longer attend classes there, informally referred to as “ghost students.” In some cases, districts are being funded for hundreds or even thousands of such nonexistent students.Ray Carter | January 8, 2021
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Education
OEA members oppose measurement of students’ learning loss
The Oklahoma Education Association continues to oppose school reopening as well as public measurement of student learning that would let parents know how severe a child’s learning loss has been as the result of school shutdowns.Ray Carter | December 22, 2020
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Budget & Tax, Education
Moore per-student revenue increasing
Moore Public Schools has seen steady enrollment growth throughout the past decade, with the student count growing by nearly 14 percent since 2010.Curtis Shelton | December 18, 2020
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Education
OEA opposes school reopening despite vaccine
Earlier this month, the satirical website, The Babylon Bee, posted an article titled, “Teachers Union Opposes Vaccine As It Might Force Teachers To Teach Again.” The real world substantially duplicated parody in Oklahoma on Thursday as the Oklahoma Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, declared its continued opposition to school reopening after Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that teachers will be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccinations.Ray Carter | December 17, 2020
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Education
After long delay, Christian school’s application approved
After months of delay, the State Board of Education has quietly approved Christian Heritage Academy’s application to serve children who are beneficiaries of a state scholarship program.Ray Carter | December 17, 2020
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Education
State board of education stresses need for testing
Members of the State Board of Education have voted to suspend school A-F report cards for another year, but will require schools to administer state tests to provide some level of public reporting on how students have fared throughout COVID-19 shutdowns and forced virtual education.Ray Carter | December 17, 2020
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Education
Fund parental choice for all who want it
Hope is among life’s most precious commodities. Oklahoma lawmakers can increase the stock of that commodity and provide it to Oklahoma’s most vulnerable citizens by fully funding parental school choice for all who want it.Jonathan Small | December 14, 2020