Articles
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Law & Principles
Oklahoma licensure boards likely violate federal law
Because Oklahoma’s state licensure boards are dominated by industry players who compete with those they regulate, and because no politically accountable entity is authorized to overrule a licensure board’s decision, much of the state licensure system likely violates federal antitrust law and leaves Oklahoma subject to successful lawsuits, according to a state watchdog entity.Ray Carter | October 21, 2022
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Budget & Tax, Education
State figures underreport school spending by billions
There are 171 public school districts in Oklahoma that spend more than $14,000 per student.Ray Carter | October 20, 2022
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Budget & Tax
Hofmeister criticized for withholding COVID spending records
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister withheld information on billions of dollars in spending from a lawmaker for nearly two months, and only provided the requested information after state Rep. Chad Caldwell notified the media.Ray Carter | October 19, 2022
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Education
OSSAA requires photographers to get bias training?
In response to an incident in 2021, the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) now requires all media, including photographers, to undergo implicit-bias training before they can receive credentials to high-school playoff sporting events controlled by the OSSAA.Ray Carter | October 17, 2022
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Education
ACT scores declining or flat for 7 of 8 years under Hofmeister
A new report shows the graduating class of 2022 in Oklahoma had among the worst average composite scores on the ACT test nationwide.Ray Carter | October 13, 2022
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Education, Higher Education
Groups say reforms could attract teachers, reduce leftist influence
Policy groups from across the nation are calling for reforms to state teacher-licensure processes to increase the number of qualified candidates and reduce the control of left-wing ideologues over access to the teaching profession.Ray Carter | October 13, 2022
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Budget & Tax
Tax Commission: Indians not exempt from Oklahoma tax
Although the U.S. Supreme Court has held that the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s reservation still exists in Oklahoma for purposes of a federal crime law, a subsequent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court also means most tribal members living in Oklahoma still have to pay state taxes, according to a new Oklahoma Tax Commission ruling.Ray Carter | October 12, 2022
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Education
Officials warn school sex ed classes can backfire
Although sex-education instruction in schools is touted as a way to reduce teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), officials told lawmakers the courses often have the opposite effect and suggested they can even lead, indirectly, to children not recognizing the emotional results of abuse.Ray Carter | October 12, 2022
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Education
Despite learning loss, Tulsa closes school for Election Day
Tulsa Public Schools will be closed on Election Day in November, potentially creating financial strain for many low-income families in the district and delaying classroom instruction at a time when Tulsa students remain far behind their peers in academic outcomes.Ray Carter | October 12, 2022
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Education
Hofmeister keeps COVID records secret
In July 2020, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister unveiled a school COVID plan so restrictive it would have mandated closure of all schools across an 1,834-square-mile county when as few as four active COVID cases were identified.Ray Carter | October 11, 2022