OSDE to offer free training for school board members

Equipping School Boards to Lead: OSDE Offers Free Statewide Training

New initiative offers high-quality, no-cost governance support for school districts.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), under the leadership of Superintendent Ryan Walters is proud to announce a major step toward strengthening local school governance by providing high-quality training for school board members at no cost to districts across the state.

This new initiative will deliver training that is practical, locally relevant, and grounded in the real-world challenges of school board governance. OSDE is committed to helping districts and boards build stronger partnerships through more streamlined communication, clearer expectations, and more effective support.

Bill to align school board elections with regular elections advances to OK House floor

Bill to Shift School Board Election Dates Advances in Committee

OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 26th) – House Bill 1151, authored by Rep. Chris Banning, R-Bixby, passed through the House Government Oversight Committee Tuesday, moving one step closer to making school board elections more accessible for Oklahoma voters.

The bill proposes shifting school board elections from February and April to June and November, aligning them with larger election cycles. It also standardizes term lengths for school board members, setting four-year terms for both elementary and independent district boards.

State Supt. Walters wants local school superintendents to be elected

Well, here's an idea I've never heard before:

Walters Announces Proposal to Elect Superintendents

Measure Would Increase Parental and Public Input and Accountability 

Oklahoma City, Okla (Dec. 4th) – Today, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced a proposal that  would require the election of public school district superintendents in Oklahoma. Under current state law, district superintendents are hired and contracted by local school boards. 

AFP-OK testifies against non-November School Board elections

AFP-OK Testifies Against Non-November School Board Elections

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (October 3rd) - In case you missed it, Americans for Prosperity-Oklahoma (AFP-OK) Deputy Director Bradley Ward, Ph.D., testified during a state House of Representatives interim study on Tuesday to advocate for moving Oklahoma's school board elections to align with state and federal elections. 

Ward argued that Oklahoma's laws requiring standalone school board elections earlier in the year is a waste of money - nearly $17 million - that could instead fund education. 

Small: Disconnect between school boards and community

Disconnect between school boards and community

By Jonathan Small

In 2020, parents urged the school board at Deer Creek to provide full-time, in-person instruction to students. But the board opted to continue with COVID distance learning for many students.

Yet recent reports show officials at Deer Creek schools also allowed charity fundraisers to include events where students lick peanut butter off people’s feet. Former Deer Creek students told Fox 25 that students could buy their way out of the gross-out events, which meant lower-income students were often targeted and pressured to participate at the “fundraisers,” which have been occurring for years.

The disconnect is not simply the district’s diametrically opposite concern about sanitation and disease in one instance versus another, but the fact that in both cases parents’ wishes were ignored (at least, one presumes most parents don’t want their kids licking feet).

State Rep. Banning files bill to move school-board elections to legislative election cycle

Banning Files Bill to Move School-Board Elections

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Chris Banning, R-Bixby, has filed legislation seeking to change the date of school board elections in Oklahoma.

House Bill 3563 would place school board members on the same cycle as House and Senate elections. It would also move three-year terms to two-year terms and five-year terms to four-year terms.

"Over the last decade, legislation similar to House Bill 3563 has been proposed," Banning said. "This bill differs from others because of its simplified structure. The goal here is to consolidate elections to save taxpayers' money and increase voter turnout."

OCPA column: Goals for 2024

Goals for 2024

By Jonathan Small

Just as citizens make new year’s resolutions, policymakers should also set goals for the next 12 months. With the 2024 session beginning in roughly one month, this is a perfect time for lawmakers to take that step.

First up: reforming Oklahoma’s judicial-selection process. Instead of allowing the executive branch to nominate judges and requiring legislative approval for confirmation—the system installed by our nation’s founding fathers at the federal level—Oklahoma uses a 15-member Judicial Nominating Commission that operates in secret to select judicial nominees.

Small: Blind trust in prosecutors unwise

Blind trust in prosecutors unwise

By OCPA President Jonathan Small

In general, Oklahomans trust law enforcement and prosecutors, but have a healthy distrust of politicians. Unfortunately, that means they should also be somewhat skeptical of prosecutions and investigations—because politicians often have a hand in them.

Small: “Woke” trend not inevitable in Oklahoma schools

“Woke” trend not inevitable in Oklahoma schools

By Jonathan Small

National and state headlines may lead Oklahoma parents to fear “woke” indoctrination in public schools is inevitable and cannot be stopped. That’s not the case.

Indeed, actions taken in recent years are already bearing fruit.

A 2021 law, HB 1775, banned classroom instruction or staff training that advocates that “an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.” Thanks to that law, State Board of Education was recently able to penalize both Tulsa Public Schools and the Mustang district for violating the anti-Critical Race Theory law.

OCPA column: the OK House - where good bills go to die

The Oklahoma House of Representatives: Where good bills go to die

By Jonathan Small

After the 2020 elections, GOP leaders bragged that Republicans held 82 of 101 seats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Yet House leadership repeatedly declined to pass bills of significance this year.

A press release issued by House Speaker Charles McCall upon conclusion of the regular 2022 session provided sad confirmation of that problem. Roughly half the release focused on last year’s achievements—not measures that advanced in 2022.

A quick review explains why. The House was often the chamber where good bills went to die.

Hofmeister requests Attorney General opinion on Stillwater schools' bathroom policy

When you unmoor reality from objective truth, anything goes. In a truth-anchored world, this would never have become an issue, but our postmodern society, having rejected Biblical truth, continues to plunge into insanity. When that happens, inevitably, history has proven that the first to suffer are women and children.

Hofmeister seeks Attorney General opinion regarding Stillwater schools’ restroom policy

OKLAHOMA CITY (April 23, 2022) – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister has requested a formal binding opinion from the state Attorney General in the wake of questions surrounding the restroom policy at Stillwater Public Schools. That district’s school board has asked for clear legal guidance from the State of Oklahoma on whether the district may continue allowing transgender individuals to use the school restroom that corresponds to their gender identity.

Small: School-board election reform will empower parents

School-board election reform will empower parents

By Jonathan Small

Recently, the Stillwater Board of Education announced it will not change course on its policy of allowing boys to use the girls’ bathrooms unless given “no choice” by state officials.

They took that stance despite countless requests to change course from Stillwater parents and the fact that the rare non-gender-conforming student can easily use a single-stall bathroom at the school. The Stillwater board stuck with recommendations from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister’s agency and ignored both parent wishes and actual legal requirements.

For parents who wonder why local school boards—not just in Oklahoma, but nationwide—seem increasingly indifferent to the needs of student families, one answer can be found in the fact that most school-board elections are in the spring, which results in very low turnout.

Sec. of Education Ryan Walters urges Stillwater School Board to end current (insane) bathroom policy

Oklahoma Secretary of Education Ryan Walters issued the following statement in relation to the stewing conflict over in Stillwater (and elsewhere) over the immoral insanity of allowing bathroom access based on "gender identity" rather than biology. The letters from Walters, and one from Attorney General John O'Connor rebuking State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister's interpretation, will be posted below the press release.

SECRETARY OF EDUCATION RYAN WALTERS SENDS LETTERS TO STILLWATER SCHOOL BOARD AND ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN O'CONNOR

Secretary Ryan Walters sent two letters ahead of the Stillwater School Board's Tuesday meeting. One letter was sent to the Stillwater School Board and urged the board to take action and end its current bathroom policy that allows students to choose the bathroom that aligns with their self-proclaimed gender identity and not biology. A second letter was sent to Attorney General John O'Connor, asking the Attorney General's office to get involved and stop the board's current bathroom policy. Attorney General O'Connor did send a letter to Superintendent Washington outlining that there is no legal precedent that permits biological males into women's restrooms based on their gender identity and vice versa. A copy of all three letters can be found below.

OCPA column: Teacher unions invest in Oklahoma Republicans?

Teacher unions invest in Oklahoma Republicans?

By Jonathan Small

As the Oklahoma legislative session progresses, it is worth noting not only what bills advance, but which bills do not—and why the latter were rejected.

As always, education is a big issue with voters, but close observers of the Oklahoma Legislature may have already noticed an unexpected pattern. While the Republican-controlled Oklahoma Senate has voted on significant education legislation, the GOP-dominated Oklahoma House of Representatives has not.

It’s worth asking why.

OKGOP calls for get-out-the-vote volunteers this weekend

The Oklahoma Republican Party is calling for volunteers to help with get out the vote efforts in school board and municipal elections this weekend. Below is a release from OKGOP Vice Chairman Shane Jemison:

Attention all Republicans,  

In 74 of 77 counties early voting begins TODAY for local school board and city council races all across Oklahoma. It is vital for the future of our nation and communities all across Oklahoma that we show up and support conservatives with cause.

3 communities across the state are in dire need of your help preserving liberty, supporting our law enforcement, and promoting locally controlled parental rights in education.  

Today, tomorrow, Saturday, and Monday. We are calling all conservatives to action in the following  communities. These races will solely be decided by turnout. Every door knocked and phone call made will get them closer to being successful.

Please go to one of the following locations to knock doors and pass out literature. Today, tomorrow, Saturday, and Monday:

Lankford calls on Senate to support school choice, stand up for parents

Lankford Calls on Senate to Support School Choice, Stand Up for Parents 

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today stood firmly for parental rights and school choice when he called for the Senate to immediately pass his resolution to support parents having the freedom to choose the best educational environment for their kids and remain in control of whether or not they want their children exposed to “woke” ideologies at school, including Critical Race Theory and others. Democrats blocked the Senate from unanimously standing up for American parents.

Lankford introduced the resolution to recognize the need to stand up for parents’ choices in their children’s education during National School Choice Week earlier this year. Lankford was joined by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Braun (R-IN), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL), John Boozman (R-AR), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

The following organizations support the resolution: Heritage Action, ParentalRights.org, Center for Urban Renewal and Education, American Conservative Union, Faith and Freedom Coalition, Family Policy Alliance, American Association of Christian Schools, Association of Christian Schools International, First Liberty Institute, Alliance Defending Freedom, American Center for Law and Justice, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, and Family Research Council.

Lankford continues to stand for parents’ rights and school choice for Oklahomans and students around the nation. Lankford introduced a resolution supporting parents’ rights after the Biden Administration politicized and weaponized the Justice Department by threatening to use federal law enforcement resources to intimidate and silence parents who speak out to protect their children from harmful curricula like critical race theory being pushed by Biden and the far left. Lankford joined his colleagues to send a letter demanding answers from US Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on reports that he played a key role in orchestrating a letter from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) that called concerned parents “domestic terrorists.”

Transcript

I come today to the floor with a simple unanimous consent request. This is a resolution. It doesn't allocate any dollars, doesn’t change any policy. It’s just a statement of belief from the United States Senate. It's a statement to be able to say, ‘We hold certain things very important.’

I’ll talk through some of the resolution part of it. The ‘resolved’ at the beginning of it, but it ends with a very simple statement. It ends with, ‘Resolved that the Senate recognizes and promotes the importance of parental involvement in their child's education and recognizes the necessity of school choice as a tool to empower all parents with the freedom to choose the best educational environment for their children and reject destructive ideologies promoted by many public schools such as Critical Race Theory.’

This comes from a very basic conversation that happens in my state. Quite frankly, it’s happening in states all around the country.

Parents should be the primary decision maker for their children. Not only on where they are educated, so that they don't live in a certain neighborhood, and they say, ‘I’m sorry. You live there and have to go here.’ So that parents have the maximum amount of flexibility of knowing one child may be a great fit for one school, and a younger child may be a better fit for a different school, whether that be a public school that allows flexibility within a district to be able to move place to place or it happens in my state where you can even change district to district within public schools. If a parent maybe works in one area, in one school district but lives in another, that parent can choose to be able to have their child go into a different district, though it’s a public school setting. But it gives them the flexibility and the choice to be able to do that. Why? Because not every kid is the same and not every educational environment is the same. And I would say in my state, and I would assume in other states as well,  not every school district is the same.

Now, it's important to us in our state that every school district is successful. There is no place that we don't want any child to be able to be successful. But we should all admit the facts: not every school district is thriving.

And as we invest dollars and time and encourage great teaching in that district, that child that’s in that district that is not being successful is trapped in a location that’s currently not successful. Maybe they can be successful in five years from now when they work through the different issues they have, but that child doesn't have a second shot, if that child has no other opportunity to be able to choose and their parents are locked into that spot. We basically say, ‘We'll fix everything at this district in a few years,’ and that child is just not allowed to get an option out.

I don’t think that's helpful for that child and that parent at that time.

Giving parents the ability to be able to make the choice between public schools, charter schools, private schools, whatever may work best for their school and for their state and the policies their state has created, seems like a smart thing to be able to do.  

Any kind of teaching that is within a school that actually promotes one kid as the oppressor and the other kid as the oppressed simply because of the color of their skin should not be taught in our schools.

Why don't we teach every child as equal? Why don't we teach every child should have opportunity? Why don't we teach every family has the opportunity in this great country of ours? And where we have weaknesses, we work on our weaknesses, but we don't label a child as an oppressor or as oppressed based on the color of their skin. At least we used to not in America. But that’s what’s rising up on with this Critical Race Theory as it rises up from place to place.

I’ve had many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle say, ‘That's not true. That's not actually being taught.’ Great. Let's make the resolution, and let’s say, ‘We as a Senate don't believe this should be taught.’

Let’s teach every child. Let’s love every child. And this resolution also affirms the rights of parent to be able to speak out—not in a violent way, not in a destructive way—but the parents to be able to speak out.

Why is it several months ago that our Department of Justice and our nation starts a whole investigation on parents to be able to say: are there parents that are actually maybe closet terrorists that are showing up at school board meetings complaining about what's being taught, complaining about a mask mandate in their school, complaining about a vaccine mandate, complaining about Critical Race Theory, or just saying I don't like this particular curriculum? That used to be the rights of parents to engage, and now we hear, ‘Really parents don't know enough about these difficult things. Parents need to just sit down over there. We'll take care of this as professionals.’

So again this resolution doesn't add additional funding, doesn't change the structure of our schools, but does say, ‘We as the Senate believe in the power of the parent to be able to make the right choice for their children.’

National School Boards Association compared parents to terrorists; 17 states have left, but not Oklahoma

AS OTHERS EXIT, OSSBA MAINTAINS NSBA TIES

by Ray Carter, Director, Center for Independent Journalism

A majority of state school boards associations have publicly distanced themselves from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) after the national group compared parents to terrorists, and 17 state associations have withdrawn from the NSBA.

But the Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA) is not among them, and the organization continues its policy of public silence regarding the controversy even as state lawmakers may be poised to require parental approval for schools funds to go, directly or indirectly, to the NSBA.

In a public letter issued to the Biden administration on Sept. 29, NSBA officials declared that opponents of Critical Race Theory and mask mandates represented “an immediate threat” that included “threats of violence and acts of intimidation,” and said “the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.”

“NSBA believes immediate assistance is required to protect our students, school board members, and educators who are susceptible to acts of violence affecting interstate commerce because of threats to their districts, families, and personal safety,” the letter stated. “As our school boards continue coronavirus recovery operations within their respective districts, they are also persevering against other challenges that could impede this progress in a number of communities. Coupled with attacks against school board members and educators for approving policies for masks to protect the health and safety of students and school employees, many public school officials are also facing physical threats because of propaganda purporting the false inclusion of critical race theory within classroom instruction and curricula.”

The NSBA letter specifically cited only a handful of examples of alleged extremism nationwide. Most fell far short of terrorism and often amounted to little more than verbal disruption.

The NSBA letter said such incidents justified investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Secret Service and its National Threat Assessment Center.

Shortly thereafter, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memorandum announcing that he was ordering the FBI to meet with state and local officials to develop “strategies for addressing threats against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff.”

The fallout from the incident has been nationwide as numerous state school boards associations have fled from any association with the NSBA.

Parents Defending Education has maintained a list of state school boards associations that have denounced the NSBA’s actions. That list has grown to include 27 states that have distanced themselves from the NSBA’s letter: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Seventeen state associations have further demonstrated their displeasure by withdrawing from the NSBA. That group includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Stearman files bill to stem outside influences on Oklahoma schools

Stearman Files Bill to Stem Outside Influences on Oklahoma Schools

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Wendi Stearman, R-Collinsville, has filed House Bill 2980, the "Keep Our Money in Oklahoma Act," which aims to protect the parents, children and taxpayers of Oklahoma's public school system from outside influences that do not reflect the Oklahoma Standard.

In September, the National School Board Association (NSBA), of which the Oklahoma State School Board Association (OSSBA) is a member, sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting federal assistance at local school board meetings. In this letter, the NSBA declared concerned parents and taxpayers as "domestic terrorists." Therefore, under HB2980, schools within the Oklahoma public school system would not be able to use state appropriated funds to pay any membership dues to any organization that is owned or operated outside of Oklahoma. Further, they would not be allowed to use any taxpayer money to pay dues or membership to any organization that is a member of a national organization without the voters' approval.

"Oklahoma taxpayers should not be forced to fund organizations that seek to silence parents," Stearman said. "A transparent system in which families  determine where their tax money is spent will benefit both the children and their education."  

HB2980 would further require that school districts publish the criteria, finances and reports of an entity in which the district holds membership.

State leaders vow to help teachers fired by OKCPS over illegal mask mandate

STATE LEADERS VOW TO HELP TEACHERS FIRED BY OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS GET BACK IN THE CLASSROOM

OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 4, 2021) – Today, Secretary of Education Ryan Walters, Representative Rhonda Baker, and Senator Adam Pugh denounced the decision by the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education to fire six talented educators for making personal decisions about their own health.

In September, a District Judge made it clear that due to SB 658 schools could only mandate masks if they allowed exemptions for medical, religious, or personal reasons. Other Oklahoma districts have permitted students and teachers to opt-out of mandates, but OKCPS decided to put politics before education.

The decision comes when school leaders across the state are struggling to recruit and retain teachers. Just this week, staffing issues forced Tulsa Public Schools to eliminate the sixth grade at McClure Elementary School. Those students now must go straight to middle school, or transfer to another district.

These state leaders are committed to doing everything they can to get the six teachers let go by OKCPS back in the classroom where they belong.

Senate passes bill to align school board elections with regular primary and general election dates

It's about time this happened:

Senate approves bill aimed at increasing voter participation in school board elections

OKLAHOMA CITY – Low turnout is far too common in local school board elections, but that trend would change thanks to a bill approved Wednesday by the Oklahoma Senate.

Senate Bill 962, from Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, would align school board election dates with the dates of primary and general election dates for county, state and federal offices.

Treat said low turnout in school board elections is due to those elections happening outside of the traditional election season dates.