The recent bipartisan success of defeating SB 1647—universal school vouchers—has not gone unnoticed. But what has escaped the public spotlight is the long-term strategy to erode the advocacy of teachers and school employees in Oklahoma. Two bills—SB 634 and SB 1592—are part of this strategy. Under the guise of helping school employees, these bills aimContinue reading Two Bills Aim to Hurt Teacher Advocacy in Oklahoma
Professional Oklahoma Educators (POE) conducts several member surveys on important education topics and bills each legislative session. These surveys help the POE government affairs team understand the thoughts, concerns, and positions of POE members on important legislative matters. The survey results direct POE’s lobbying efforts and provide firsthand data to lawmakers. POE’s first survey ofContinue reading POE’s Legislative Survey #1—Results
Article Updated March 9, 2021 Senate Bill 807 — a POE request bill — authored by Sen. Chris Kidd ensures that all school support employees, just like certified staff, will be paid in the event of a school closure due to a pandemic or other health emergency. On Tuesday, March 9, SB 807 passed theContinue reading Update: Pandemic Pay for School Support Employees Passes Senate
Article Updated March 11, 2021 Sometimes you just have to jump up, run around, and shake all the wiggles out! The Play to Learn Act, authored by Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, understands this truth. This bipartisan-supported act, numbered House Bill 1569, aims to get children actively involved in the learning process through play-based curriculum and focusedContinue reading The Play to Learn Act: A Refocusing of Early Childhood Education
Due process — innocent until proven guilty — is an American principle. But for many years, certain entities in Oklahoma have used a loophole in the law to deprive teachers of this right —let me explain. In rare occasions, teachers are accused of a crime and criminal charges are filed. The justice system then followsContinue reading Due Process For Teachers: Why SB 13 Matters
The School Funding Reform Bill — House Bill 2078 — passed the House general assembly Feb. 24 with a vote of 68-30. The Funding Reform Bill, like its counterpart House Bill 2074 (open transfer), generated much debate. Given the extended duration of the floor proceedings, we have divided the video footage into four distinct partsContinue reading School Funding Reform Bill Passes House Floor
The Open Transfer Act (HB 2074) generated much debate on the House floor Wednesday, Feb. 24 prior to its passage with a vote of 77-22. To view the video footage of the House floor proceedings, please follow the links provided below. Given the extended duration of the floor proceedings , we have divided the videoContinue reading Open Transfer Act Passes House Floor
Senate Bill 807 — a POE request bill — authored by Sen. Chris Kidd ensures that all school support employees, just like certified staff, will be paid in the event of a school closure due to a pandemic or other health emergency. SB 807 passed the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 23 with aContinue reading Pandemic Pay for School Support Employees Passes Committee — SB 807
Update: Open Transfer Act Passes House Floor 02/25/21 The Open Transfer Act, promoted by Gov. Kevin Stitt during his State of the State address, passed the House Education Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 16 with a vote of 11-3. This Act, numbered House Bill 2074, proposes to implement specific measures that would make the transfer ofContinue reading The Open Transfer Act Passes House Education Committee (HB 2074)
Article Updated March 1, 2021 The teacher shortage problem in Oklahoma is a serious issue. According to the state’s 2018 Supply & Demand Report, Oklahoma has lost teachers at an average rate of 5,000 teachers per year over the last decade, with retirement accounting for only 10% of that figure. To counteract this trend, severalContinue reading Altering the Teacher Certification Process: Key Bills
