Letter Campaign Currently Suspended: Thank you for your support on this important matter. Currently, the title is off of HB 2293, and it is being sent to a committee conference for further negotiations. The author has expressed a strong desire to work with the TRS and other parties to eliminate the negative fiscal impact. POEContinue reading ATTN: Teacher Retirees
House Bill 1775 is officially known as “Riley’s Rule.” The name commemorates Riley Boatwright, a Lexington middle schooler who tragically passed away during a school football game in 2019. Riley’s Rule, authored by Rep. Sherrie Conley, aims to establish additional safety precautions for student athletes participating in public school sporting events. Thus far, Riley’s RuleContinue reading Conley Introduces Legislation to Protect Student Athletes
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
