In 2022, The Oklahoma Legislature established the Oklahoma Teacher Empowerment Program (OTEP) as a way for qualified teachers to earn additional income by mentoring less experienced teachers. Recently, the Legislature funded the OTEP with $22.58 million. Since the Oklahoma Department of Education (OSDE) will dispense these funds on a first come, first serve basis, it’sContinue reading Earn Extra as a Mentor Teacher? Here’s How to Apply.
After months of fierce negotiations, the House and Senate finally found common ground and came together to make a historic investment in public education. On Friday, May 26, 2023, the eduction package was signed into law. The funding package provides more than half a billion dollars of annual funding for public education. Although the packageContinue reading Oklahoma’s 2023-24 School Employee Pay Raise, Explained
Update: Unfortunately, SB 99 passed the Oklahoma Senate by a single vote. However, SB 99 must still pass the Oklahoma House of Representatives. SB 99 has yet to be considered by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The bill is currently on hold until the start of the upcoming Legislative Session which will begin Feb. 5,Continue reading Bill Filed to Hurt Teacher Advocacy, Again
Article Archived, please look for an updated article soon! I. Four-Day School Weeks Are Expanding Rapidly in U.S. Hundreds of thousands of US students are now attending school four days a week. The number of school districts on a four-day calendar has grown by more than 600% in the last 20 years, and the four-dayContinue reading A Review of Four Day School Weeks
Article Archived on June 1, 2023 Have the requirements to teach in Oklahoma changed recently? Have they been drastically lowered? If you scanned Twitter or Facebook this past weekend, you probably received mixed answers to the above questions. The social media storm centering on the questions followed a Friday news article claiming that Oklahoma teachersContinue reading Oklahoma Teacher Requirments: Have They Changed?
Article Archived on June 1, 2023 Hundreds of thousands of US students are now attending school four days a week. The four-day school week, in recent years, has exploded to more than 1,600 schools across 24 different states, according to a 2021 study. And the four-day trend shows no signs of slowing down. West Texas,Continue reading Four-Day School Weeks: Innovative or Harmful? Legislative Study to Investigate
Article Archived on June 1, 2023 School Security in Oklahoma In light of the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, and other reports of violent school incidents, the Oklahoma Legislature is conducting an interim study on school security. The study will consider security practices in Oklahoma schools and address proposals to improve such practices. Members ofContinue reading School Security: Survey Results and Upcoming Legislative Study
Article Archived on September 1, 2021 The POE Government Relations Team headed back to the State Capitol recently to celebrate the passage of POE’s request bill — Senate Bill 807 — with an official signing ceremony. SB 807, authored by Sen. Chris Kidd, Rep. Rhonda Baker, and Rep. Mark Vancuren, guarantees that all school supportContinue reading Pandemic Paycheck Protection for Support Staff Signed into Law
Archived on March 1, 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 Archived on May 1, 2021 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 areContinue reading Due Process For Teachers: Why SB 13 Matters
