It’s the first week of Session in Oklahoma…
When I say a lot has happened in education in the last week or so, I mean A LOT! In fact, there was so much I wanted to share but suffered from decision fatigue. It is understandable to be focused on the nationwide news. But, many big education-related government actions are happening right here in Oklahoma too.
- Monday, the Governor presented his 7th State of the State address which highlighted his priorities for what he hopes the state government achieves this year.
- Last week, the Oklahoma State Board of Education took action to approve proposed administrative rules with only a slight change to one. Those are heading to the state legislature for consideration next.
- Last and most importantly, many of us get to vote next week on school bond issues and school board member candidates, among other ballot measures.
So first, check to see if you can vote next week!
(Pulled the below straight from the Oklahoma State Election Board)
Next Election is February 11
Polls are open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.
To find your polling place and view a sample ballot for your precinct, use the OK Voter Portal.
What is on your ballot?
When I pull up my sample ballots, I have 1) a bond election ballot with two propositions for my local school district and 2) a city ballot forselection of the next city mayor and a proposition to increase hotel taxes to 8%.
I am voting YES for my school district’s bond election propositions. Just a friendly reminder that federal and state funding doesn’t go towards facilities and buses and technology generally as those resources are funded by a 60% approval of the voters in the district.
And as for the mayor, I’m going to research each candidate on the good old Facebook and OSCN to see what I can find out.
School Board Candidates on your Ballot?
Some of you may have a school board race on your ballot. The disappointing part is some candidates don’t realize what the role of a school board member really is. So let me briefly tell you…
School boards set the school district’s budget and oversee finances.
A school board member is a locally elected government official who only has authority when in a legally called and held public school board meeting.
School board members don’t get paid – with a few exceptions.
School boards make BIG decisions that directly impact your life, if you’re a student, parent, legal guardian of a student, staff member, or live near a school.
School boards select and employ the superintendent.
School boards set policy and make high level decisions about school calendars, library book selections, etc.
If you have a school board member race on your ballot next week, that means you’ve got more than two (2) candidates running. And that is exciting! In that case, your vote could either narrow those several down to just two (2) at the next election in April OR could help a candidate win it all and end the campaigns.
Go vote!
Please go check on your ballot, do your homework, and make a plan to vote. This is the most direct impact you can have on your government right now.
What did the Governor say about education?
Well, the first thing he implied is he values Rob Miller, Bixby PS Superintendent, and did so many times. This matters because Superintendent Miller is like Kendrick and Superintendent Walters is like Drake. Superintendent Miller got ALL of the praise by the Governor at the State of the State address. And, IYKYK…
Here is what the Governor said about education and his hopes and goals for this year:
Because we’re top ten for business, it’s time for us to become top ten in education. When Oklahomans elected me, they elected a businessman with a fresh set of eyes to challenge the status quo.
We have spent too many years settling for an education system that was failing our kids. So we ushered in the largest education freedom movement in the nation.
And just recently, Oklahoma was ranked number four in the nation for education freedom.
I believe that when you inject competition, everyone gets better, and we’re seeing that here in our school systems.
We passed open transfer in our state. Now, kids aren’t trapped in failing neighborhood schools.
Then, we passed a tax credit so money could follow the student. Now, thousands of kids can go to the school where they learn best and where they’re best equipped to succeed.
We paved the way for the first ever religious charter school in the nation.
I am so excited that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear this groundbreaking religious freedom case.
After all, the government shouldn’t stand in the way of a parent’s right to educate their children in line with their values.
But we also need to make sure kids are IN their classrooms. I’ve had parents from all over the state reach out to me with concerns about virtual school days.
In some places in Oklahoma, kids are only required to be in their seats at school for 148 days a year. For comparison, Kansas students are in their seats for 186 days every year. We all know that kids learn best when they’re in the classroom with our great teachers. It’s just common sense.
Pro Tem Paxton is already focused on this and I’m excited to work with him and Senator Thompson to make sure kids are in their seats ready to learn.
Let’s eliminate virtual days in our public schools.
If kids aren’t leaving high school college ready or career ready, we haven’t done our job. I want to sign a bill that creates more internships and apprenticeships. If we can get this right, we’ll lead the nation in workforce development.
Companies from all around the world will move operations to Oklahoma because it’ll be clear that we have the strongest workforce anywhere. So I’m calling on businesses, schools, and universities to create 250 new apprenticeship and internship programs this year.
Let’s get it done.
Now that we’ve got kids in the right classroom, they need to be free from distractions. This past fall, I challenged schools to implement phone-free school policies. I want to brag on Rob Miller. He’s here with us today.
Thanks for being here Rob. He is the Superintendent of Bixby Public Schools.
Through his years in education, he’s noticed a clear decline in his students’ attention and performance as cell phone use has increased in his schools.
To him, the solution was clear. Kids learn better when they aren’t distracted by cell phones and social media. He implemented a cell phone free policy in Bixby Public Schools, and he’s seen a huge improvement in his students.
I want to challenge the Legislature and school districts across the state to consider ways to make cell phone free schools a reality for all students.
It doesn’t have to cost anything – it just needs to be effective for the students we serve.
Speaker Hilbert – I’ve enjoyed talking about this issue with you and I’m excited to get something across the finish line this session.
I’m proud of how our schools took the cell phone free challenge to make sure our students succeed, but all of that means nothing, if our kids aren’t safe in their communities.
To sum it up: school choice, eliminate virtual days, transfers, business focus, eliminate student cell phones. And now we wait through the legislative process to see what bills actually make it to the Governor’s desk for his signature.
Proposed Administrative Rules adopted by the Oklahoma State Board of Education now go to the State Legislature for consideration
Last week, the Oklahoma State Board of Education approved proposed administrative rules – with only a slight change to one. Despite how it seemed in the news media, the rules are not in effect. Those rules are heading to the state legislature for consideration next.
If you haven’t read the proposed rules yet, you can review them here.
But now is a really good time to reach out to your state legislators about concerns you may have. Separately, there are proposed legislative bills which would make laws about some of these educational issues which carry greater weight than an administrative rule. So these issues will be hit at multiple angles, and your voice matters.
