March 5, 2021

Tulsa Public Schools Will Work to Fill Learning Gaps This Summer

Hello, and happy Friday Readers! The upcoming summer break is a prime opportunity to help students catch up and make up learning time lost to the pandemic. National news outlets like the New York Times and Education Week have been writing about the trend and Tulsa Public Schools announced yesterday its jumping on board. The district will offer free summer camps and other academic programs using federal relief funds.

Tulsa phased in the return of in-person instruction Feb. 23-25, becoming one of the last in the state to do so. The district took a cautious approach due to the disproportionate impact COVID19 has had on students of color and their families. Nearly two-thirds of the district’s students are black or Hispanic.

The programs announced this week by Tulsa Public Schools include:

• Operation Graduation, providing bootcamps for seniors to complete credit recovery and an evening learning option for juniors and seniors.

• Free summer camp at every school in the district in July.

• Extended supports in the 2021-22 school year, including free before and after care.

Is your school district planning summer learning opportunities? I’d love to hear from you. Email me at jpalmer@oklahomawatch.org. More information about Tulsa’s programs can be found here.

Also, in case you missed it, I was live on Facebook answering questions about school funding. Catch the video on our Facebook page.

—Jennifer Palmer

Around the web

• As Schools Reopen, Asian American Students are Missing From Classrooms [Washington Post]
• ‘Vile Racist’ Taunts Incite Fight at Oklahoma High School Basketball Game [The Oklahoman]
• State Superintendent Talks COVID-19, and What the Future Holds for Oklahoma Schools (Video) [The Frontier]
• Texas Teachers Go Door to Door as Kids Disappear From Remote Classes [The 74 Million]
• Point of View: An Oklahoma City School Parent Says Legislation Misses the Mark [The Oklahoman]

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