Oklahoma Watch (https://oklahomawatch.org/tag/education-2/)
Moore Public Schools plans to cancel its weekly class for gifted students and instead focus on a science, technology, engineering, art and math program for all students. Some parents and advocates for gifted students think their children will lose a valuable part of their education.
The eye-popping statistic from a recent report made headlines: In Oklahoma, 30,000 teachers have left the profession in the past six years. But there were other interesting trends to unearth in the 124-page report.
Thousands more Oklahoma students were held back in early grades than what the U.S. Department of Education reported, according to newly released state data.
Fifth-graders would become middle-school students under an Oklahoma City Public Schools proposal unveiled recently. Some parents are concerned about the change, and research is scant regarding the benefit to children of having them start middle school sooner.
The first legislative session since the teacher walkout ended will convene Feb. 4, and education is likely to be a prominent theme. But proposed bills go beyond teacher pay and school funding. Here are several of the bills Oklahoma Watch is tracking.
The founders of Epic Virtual Charter School donated at least $145,000 total to dozens of candidates in this year’s elections. The donations outpaced those from the Oklahoma Education Association PAC and have come amid continuing dramatic growth in enrollment at the online school.
School letter-grade report cards are coming back after a two-year hiatus, but with a different focus and some changes in how metrics are calculated. One pending change is a downplaying of the overall letter grade on the report cards to be displayed on the state’s website.
For politically active teachers and parents, the defeat of gubernatorial candidate Drew Edmondson was the night’s biggest disappointment. But while the teacher caucus wasn’t as successful as supporters had hoped, there were bright spots.
After months of campaigning and millions of dollars spent, Election Day is here. And the stakes are high: the first new governor in eight years, a new Legislature, a U.S. House race that could have national implications. Here are some key questions that could determine the results.
Oklahoma Watch, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma, will host a public forum on Wednesday, Oct. 17, in Tulsa about State Question 801, which would allow school districts to spent “building fund” property tax revenue on operational expenses.