The bill only applies to schools that have received from the state Education Department a D or an F for the last two years or a D or an F for two of the last three years, provided the most recent grade was a D or an F. In those schools — where everything else […]
education
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Counterpoint: Don’t pull that trigger
Sen. David Holt, who sponsored such legislation for Oklahoma, said he was partly inspired by Won’t Back Down. But whatever the film’s merits as entertainment, its rosy portrait of parent triggers mask major problems with the idea. Under his proposal, if a school is given a D or an F on the state’s A-F rating […]
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Lottery limbo
Rollo Redburn Credit: Mark Hancock Politicians and industry officials guessed that figure could be upwards of $150 million per year, depending on how likely Oklahomans were to buy tickets. But no one really knew, and if you asked for a wager, they would say, “Wait until it’s started.” As it turns out, the lottery has […]
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Making schools safe
For many years, I’ve been concerned about this issue. I was privileged to work with 22 other Oklahomans appointed to the OCSS to analyze our current school security climate. The panel consisted of professionals from diverse fields such as local education, homeland security, mental health, local law enforcement, parents and operational planning. When tragedies strike, […]
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What evolutionists fear
Whenever a bill comes up before our Legislature that gives teachers in our public schools the freedom to teach the positives and negatives of evolution, they immediately cry “foul” because anything that might bring doubt on their beloved theory must be religious. The reason why they are so touchy is because they know how weak […]
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Embracing early childhood education
In contrast to previous mandates for bubble-in quick fixes, the administration now endorses collaborative and coordinated efforts emphasizing socio-emotional interventions and diagnostic data so that children read for comprehension by third grade. He now heeds the wisdom of generations of scholars, including Nobel Prize winner James Heckman, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and many […]
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Down with science
Credit: Brad Gregg The slyly named Scientific Education and Academic Freedom Act narrowly passed out of a House committee, despite it having drawn the usual ridicule from the national mainstream media who defend such piffle as “climate change,” “gravity” and “the orbit of the planets.” Blackwell has insisted HB 1674 has nothing to do with […]
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Building brains
Credit: Shannon Cornman The idea was generated in December 2010 when the school district’s board of education approved funding for the pre-K teachers over a four-year period. Sixty have been hired so far, with an additional 60 slated to be added by the 2014-2015 school term. A report from the district last year shows full-day […]
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Fashion statement
The issue arose last August when Cooper Barton, then a kindergartner at Wilson Elementary, wore a University of Michigan T-shirt to school. The 5-year-old Wolverine fan was told to turn his shirt inside out since it violated the district’s dress code policy. Wearing clothing that depicts athletic teams, except for Oklahoma colleges and universities, is […]
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D-graded
Credit: Brad Gregg A. Yes B. No C. Spaghetti If you answered B, congratulations. You scored better than state Superintendent Janet Barresi. According to the Tulsa World, Barresi told the Republican Women’s Club of Tulsa County on Feb. 12 that University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University research scientists who authored the aforementioned report had […]