Credit: Brad Gregg Paddack, who lost that 2010 election to Janet Barresi, has filed a joint resolution to make the job appointive instead of elective. The legislator has said the proposal — which would also make the offices of insurance and labor commissioners appointed positions — has nothing whatsoever to do with that previous race. […]
Janet Barresi
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Report-card reaction
Belle Isle EnterpriseMiddle School Credit: Mark Hancock Those expecting high marks received them. Those who anticipated the worst saw their fears realized. As part of the state’s new evaluation system, all public schools were issued a grade from A to F based on a list of newly developed criteria. In Oklahoma City Public Schools, the […]
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At what price?
Janet Barresi Credit: Mark Hancock The study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that inflation-adjusted per-pupil spending in the state decreased 20.3 percent from fiscal years 2008 to 2013. Alabama was second from the bottom, and Arizona had the biggest decrease. The study found Oklahoma spends $706 less per student now than […]
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From movie to measure
Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal in \”Won\’t Back Down\” California, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana have already passed such laws. Groups that write model legislation, such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), have drafted model bills for legislators to introduce in their home states. Parent trigger laws allow for dramatic changes at a school if […]
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Standing up for special needs families
“What about organic?” she asks. “Two percent? Skim?” “Milk is milk,” an exasperated manager tells her. “We’ve got one kind. It was good for me. It’s good enough for kids today.” Education technology expert Richard Culatta recently shared that our public education system came to the U.S. via autocratic 18th-century Prussia. “Their purpose was as […]
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A reluctant partnership?
Karl Springer Shannon Cornman Two Oklahoma City Public Schools have landed on the highest-priority school improvement list: Shidler Elementary School and Roosevelt Middle School. An Oklahoma City charter school, Santa Fe South Middle School, originally was on the list, too, but is getting further consideration. The process of determining which schools are in need of […]
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Faulty testing
Sen. Fred Jordan points to external conditions and states that “[many people] … are not test takers…” Norman schools Superintendent Joe Siano points to the new Common Core standards about to be implemented, implying that they might result in lower passing rates. However, these same tests will be used as over one-third of the evaluation […]
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Ledger report
Garrett, however, contends the report actually showed the opposite: that the department took steps not to illegally comingle private and public funds in order to pay for its annual leadership conference and other events. The report, released March 7, came about after Superintendent Janet Barresi asked Jones to look into questionable travel expenses by former […]
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Testing, testing
Critics say the requirement, part of the Achieving Classroom Excellence initiative, places too much importance on the tests. Among them is state Rep. Fred Jordan, co-author of legislation to eliminate the graduation requirement. He said the requirement fails to account for some students’ extenuating circumstances. “We’re talking about kids who have zero support from their […]
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Making the grade
Part of several education reform measures passed last year by the Legislature, the plan is scheduled to be posted Monday to the education department’s website. A 30-day public comment period begins at that time and the state Board of Education votes on the measure during its March 29 meeting. If it passes, the policy change […]