Charter schools were envisioned as institutions of innovation where teachers could have freedom to test new ways of educating students. However, many contend that the vision was lost when charter school proponents started promoting them as competitors for traditional public schools. As of May 2019, more than 7,000 charter schools existed across 44 states and […]
Oklahoma City Public Schools
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Strong STEM
The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools (FOKCPS) is seeking community partners to help place science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) centers in all of the district’s elementary schools before classes start Aug. 14. Though foundation partners have contributed more than half the money needed, there is still a significant gap to fill. The initiative […]
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Kicking stereotypes
The lazy stoner stereotype is getting kicked to the curb — or the outfield — when the upcoming Oklahoma Cannabis Kickball Tokie Tees tournament takes to the diamonds over Memorial Day weekend. Daniel Boyington is organizing the tournament. He also founded Tokie Tees, which will be printing T-shirts for the teams. “Our brand is about […]
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Cover: Prepping schools
The Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) board of education voted March 4 to adopt a plan that will shut down 15 schools and reconfigure 17 others. Education officials say the plan will provide equity, increase efficiency and better serve all students across the district. Now, all hands are on deck working to make important changes […]
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Chicken-Fried News: Bus(ted) fleet
Oklahoma City Public Schools faces quite a number of challenges. There are teacher shortages, big class sizes, outdated facilities, upcoming school closures — Chicken-Fried News could keep going, but we would be here all week. As if there were not enough challenges to overcome, the district also has an ongoing issue with buses. Since 2003, […]
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Schools out
Oklahoma City Public Schools superintendent Sean McDaniel announced last week three possible paths to realign facilities and resources with the district’s needs. The announcement is part of Pathway to Greatness, an OKCPS project that has been in the works for more than a year. “The theme, the story that we want to tell, is a […]
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In session
Long before an estimated 30,000 teachers marched at the state capitol for 10 days in April, educators met with their state representatives and urged them to enact legislation that would increase school funding. Oklahoma was ranked one of the lowest in the nation for per-pupil spending and teacher pay, and the damning statistics could be […]
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Banking on education
Oklahoma City Public Schools will move their administration office to a building better-suited for its needs and services. The school district is going forward with plans to renovate the old Central National Bank building on 615 N. Classen Ave. into its new headquarters. “The past nine to 12 months, we’ve been working on plans to […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Cooking lessons
Between running restaurants in Chicago and earning the title Top Chef Master on a hit Bravo TV show, North-west Classen High School graduate Rick Bayless has seen his fair share of surprises. He couldn’t, however, hide the shock and awe he experienced when walking into the family and consumer science class at Oklahoma Centennial Mid-High […]
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Battle cry
Northwest Classen High School’s cafeteria was filled Sept. 22 with teachers, students, families and politicians who eagerly trickled in and stood up in the crowd to hear Oklahoma born and raised Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, speak about education reform in the Sooner State and across the country. If the crowd anticipated a somber speech by […]