Oklahoma

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Oklahoma
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filo/DigitalVision Vectors
School Choice & Charters States Are Spending Billions on Private School Choice. But Is It Truly Universal?
More than half a million students in eight states last school year took advantage of private school choice open to all students.
Mark Lieberman, October 8, 2024
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7 min read
Ryan Walters speaks at a rally, Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City. Republican State Superintendent Walters ordered public schools Thursday, June 27, 2024, to incorporate the Bible into lessons for grades 5 through 12, the latest effort by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms.
Oklahoma state Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks at a rally on Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City. Walters is now facing scrutiny from GOP lawmakers, who seek an investigation into his stewardship of education funding and his agency's transparency.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
States Oklahoma GOP Lawmakers Demand Investigation of Education Chief
They have concerns about Ryan Walters' stewardship of federal and state funds and his transparency on meetings and open-records requests.
Brooke Schultz, August 15, 2024
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4 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Curriculum Letter to the Editor Christian Nationalism vs. Spirituality in America’s Schools
A retired teacher responds to the Oklahoma state schools superintendent's guidance on teaching the Bible in public schools in the state.
August 13, 2024
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1 min read
Oversized Keys on a barren landscape with a single figure in contemplation, Concept idea art of choice, work, life, philosophy, lost, and problem solving. Surreal artwork.
Jorm Sangsorn/iStock + Education Week
Social Studies Opinion Yes, Religion Should Be Taught in School—But It Needs to Be Done Right
For nearly two decades, I have witnessed firsthand the tremendous impact that a deep and diverse study of religion has had on my students.
Juan Resendez, August 8, 2024
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4 min read
A hand holding a magnifying glass hovers over a Bible opened to the Ten Commandments.
Marinela Malcheva/iStock/Getty
Curriculum How Oklahoma's Superintendent Wants Schools to Teach the Bible
Oklahoma's state superintendent directed schools to teach the Bible and to place a copy in every classroom.
Evie Blad, July 24, 2024
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4 min read
bible lying on a school desk with a lesson plan and calendar
tamaw/E+
Curriculum Should the Bible Be Taught in Public Schools?
Are recent pushes to include the Bible about cultural literacy—or a pretext for politicians who want Christianity in public schools?
Evie Blad, July 15, 2024
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10 min read
Image of a bible sitting on top of a school backpack.
Canva
States How States Are Testing the Church-State Divide in Public Schools
A new order to teach the Bible in Oklahoma is the latest action to fuel debate over the presence of religion in schools.
Evie Blad, June 28, 2024
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7 min read
cellphone distraction policy bans in schools static
Laura Baker/Education Week via canva
Ed-Tech Policy Tracker Which States Ban or Restrict Cellphones in Schools?
See which states are requiring cellphone restrictions or bans in schools.
Arianna Prothero, Lauraine Langreo & Alyson Klein, June 28, 2024
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1 min read
The Oklahoma Supreme Court is pictured in the state Capitol building in Oklahoma City, May 19, 2014. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, June 25, 2024, that the approval of the nation's first state-funded Catholic charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School, is unconstitutional.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court is pictured in the state Capitol building in Oklahoma City, May 19, 2014. The high court ruled Tuesday, June 25, 2024, that the approval of the nation's first state-funded Catholic charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School, is unconstitutional.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
Law & Courts Religious Charter School Is Unconstitutional, Oklahoma Supreme Court Rules
The state high court says the planned Catholic virtual charter school violates a state provision against aid to 'sectarian' institutions.
Mark Walsh, June 25, 2024
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4 min read
A green apple with a cross shaped stem in between red apples.
Richard Mia for Education Week
School Choice & Charters Opinion What Would Religious Charter Schools Mean for Public Education?
Discriminating and proselytizing on the taxpayer dime will never be acceptable, writes Kevin G. Welner.
Kevin G. Welner, May 29, 2024
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5 min read
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is pictured Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, during an interview in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, pictured in February, argued April 2 before the state supreme court against the nation's first religious charter school.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
Law & Courts Oklahoma Supreme Court Weighs 'Test Case' Over the Nation's First Religious Charter School
The state attorney general says the Catholic-based school is not permitted under state law, while supporters cite U.S. Supreme Court cases.
Mark Walsh, April 2, 2024
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5 min read
Jacqueline Chaney ask her 2nd graders a question during class at New Town Elementary School in Owings Mills, Md., on Oct. 25, 2023.
Jacqueline Chaney ask her 2nd graders a question during class at New Town Elementary School in Owings Mills, Md., on Oct. 25, 2023.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Teaching Profession The State of Teaching The 'Difficult, Beautiful' Work of Teaching
From sunup to sundown, America's teachers grapple with countless decisions, interruptions, joys, and frustrations.
Madeline Will, Elizabeth Heubeck, Ileana Najarro, Arianna Prothero & Sarah Schwartz, March 6, 2024
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26 min read
Students in Sofia Alvarez-Briglie's class test the design of their experiments during class on Nov. 13, 2023.
Students in Sofia Alvarez-Briglie's class at Alcott Middle School in Norman, Okla., test the design of their science experiments on Nov. 13, 2023. Oklahoma has experienced a dramatic decline in teacher-prep enrollments, and teachers there say pay and politics have affected the profession's desirability.
Brett Deering for Education Week
Teaching Profession The State of Teaching What One Record-Setting Teacher Shortage Can Tell Us About the Profession
Oklahoma struggles mightily with the widespread perception that teaching is a low-wage, high-stress, low-respect profession.
Madeline Will, March 6, 2024
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13 min read
A photograph of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teenager who died a day after a fight in a high school bathroom, is projected during a candlelight service at Point A Gallery, on Feb. 24, 2024, in Oklahoma City. Federal officials will investigate the Oklahoma school district where Benedict died, according to a letter sent by the U.S. Department of Education on March 1, 2024.
A photograph of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teenager who died a day after a fight in a high school restroom, is projected during a candlelight service at Point A Gallery, on Feb. 24, 2024, in Oklahoma City. Federal officials will investigate the Oklahoma school district where Benedict died, according to a letter sent by the U.S. Department of Education on March 1, 2024.
Nate Billings/The Oklahoman via AP
Law & Courts Oklahoma Nonbinary Student's Death Shines a Light on Families' Legal Recourse for Bullying
Students facing bullying and harassment from their peers face legal roadblocks in suing districts, but settlements appear to be on the rise
Mark Walsh, March 6, 2024
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11 min read
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