After a week dominated by election coverage, it’s likely that most people have at least a little bit of news fatigue. But whether you’re going to spend the weekend trying to avoid it all for your own sanity or continue to track updates, this post can offer you a slight break in election news.
Oklahoma City Public Schools will be proceeding with their plans of bringing back all students in-person on an A/B schedule this week. The OKCPS Board of Education will meet Monday evening, and the State Board of Education is scheduled to meet at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12.
Catch up on the week’s education headlines from reporters around Oklahoma with this coveducation recap.
OKCPS bringing back first-12th grades
Oklahoma City Public Schools will be proceeding with its plans of bringing first through 12th grade students back to in-person learning on an A/B schedule the week of Nov. 9.
Kindergartners and pre-K students returned to the classroom on an A/B schedule Oct. 20.
The Oklahoman’s Nuria Martinez-Keel reported this week that despite classes being canceled for nearly two weeks owing to weather and subsequent power outages, Oklahoma City students are still expected to return to more than 50 schools next week for the first time since March.
Face-to-face classes will begin for first through 12th grade on Tuesday, Nov. 10. These grade levels have been in virtual learning since the school year started Aug. 31. The district plans for them to return for twice-a-week classes split into a Tuesday-Thursday or Wednesday-Friday schedule.
Dozens of Edmond Santa Fe students in quarantine
Dozens of Edmond Santa Fe High School students are in quarantine after administrators said in a letter to parents that students and staff members from two different athletic teams had contact with a positive COVID-19 patient.
KFOR reported that officials say 59 student-athletes, 15 additional students, and eight coaches will have to miss in-person classes for all or part of the next two weeks.
MASK coalition calls for mask mandate in Oklahoma schools
A coalition of prominent state organizations — including doctors, teachers and child advocates — has adopted the name Masks Are Saving Kids and has called on state leaders to require masks in public schools.
The Oklahoman’s Nuria Martinez-Keel reported this week that the group has urged the Oklahoma State Board of Education to implement a statewide school mandate.
The state school board voted 4-3 on July 23 to recommend, but not require, safety precautions for schools in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Student mobility rates present challenge for OKC and Tulsa schools
The Frontier’s Ben Felder and Kassie McClung reported this week that Oklahoma City and Tulsa schools see thousands of students change schools during each year, creating a challenge for students and teachers.
According to enrollment data analyzed by The Frontier and The Curbside Chronicle, across Oklahoma City, an average of one in three students does not stay at the same school for the entire year. In the OKCPS district of about 40,000 students, more than 5,000 enrolled in three or more schools during the 2018-19 school year.
More than 1,500 Tulsa students attended at least three schools during the 2018-19 school year.
The report stated that both districts serve many students who face challenges that lead to high mobility rates including concentrated poverty, declines in affordable housing and unstable transportation.
Rose State positioning itself as ‘haven for charter schools’
The Frontier’s Ben Felder reported this week that Rose State College is positioning itself as a haven for charter schools dissatisfied with their current authorizer or facing financial struggles.
Rose State has seen years of decline in funding and enrollment, and the move could allow the college to receive millions in additional tax dollars and alter the education landscape of Oklahoma.
Rose State currently acts as the charter authorizer for Epic Blended and has had conversations with at least four other charter schools in recent months about becoming their authorizer, despite concerns about whether Rose State provided any or adequate oversight of the controversial Epic school.
Electronic transcript platform launches
The Oklahoma State Department of Education announced this week that they’ve launched the Oklahoma e-Transcript Initiative. This will allow electronic transcripts to be requested, verified and shared through a single online platform.
The platform, through digital credential service Parchment, allows the secure electronic exchange of academic transcripts among school districts, colleges, universities and the Oklahoma CareerTech system.
Students can also request transcripts and other supporting admission documents to be sent electronically to more than 85 percent of U.S. college and university admissions offices.
Oklahoma education tweets of the week
https://twitter.com/meagankenner/status/1324486236896153602
Wow. With electrical outages still unresolved at multiple @OKCPS schools, the district will have students complete coursework on their own time for the rest of the week. No live online or in-person class sessions. https://t.co/kTlxzjhnQL
— Nuria Martinez-Keel (@NuriaMKeel) November 4, 2020
Voters sent more #oklaed candidates to the Oklahoma Legislature during this election cycle. The Education Caucus now has 27 members. https://t.co/YsgVLQRkto
— OK Education Assoc. (@okea) November 5, 2020
Thread from an @OKCPS school board member on the tough decision between staying 100% virtual and restarting in person classes. https://t.co/41LvJ4Pa1u
— Nuria Martinez-Keel (@NuriaMKeel) November 6, 2020
