Latest news with #NuriaMartinez-Keel
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
From hungry goats to property taxes, Oklahoma senators unveil interim study plans
Members of the Oklahoma Senate meet on the final day of the 2024 Legislative Session on May 30 at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – State senators in the interim will take a look at sports betting, removing elected officials and the use of goats to eradicate red cedar trees. Those are just a few of the 74 Senate interim study requests Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, recently assigned to committees. The studies, which can help shape legislative priorities, are expected to be completed by Oct. 31. 'These studies allow us to engage with subject matter experts, agency officials, industry leaders and everyday Oklahomans to gather a full range of perspectives,' Paxton said. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, is expected to announce by July 25 which of the 154 interim study requests he has approved, said Jennifer Monies, a spokeswoman. For years, lawmakers have filed bills seeking to allow sports betting in the state, but none have secured approval. Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, is sponsoring a study on the issue. He said it will get all the parties in the room to discuss why Oklahoma is among 11 states that hasn't legalized it, and what can be done to get it passed and implemented. 'I think for Oklahoma, we have 38 tribes that have a say in it,' Coleman said. 'Getting 38 anythings on the same page is not easy.' Coleman is also sponsoring a study looking at how voters can remove statewide elected officials, lawmakers and county officials from office. Currently, the only way to remove a statewide elected official is impeachment, Coleman said. Coleman was the author of Senate Bill 990, which was expected to be the vehicle to set up the process that Oklahomans could use to remove someone from office independent of legislative involvement. Coleman said he didn't move the measure forward because he realized there needed to be an interim study. Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, has an interim study looking at why insurance rates in Oklahoma are so high, even when compared to states with similar dangerous weather events. She said the study will look at factors beyond weather that contribute to the prices. Seniors living on a fixed income are especially impacted, she said. Meanwhile, Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, has a study to look at the possibility of eliminating property taxes. He did not respond to a request for comment. A Senate panel will study how to eradicate red cedar trees, which consume a lot of water and are a fire hazard. 'They have been using goats for several years in California in the canyons to take care of brush,' said Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, who requested the study. Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, will be taking a look at how to improve the state's food stamp program, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman, has a study looking at the nutritional value of food consumers can buy with food stamps. Gov. Kevin Stitt, as part his of Make Oklahoma Healthy Again campaign, has asked the federal government to approve a request that bans food stamp recipients from using the program to buy soda and candy. At least two state senators, Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, and Aaron Reinhardt, R-Jenks, want to look at ways to make school lunch program offerings more nutritious. Lawmakers in February return to the Capitol for the legislative session. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Uncertainty abounds at Epic Charter School after cuts, resignations
Epic Charter School is headquartered at the 50 Penn Place complex in Oklahoma City. The virtual charter school laid off 357 employees this month. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — Families and educators at Epic Charter School now face a summer of uncertainty as the charter school system downsizes its staff, facilities and course offerings. A leadership change and a state investigation have piled on top of the cuts. The virtual charter school's superintendent, Bart Banfield, resigned Monday, days after Epic laid off 357 teachers and administrators. Its deputy superintendent of finance, Jeanise Wynn, resigned April 11. 'There hasn't been much transparency about why and what are we doing,' Epic teacher and parent Sarah Kitterman said. 'What actions are we taking to make sure this changes and we don't do this again?' Kitterman, of Edmond, said Epic lost programs that were difference-makers for students. Her own children benefited from a now-eliminated ELA+ program that offered bonus reading classes. Students won't get that extra English language arts instruction without the program, she said, and it's unclear how Epic will repeat the 'incredible' learning gains that ELA+ produced. A similar Math+ program has been reduced to grades 6-12 only. The closure of Epic's Blended Learning Centers is a loss, too, Kitterman said. The centers, which offered in-person instruction in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, often had waiting lists. Students with disabilities especially sought a place at the learning centers, said Kitterman, a special education teacher. 'Does that mean that we're going to have an overload of students on our rosters now?' she said. 'We can't serve those students the same way that they were being served. So where do those students go?' Epic announced it would give students from the learning centers priority in another face-to-face instructional option, Comet Academy. Also gone are Epic's options for full-time in-person instruction five days a week, its school meal services, and all of its Chinese and Latin courses. Other services, like Advanced Placement courses, have been outsourced to other entities, some now costing a fee. 'These changes are part of our ongoing reorganization to better serve the 30,000 students statewide who choose Epic for their education, and to position the state's largest public virtual charter school for strength and success in the years to come,' the school told families in an email last week. Members of Epic's school board spoke little of the school's financial situation Thursday in their first meeting since the layoffs and Banfield's departure. The board, which is scheduled to meet again Tuesday, approved a new treasurer, assistant treasurer and encumbrance clerk for Epic, who will join the new chief financial officer, Michael Flory. The school board has yet to approve a budget for the 2025-26 school year, which must be done before the next fiscal year begins on July 1. The Statewide Charter School Board, a state agency that oversees Epic, is now investigating the school's finances. After its enrollment skyrocketed to over 60,000 children in 2020, Epic has steadily lost students and, as a result, state funding. An influx of federal pandemic aid funds also came to an end in September. To make matters worse, Epic administrators significantly miscalculated when crafting their budget for the 2024-25 academic year. Enrollment came in 4,000 students short of what administrators expected, prompting a round of layoffs in October that cost 144 jobs. The cuts continued this month when Epic slashed 83 teaching positions and 274 administrators. Banfield soon followed out the door. 'At Epic, we often say, 'The only constant is change,'' Banfield wrote in his resignation letter, which Oklahoma Voice obtained. 'Over the course of this school year, it has become clear to me that it is time for a new chapter. With deep gratitude, I am formally submitting my resignation. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Board of Education, the Epic staff, and most importantly, the hundreds of thousands of families who have chosen Epic as their school of choice since 2011. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you over the past 11 years. I wish you the very best. Go Comets!' Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Justin Hunt will serve as interim superintendent while the board searches for a candidate to hire permanently. 'I appreciate the trust and respect, and (I'm) looking forward to moving into next school year for the 30,000 kids that need us and choose us as a school option,' Hunt said during Thursday's school board meeting. As for Kitterman, she plans to return for her fourth school year teaching at Epic, and her three children will continue to attend, she said. Until this point, Kitterman has felt like a valued employee, she said, but the lack of transparency around the layoffs and cuts put that sense of value in doubt. 'I plan to stay as long as Epic is open,' Kitterman said. 'We've loved it, so that's my hope. It's just so scary.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Collection of student immigration data in Oklahoma public schools blocked
A proposed rule collecting the immigration status of Oklahoma public school students was blocked after Gov. Kevin Stitt let an altered set of rules take effect. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A controversial proposed rule from Oklahoma's chief education official to require schools to collect immigration status of students will not take effect. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt let the legislatively altered set of rules governing the State Department of Education take effect without his signature. The measure, which passed the House and Senate with unanimous, bipartisan support, removed two of the most controversial rules: a requirement that public schools collect proof of U.S. citizenship during enrollment and that teachers pass the U.S. Naturalization Test to earn or renew their certifications. Stitt had said he would reject the proposed immigration rule. He previously said even though it was a political issue that people would 'come after' him for, it was the 'right thing to do' and kids shouldn't be 'put on a list.' Lawmakers had argued the immigration rule didn't have any statutory authority and was unenforceable. The administrative rules are proposed by state agencies based on current law. They are subject to review and approval by the Legislature and the governor. When approved and enacted, the rules carry the force of law. 'I will never waver in my belief that Oklahoma taxpayers deserve the utmost transparency – especially if their hard-earned dollars are being used to fund illegal immigrant's education,' said state Superintendent Ryan Walters in a statement Thursday. He said Oklahomans should know who is in their schools. 'Conservatives have an obligation to uphold conservative principles, not just to win an election, but year round,' Walters said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Judge set to rule on future of controversial Oklahoma social studies standards
A ruling on Oklahoma's controversial social studies standards has yet to be made in a legal challenge in Oklahoma County District Court attempting to prevent their implementation. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — After nearly three hours of oral arguments Wednesday, an Oklahoma County district judge said he isn't ready to rule on a legal challenge to the state's controversial social studies standards. District Judge Brent Dishman said he wanted to wait for a written response from the group challenging the standards after the Oklahoma Board of Education moved to dismiss the case, arguing that critics failed to point to any violation of statute, and the state agency followed the process as required by law. Dishman has been asked to either implement an injunction to block the standards from being implemented or to dismiss the legal challenge outright. A group of seven Oklahoma parents, grandparents and teachers represented by former Republican Attorney General Mike Hunter have sued and asked Dishman to nullify the controversial academic standards, which include language about discrepancies in the 2020 election, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and biblical lessons. Michael Beason, the state Department of Education's attorney, argued Wednesday that the lawsuit is a waste of taxpayer dollars as the defense 'searches for a needle in a haystack.' He said a handful of educators don't like the standards and the plaintiffs 'do not have a case recognized under Oklahoma law.' The plaintiffs, though, argued the process used to implement the rules was flawed and the results are not 'accurate' or 'best practices' for academic standards. The new academic standards for social studies are reviewed every six years, but state Superintendent Ryan Walters, who was not present at Wednesday's hearing, enlisted national conservative media personalities and right-wing policy advocates to aid in writing the latest version of the standards this year. Around half of the members of the state Board of Education later said they weren't aware of last minute changes Walters made to the standards, but only one board member, Ryan Deatherage, voted against them. While lawmakers allowed the standards to take effect, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for them to be sent back to the board to be reconsidered. After the hearing, Hunter said he appreciated Dishman's 'careful interest' in the arguments and that he expected a ruling by the end of June. 'Despite the arguments of the defendants, there has to be a recourse by citizens when there's a process like this that is so flawed,' he said. 'No vote by the Legislature and then an action of a state agency becomes law. If we believe the defendant's arguments today, that Oklahoma citizens have no recourse in this situation based on a strained construction of the statutes, I just don't think that's good government, and I don't think that that's a correct argument, nor do I think the judge is gonna buy it.' James Welch, an Oklahoma teacher and plaintiff in the case, testified at Wednesday's hearing that the review process was not a true 'collaboration of experts in the field and teachers in the classroom' like he thought it would be. Using a math analogy, the judge asked Welch, a volunteer member of the standards writing committee, if he would feel the same way about the standards and process if the subject were instead math and the standards omitted trigonometry. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Welch said he would because omitting the most up-to-date standards of learning means students don't achieve full understanding of a subject. While the defense did not comment after the hearing, they argued that the plaintiffs could not point to a specific violation of law and simply didn't like what was in the standards. Chad Kutmas, an attorney for the state Board of Education, said the plaintiffs 'complain about how the sausage is made, but that's just how it's made.' 'Everyone knew it was going on and the political body let it happen,' he said. 'It's inappropriate for a court to step in at this late stage.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Judge set to rule on future of controversial Oklahoma social studies standards
A ruling on Oklahoma's controversial social studies standards has yet to be made in a legal challenge in Oklahoma County District Court attempting to prevent their implementation. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — After nearly three hours of oral arguments Wednesday, an Oklahoma County district judge said he isn't ready to rule on a legal challenge to the state's controversial social studies standards. District Judge Brent Dishman said he wanted to wait for a written response from the group challenging the standards after the Oklahoma Board of Education moved to dismiss the case, arguing that critics failed to point to any violation of statute, and the state agency followed the process as required by law. Dishman has been asked to either implement an injunction to block the standards from being implemented or to dismiss the legal challenge outright. A group of seven Oklahoma parents, grandparents and teachers represented by former Republican Attorney General Mike Hunter have sued and asked Dishman to nullify the controversial academic standards, which include language about discrepancies in the 2020 election, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and biblical lessons. Michael Beason, the state Department of Education's attorney, argued Wednesday that the lawsuit is a waste of taxpayer dollars as the defense 'searches for a needle in a haystack.' He said a handful of educators don't like the standards and the plaintiffs 'do not have a case recognized under Oklahoma law.' The plaintiffs, though, argued the process used to implement the rules was flawed and the results are not 'accurate' or 'best practices' for academic standards. The new academic standards for social studies are reviewed every six years, but state Superintendent Ryan Walters, who was not present at Wednesday's hearing, enlisted national conservative media personalities and right-wing policy advocates to aid in writing the latest version of the standards this year. Around half of the members of the state Board of Education later said they weren't aware of last minute changes Walters made to the standards, but only one board member, Ryan Deatherage, voted against them. While lawmakers allowed the standards to take effect, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for them to be sent back to the board to be reconsidered. After the hearing, Hunter said he appreciated Dishman's 'careful interest' in the arguments and that he expected a ruling by the end of June. 'Despite the arguments of the defendants, there has to be a recourse by citizens when there's a process like this that is so flawed,' he said. 'No vote by the Legislature and then an action of a state agency becomes law. If we believe the defendant's arguments today, that Oklahoma citizens have no recourse in this situation based on a strained construction of the statutes, I just don't think that's good government, and I don't think that that's a correct argument, nor do I think the judge is gonna buy it.' James Welch, an Oklahoma teacher and plaintiff in the case, testified at Wednesday's hearing that the review process was not a true 'collaboration of experts in the field and teachers in the classroom' like he thought it would be. Using a math analogy, the judge asked Welch, a volunteer member of the standards writing committee, if he would feel the same way about the standards and process if the subject were instead math and the standards omitted trigonometry. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Welch said he would because omitting the most up-to-date standards of learning means students don't achieve full understanding of a subject. While the defense did not comment after the hearing, they argued that the plaintiffs could not point to a specific violation of law and simply didn't like what was in the standards. Chad Kutmas, an attorney for the state Board of Education, said the plaintiffs 'complain about how the sausage is made, but that's just how it's made.' 'Everyone knew it was going on and the political body let it happen,' he said. 'It's inappropriate for a court to step in at this late stage.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
