State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced the rollout of a new, comprehensive teacher recruitment tool, Teach-OK.com, today. Teach-OK.com is a comprehensive online resource designed to guide future and current educators through the certification process, connect them with teaching opportunities, and provide valuable financial and professional development resources in Oklahoma. Teach-OK.com supports Oklahoma’s teacher recruitment and retention efforts by providing a user-friendly platform that helps educators efficiently navigate their career paths Sup. Walters noted in a media release.
File It
By Jim Stovall
Success comes to us when we focus on our strengths and passions. There are a myriad of tests, surveys, and profiles you can take to help you determine your true strengths and deepest passions. But I think if you look at yourself objectively and seek the opinions of trusted family members, friends, and colleagues, these will become apparent to you.
Your strengths are tasks that come easily for you but are difficult for others. These are generally activities that you may overlook because you have a talent for them, you enjoy them, or at least don’t dread them because they are easy and natural for you.
Brad Banks Runs for Midtown House Seat
By David Arnett
Campaigning to represent House District 70 in midtown Tulsa, Brad Banks is a fifth-generation native Oklahoma businessman. After earning his civil engineering degree from The University of Texas – San Antonio, Banks focused on infrastructure design and management. He owns and operates Eagle Eye Construction, Inc. (est. 2016) and Bridgewater Engineering, Inc. (est. 2018)
Banks previously served as the Manager of Operations for the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority. Working as the chief engineer for the Port, Banks’ duties included overseeing all the physical operations, security, and capital projects for the 2,500-acre industrial park and river port including roads, rail, docks, warehousing, and cranes.
OCPA on “Propaganda Theater” Hearing
By David Arnett
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Jonathan Small today issued a statement in response to a false suggestion made about OCPA during a House legislative study on the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC).
During the Oct. 9 meeting, state Rep. Mike Osburn, R-Edmond, asked, “My understanding is that opponents to the JNC or people or groups seeking to have the JNC abolished or changed considerably were invited to participate and they either declined or they did not respond. Is that correct? I wanted to make sure that we got that on the record so that we know that this wasn’t stacked.”
State Rep. Erick Harris, an Edmond Republican who ran the study, responded, “That is correct.”
Oklahoma Campus Radicalism
By Jonathan Small
The nationwide rash of campus radicalism, particularly anti-Semitism, has been disturbing. Even more disturbing is the fact that it is appearing in Oklahoma.
Eyal Yakoby, an incoming Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) student who self-describes as being “dedicated to combating Jew-Hate and anti-Americanism,” highlighted an email distributed to students at Oklahoma State University that touted Students for Justice in Palestine (SPJ) events.
“The official diversity committee at Oklahoma State University’s psychology department sent an email soliciting students to participate in the ‘Week of Rage’ sponsored by SJP,” Yakoby wrote. “The first event is on Oct. 7th to celebrate the massacre. This is systemic antisemitism.”