Tag Archives: Education Oklahoma

Officials on TPS Audit Release Delay

By David Arnett

Patrick B. McGuigan of City News Tulsa posted a story today on local representatives questioning delay of the Tulsa Public Schools System audit. McGuigan reported from a release issued by the State House of Representatives and referenced previous stories crafted by this writer and Education Editor Susan Phillips.

McGuigan reports, Representatives Chris Banning of Bixby and Rob Hall of Tulsa, and Mark Tedford, R-Jenks, commented on the recent delay in releasing the state audit of Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) and management of federal relief funds.

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DOJ Agreement with OKC Schools

By David Arnett

The Justice Department announced in a release today that a federal judge in Oklahoma City has approved an agreement with Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) to resolve allegations that OKCPS violated Air Force Reserve Staff Sergeant Michael J. McCullough’s rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). The department’s lawsuit alleged that OKCPS violated USERRA when it failed to renew Mr. McCullough’s employment contract because of his military deployment and then failed to reinstate him on his return.

“When service members answer their nation’s call — leaving home and work to serve and protect us — federal law protects them against employment discrimination and unjust termination,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kathleen Wolfe of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Veterans must be able to serve their country free from worry about jeopardizing civilian career opportunities.”

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Supreme Court: OK Religious Freedom

By Jared Buswell

Late Friday afternoon, January 24, the US Supreme Court approved hearing the St. Isidore Catholic virtual charter school case, Statewide Charter School Board vs. Drummond.

The case contains several constitutional review questions with significant, national implications, including:

  • Does the First Amendment require states to never allow public funds to support charter schools run by religiously-affiliated organizations, or does it require states to not prohibit the religious activity of organizations that meet all state requirements to provide schools?
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Lawsuit to Recoup Millions for Schools

By David Arnett

Tuesday January 14, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced a $474 million lawsuit against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director Peter Flores. The lawsuit seeks compensation for the severe financial and operational strain that their failed border policies have placed on Oklahoma’s public schools.

Sup. Ryan Walters meeting with parents.
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Bad Instruction Prompts Lawsuit

By Jonathan Small

One of the lower-key victories of the 2024 Oklahoma legislative session was passage of Senate Bill 362, which stated that Oklahoma public-school teachers “shall be prohibited from using the three-cueing system model of teaching students to read” starting in the 2025-2026 school year.

Under the three-cueing method, students are encouraged to guess words based on associated pictures and context, and to memorize entire words, rather than learn to sound them out phonetically.

APMreports has noted “that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked” three-cueing, while ExcelinEd in Action noted the three-cueing system “can be boiled down to this: Teachers using this method instruct students to guess.”

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