March 2022

Oklahoma Election Dates 2022

FEBRUARY 8 – BOARD OF EDUCATION PRIMARY ELECTION AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS

Last day to register to vote: January 14

Deadline to request absentee ballot: 5 PM, January 24

Early Voting: Thursday, February 3, 8 AM – 6 PM
Friday, February 4, 8 AM – 6 PM

Election Day Voting: Tuesday, February 8, 7 AM – 7 PM

APRIL 5 – BOARD OF EDUCATION GENERAL ELECTION AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS

Last day to register to vote: March 11

Deadline to request absentee ballot: 5 PM, March 21

Early Voting: Thursday, March 31, 8 AM – 6 PM
Friday, April 1, 8 AM – 6 PM

Election Day Voting: Tuesday, April 5, 7 AM – 7 PM

JUNE 28 – PRIMARY ELECTION AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS

Last day to register to vote: June 3

Deadline to request absentee ballot: 5 PM, June 13

Early Voting: Thursday, June 23, 8 AM – 6 PM
Friday, June 24, 8 AM – 6 PM
Saturday, June 25, 8 AM – 2 PM (NEW HOURS)

Election Day Voting: Tuesday, June 28, 7 AM – 7 PM

AUGUST 23 – RUNOFF PRIMARY ELECTION AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS

Last day to register to vote: July 29

Deadline to request absentee ballot: 5 PM, August 8

Early Voting: Thursday, August 18, 8 AM – 6 PM
Friday, August 19, 8 AM – 6 PM
Saturday, August 20, 8 AM – 2 PM (NEW HOURS)

Election Day Voting: Tuesday, August 23, 7 AM – 7 PM

NOVEMBER 8 – GENERAL ELECTION AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS

Last day to register to vote: October 14

Deadline to request absentee ballot: 5 PM, October 24

Early Voting: Wednesday, November 2, 8 AM – 6 PM (EXTRA DAY)
Thursday, November 3, 8 AM – 6 PM
Friday, November 4, 8 AM – 6 PM
Saturday, November 5, 8 AM – 2 PM (NEW HOURS)

Election Day: Tuesday, November 8, 7 AM – 7 PM

March 31, 2022 0

Sports VS Education – Do We Really Care About Education As Much As We Do Sports?

Not long ago, I off-handedly created a meme that went viral. It basically said that if Oklahomans worried more about the education of our children than who was going to be OU’s next head coach, we’d start taking our country back.

I don’t hate sports: I coached middle school girls softball for 3 years, the second oldest daughter was in a traveling basketball league several years, the next youngest girl played softball nearly all her time in elementary school and the two boys played a bit of baseball.

Here’s the problem: a focus on sports that eats into, or usurps academics, and that problem is enormous.

As a teacher I saw it often. In middle school I had a parent who literally told me she didn’t care about her child’s grades because he was going to play basketball and wouldn’t need an education.

An extension of this thought process comes to light when you talk to college professors. Many will tell you that, often, sports ‘stars’ will send surrogates to class for them so they don’t have to attend or do the work themselves. It’s all done with a wink and a nod and accepted as ‘the way it is’ because, well, sports and all the money athletics brings into the school. DON’T FORGET: money and power are the drivers of nearly every rotten thing.

As a high-school science teacher, I had a basketball star in my Ecology class one year. He did nothing but fall asleep in the back row. Consequently, he received the ‘F’ he deserved, making him ineligible for play that week. After the ineligible list was published, the mother called the principal and the principal called me into the office. I was to meet the mother before class – at 7am – each Wednesday morning to discuss what her son needed to do to stay on the eligible list for that week.

Three weeks of meetings and the student still wasn’t putting in enough effort to get above a ‘D’. During the last meeting, the mother told me that the reason the son wasn’t making the eligible list was because I was a racist (and this was in the early 90’s!) and she would have him moved to another class.

Of course the principal moved the boy to a class where he – and the rest of the team – could stay eligible. I never received an apology for the mother’s actions, nor was the child ever made to perform at grade level. Problem solved.

This example, frankly typified much of my teaching career in public schools, unfortunately – parents threw a fit, student got what they wanted and teacher was the one punished in the end.

Sports can teach valuable lessons, this is true, but not when sports become the idol of the school or the family and, sadly, this case is more often than not, while academics becomes relegated to last place.

Taxpayers don’t own their own property, in part, thanks to the MASSIVE school bond issues passed to create multi-million dollar sports facilities for high schools. School budgets strain disproportionately toward sports (in many schools) and administration, when those dollars could better used for tutors, more challenging curricula and teachers with Master’s degrees in subject areas – not courses on how to teach.

Yet, in a blind grope to increase academic output, the state and federal governments continually usurp power over parents and the community by creating law after law to the point that the hands of all those concerned become tied, making it impossible to create changes for the betterment of students even if they wanted to.

Look at Title 70 – the section of law referring to public education in Oklahoma – it is enormous and convoluted, to my point.

Truly, there are but two ways to ‘save’ public education: for governments to stop trying to control the practice – and for better or worse – hand it back to the communities to which it makes the most difference, and for parents to assume full responsibility for their own children.

But yet, human nature will never allow that to happen… governments necessarily want to control, human nature allows parents to let them and the cycle continues unabated.

Until we understand that PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY is the key to freedom and happiness and that this character trait – though it flies in the face of our lazy natures – is our ULTIMATE CONTROL over every aspect of our lives, human beings will forever be doomed to control by those who crave control and our system of public schools will never produce the results we expect.

March 8, 2022 0

House Education Bills Beginning 3/22/22

Entries in Yellow FAILED in House Common Ed Committee

Entries in Grey NOT HEARD on the floor of the House

Entries in Red FAILED on the Floor of the House

Entries in Blue NOT HEARD in Senate Ed Committee Or FAILED On The FLOOR of the SENATE

Entries in Orange FAILED or NOT HEARD on the Floor of the SenateDO NOT SUORT

Bills marked as WATCH are those with which ROPE has concern.

WATCH—–HB1616 – Bennett and Garvin – Student drivers; creating the Hope Shaffer Act; prohibiting student driver from operating a motor vehicle when other students are passengers; effective date. Please find Oklahoma Teen Driving Laws HERE – Hope Shaffer passed away (1/16/20) as a result of a traffic accident which occurred when a driver rear-ended a car containing STUDENT DRIVERS. Public Safety Committee (2/23) – Aye 4 Nay 5 – FAILED Business and Commerce Committee (3/2) – Aye 11 Nay 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/23/22 – Aye 91 Nay 1 Excused 8 Committee On Public Safety – Aye 5 Nay 5 – FAILED

—–HB1919 – Blancett- there is an amendment to change the enacting date. School counselors – workforce pipeline crisis. Changes student counselor ratio – increases by 973 more counselors. This is a pure business development perspective. (We don’t educate kids for jobs but to be whole citizens.) Bill says shall, so a mandate not a goal. 8 Aye 4 Nay – NEVER HEARD ON THE HOUSE FLOOR

SUPPORT—–HB2768 – House Randleman, Senate Standridge – Education; creating the Dysgraphia and Education Task Force; professional development; dysgraphia; dyslexia; emergency. Aye 10 Nay 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/23/22 Aye 93 Nay 0 Excused 7

Senate Education Committee Aye 10 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

WATCH—–HB2969 – Walke and Merrick – Data privacy; Oklahoma Computer Data Privacy Act; consumer protection; civil penalties; effective date. ROPE WILL ONLY SUPPORT THIS BILL IN THE SENATE IF THE AMENDMENTS MADE IN THE HOUSE ARE REMOVED AND THE BILL IS RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL FORM. Passed Technology Committee 2/21/22 – No Committee votes recorded on oklegislature.gov – HOUSE FLOOR 3/23/22 Aye 74 Nay 15 Excused 11

SUPPORT—–HB2991 – Rick West – 4H bill allowing students not to be considered absent from school for 4H activities. 12 Aye 0 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 3/22/22 Aye 75 Nay 15

SENATE Education Committee – Amendment Aye 10 Nay 0 – Bill Aye 11 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

WATCH—–HB3038 – Boles – Schools; student transfers; permitting school district to give preference for sibling transfers; emergency. DOES PROVIDE LOCAL CONTROL FOR TRANSFERS, LANGUAGE JUST SPECIFIES SIBLING TRANSFERS WITH PREVIOUSLY-TRANSFERRED STUDENT. 12 Aye, 0 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR – 94 Aye 2 Nay Excused 4

SENATE Education Committee – Aye 12 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

SUPPORT—–HB3084 – House, Hilbert – Senate, Pugh; struck title – transportation of students outside certain boundaries “A school district board of education may provide transportation to students living outside of the boundaries and routes established by the State Board of Education.” GIVES POWER TO DISTRICT TO DECIDE. Aye 11 Nay 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/7/22, Aye 91 Nay 5

SUPPORT—–HB3086 – Hilbert and Pugh – schools; authorizing school district to use portion of transportation funds for transportation grants – effective date, emergency – “Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, a school district may use a portion of the transportation funds allocated to the school district pursuant to Section 18-201.1 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes to provide transportation grants to parents or legal guardians of students who attend the school district.” SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN DO SO OR NOT. Appropriations and Budget Committee 3/1/22 24 Aye 3 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 3/14/22 – Aye 61 Nay 27 Excused 12

Senate Appropriations Committee – Aye 15 Nay 4 SENATE FLOOR –

WATCH—–HB3092 – Hilbert (Bristow) Directing library media program to be reflective of community standards when acquiring materials resources – for age appropriate content. Waldron doesn’t like ‘rhetoric about pornography’…ultimate control librarians. Caldwell wants to know what happens when parents and school boards disagree. Why do we need this? Hilbert wants local standards not federal or national standards. THIS BILL DOES NOT DO MUCH OF ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THE DISAGREEMENT OVER THE TERM “COMMUNITY STANDARDS”. 10 Aye Waldron Nay – HOUSE FLOOR Aye 89 Nay 7

Senate Education Committee – Aye 12 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

SUPPORT—–HB3159 – Kevin West, Jake Merrick -Schools; children with contagious disease or head lice from attending school; including communicable disease; striking prohibition for children afflicted with head lice; effective date. REPEALS LANGUAGE TO ALLOW PARENTS BETTER CONTROL Aye 9 No 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/22/22 Aye 55 Nay 35

DO NOT SUPPORT—–HB3373 – Tammy West – School textbooks; clarifying when a school district may petition the State Board of Education; emergency. NEW LANGUAGE APPEARS TO MIRROR THAT IN A PREVIOUS SECTION. REASON FOR BILL UNCLEAR. Aye 10 Nay 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/9/22 Aye 94 Nay 0

Senate Education Committee – Aye 12 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

DO NOT SUPPORT—–HB3374 – Tammy West and Pemberton (Senate) – Community schools; authorizing the State Board of Education to assist in establishing community school pilot projects; effective date. THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM WAS VESTED IN THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT BY PRESIDENT OBAMA IN 2016. WWW.COMMIUNITYSCHOOLS.ORG LISTS SOME OF THEIR PARTNERS AS THE AFT AND VALUE EQUITY, DEMOCRACY AND HARMONY WHILE TRAINING MEMBERS ON POWER, PRIVILEGE AND INTERSECTIONALITY. MOST IMPORTANTLY, COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ARE TO PROVIDE FOR CHILDREN EVERYTHING A FAMILY CAN, FURTHER DESTROYING THE FAMILY BY SEPARATING CHILDREN FROM PARENT/S. THERE ARE TWO NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WHICH FUNCTION TO PUSH COMMUNITY SCHOOLS; NATIONAL CENTER FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SCHOOLS. I WOULD IMAGINE THE ‘HOPE TRAINING’ INVOLVED IN THE BILL RELATES TO SARAH STITT’S HOPE RISING OKLAHOMA, HOWEVER, COMMUNITY SCHOOLS WILL QUICKLY BE ORGANIZED BY THE LEFT AND USED TO CONTINUE FURTHERING THE LEFTIST AGENDA USING TAXPAYER DOLLARS. Aye 9 Nay 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/22/22 Aye 78 Nay 12

Senate Education Committee – Aye 10 Nay 2 SENATE FLOOR –

—–HB3432 – Kerbs: moving feeding programs in schools to the Department of Ag. (Mirror bill SB1624) 14 Aye 0 Nay NEVER HEARD ON THE HOUSE FLOOR MIRROR BILL IN THE SENATE: SB1624 By Pugh of the Senate – School meals; granting the Board of Agriculture the authority to administer the National School Lunch Act. Effective date. Emergency.

DO NOT SUPPORT—–HB3468 – Lawson and Rosino – Parent Representation Act; Parent Representation Program; Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth; funds; duties; exception; Parent Representation Program Revolving Fund; audit; annual report; effective date – “The Parent Representation Program shall ensure that all counsel are members of the Oklahoma Bar Association in good standing and are adequately trained.” OKLAHOMA HAS THE OKLAHOMA INDIGENT DEFENSE SYSTEM WHICH IS TAXPAYER SUPPORTED. THIS BILL IS TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR THOSE ATTORNEYS IN THE SYSTEM. THIS IS A HUGE EXPANSION OF GOVERNMENT. WOULD SIMPLY BE EASIER AND MORE EFFICIENT TO EITHER FIND A NON-PROFIT DEDICATED TO TRAINING FAMILY ATTORNEYS OR – INCREASE THE OIDS BUDGET TO ALLOW FOR TRAINING AND OTHER ASPECTS IN THIS BILL? WHY COULDN’T THE OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION HELP PROVIDE LOW COST TRAINING? CHILD WELFARE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, HOWEVER, THE MORE WE GROW GOVERNMENT THE LESS FAMILIES HAVE TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES. Appropriations and Budget Committee 3/1/22 27 Aye 0 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 3/14/22 – Aye 90 Nay 0 Excused 10

—–HB3500 – McEntire: increase penalty for assault and battery on a teacher to a felony. Questions regarding aggravated assault vs simple assault. 13 Aye 0 Nay NEVER HEARD ON THE HOUSE FLOR

—–HB3502 – Hardin and Pemberton of the Senate – gives local authorities to keep a child in school after they turn 18. Homeschool included. Associate district judge of Adair County spoke. 11 Aye 1 Nay (Caldwell) NEVER HEARD ON THE HOUSE FLOOR

SUPPORT—–HB3505 – Provenzano, Montgomery – Student loans; Oklahoma Student Borrower’s Bill of Rights Act; prohibiting student loan servicer from failing to provide certain loan forgiveness information; effective date. AMENDMENT TO EXISTING BILL ADDING LANGUAGE: “Fail to inform student loan borrower borrowers if their type of loan does not qualify for loan forgiveness programs.” No committee votes recorded on oklegislature.gov – HOUSE FLOOR 3/22/22 Aye 92 Nay 0 Excused 8

Senate Judiciary Committee – Aye 9 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

SUPPORT—–HB3506 Provenzano – Teachers; providing exemption from Professional Learning Focus for teacher who exceeds certain amount of professional development; effective date. “If the total amount of required federal, state, and local school district professional development for a teacher exceeds twenty-four (24) hours in a single school year, the teacher shall be exempt from completing the Professional Learning Focus requirement for the school year.” 10 Aye Nay 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/9/22 Aye 87 Nay 3

—–HB3545 – Chad Caldwell – Creating the Statewide Oklahoma Charter Schools Act – striking title – did not work with ossba/Coosa, etc worked with charter schools. State authorizer is being changed. Yea 6 Nay 4 NEVER HEARD ON THE HOUSE FLOOR

~~—–HB3552 – Chad Caldwell, Haste draft – Making pilot teacher certification program started in Tulsa in 2019 permanent~~ Aye 4 No 6 FAILED IN COMMITTEE

—–HB3643 – Dills and Pemberton – Schools; virtual charter schools; modifying and establishing requirements for governing boards which contract with certain management organizations; effective date; emergency. 11 Aye, 0 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 3/14/22 Aye 95 Nay 0

SENATE Education Committee Aye 11 Nay 6 SENATE FLOOR –

—–HB3644 – Dills and Taylor – Schools; modifying various provisions of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act and related sections of law to provide for additional transparency; effective date; emergency. 12 Aye, 0 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 3/14/22 Aye 94 Nay 0

—–HB3645 – Dills and Pemberton – Virtual charter schools; modifying attendance requirements for virtual charter school alternative education programs; effective date. 12 Aye, 0 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 3/9/22 Aye 93 Nay 0

SENATE Ed Committee – Aye 11 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

SUPPORT—–HB3655 – Sterling and Kidd – Schools; subject matter standards; including agricultural power and technology in fine arts curriculum; effective date. ADDS AGRICULTURE CLASSES AS ALTERNATIVES FOR GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, GIVING STUDENTS MORE OPTIONS FOR COMPLETING REQUIRED COURSEWORK 11 Aye, 1 Nay, HOUSE FLOOR 2/22/22 Aye 78 Nay 13

SUPPORT—–HB3656 – Sterling and Weaver – Schools; authorizing school district to offer law enforcement elective course to juniors and seniors; effective date. “A school district may offer to students in grades eleven and twelve an elective course in law enforcement.” SCHOOL NOT REQUIRED, BUT MAY, OFFER SUCH CLASSES. PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH OPTIONS. 12 Aye, 0 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 88 Aye, 2 Nay, 10 Excused

Senate Education Committee – Aye 12 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

SUPPORT—–HB3658 – Sterling and Pemberton -Teacher certification; Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act; removing requirement to pass the general education portion of the competency examination; emergency. “Has passed the ~~general education~~ and subject area ~~portions~~ portion of the competency examination required in Section 6-187 of this title in the area of specialization for which certification is sought” 12 Aye 0 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 3/8/22 91 Aye Nay 0 Excused 9

Senate Education Committee – Aye 11 Nay 1 SENATE FLOOR –

SUPPORT —–HB3702 – Russ and Weaver – Schools; providing for digital or online library database resources to students under certain conditions; effective date. A HELPFUL LIBRARY BILL. Judiciary – Criminal Committee 3/2/22 – 6 Aye 4 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 3/24/22 – Aye 87 Nay 0 Excused 13

Senate Education Committee – Aye 10 Nay 2 SENATE FLOOR –

DO NOT SUPPORT—–HB3720 – School curriculum; requiring Holocaust education in public schools; effective date; emergency. OKLAHOMA COVERS THE HOLOCAUST IN ITS CURRENT STANDARDS – USH.5.3 Summarize American reactions to the events of the Holocaust resulting in United States participation in the Nuremberg Trials which held Nazi leaders accountable for war crimes. (PG 59) SCHOOL BOARDS ARE THE CURRICULA AUTHORITY FOR EACH DISTRICT. IF PARENTS WISH SCHOOL BOARDS TO ADD CURRICULA REGARDING THE HOLOCAUST THEY SHOULD DO SO. Appropriations and Budget Committee 3/1/22 23 Aye 0 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 3/14/22 – Aye 80 Nay 5 Excused 15

DO NOT SUPPORT—–HB3823 – Newton and Rosino – Schools; vision screening; specifying that optometrists and ophthalmologists may perform screening; adding exemptions; effective date. ABSOLUTELY NOT. THIS IS A BILL FOR OPHTALMOLOGISTS AND OPTOMETRISTS TO GAIN ENTRY TO PARENTS VIA SCHOOLS. SCHOOLS MAY PROVIDE VISION SCREENING, REPORT RESULTS TO PARENTS AND LET PARENTS DECIDE WHICH DOCTOR THEIR CHILD WILL SEE FOR REMEDY. 11 Aye, 0 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 3/8/22 Aye 92 0 Nay

Senate Health and Human Services Committee – Aye 8 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

—–HB3872 – Phillips and Taylor – An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Sections 3-132 and 3-134, which relate to the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act; modifying sponsorship of certain schools which contract with the Office of Juvenile Affairs; deleting requirement of physical location for certain charter school; and declaring an emergency. 10 Aye 0 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 3/9/22 – 87 Aye 0 Nay

SENATE Education Committee – Aye 11 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

WATCH (UNNECESSARY) —–HB3896 – Hassenbeck – reinstate a denotation in our standards for teachers to work with library specialists on best practices standard? “As subject matter standards are reviewed according to this section, they shall denote in the text of the standard if the standard has information literacy implications. The denotation shall be a way to notify teachers that it is best practice for the teacher to collaborate with school library media personnel in providing instruction for the specified standard.” 14 Aye 0 Nay

—–HB3968 – Burns: working draft – allows students to transfer to schools during summer and play sports the first year. An amendment. (Mirror bill in senate) Hilbert Waldron Rosecrans Aye 11 Nay ~~FAILED IN COMMITTEE~~

SUPPORT—–HB4014 – Conley and Bergstrom – Public libraries; disclosure of records; permitting disclosure of certain records to parent or legal guardian; effective date. Appropriations and Budget Committee 3/1/22 27 Aye 8 Nay 2 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/14/22 – Aye 81 Nay 13 Excused 6

SENATE Ed Committee – Aye 7 Nay 2 SENATE FLOOR –

DO NOT SUPPORT—–HB4073 – Wallace and Hall – Schools; per-pupil expenditure; concurrent enrollment; effective date. FUNDS CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT THROUGH PER-PUPIL APPROPRIATION. THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS BILL – WE ARE ALREADY TAXED TO PROVIDE FREE CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS. WHY SHOULD MONIES BE APPROPRIATED VIA THE FUNDING FORMULA? – Appropriations and Budget Committee 3/1/22 25 Aye Nay 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/14/22 Aye 89 Nay 0 Excused 11

HB4106 – Vancuren and Pemberton – Schools; requiring school districts to maintain protocol for responding to students in mental health crisis Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee – Aye 6 Nay 0 Appropriations and Budget Committee – Aye 30 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR 3/9/22 – Aye 88 Nay 1 Excused 11

Senate Education Committee – Aye 11 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

SUPPORT—–HB4107 – Vancuren and Rogers – Teachers; directing State Board of Education to issue teaching certificate for teacher certified by a federally recognized tribal nation; effective date. ALLOWS TEACHERS TRIBALLY CERTIFIED TO GAIN STATE CERTIFICATION AND TEACHERS FROM OTHER STATES WHO HAVE COMPLETED A GENERAL COMPETENCY EXAM. Aye 9 Nay 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/8/22 Aye 89 Nay 7

Senate Education Committee – Aye 9 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

SUPPORT—–HB4370 – Ford and Bergstrom – Schools; meetings of school boards of education; requiring certain meetings to be accessible through a live video and audio stream; effective date. “C. The board of education of a school district with an average daily attendance of more than five thousand (5,000) students shall provide a live video and audio stream of all public meetings of the board of education. Information notifying members of the public how to access the meeting livestream shall be clearly published on the website and social media accounts of the school district.” PARENTS MUST ATTEND THEIR MONTHLY SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS BUT IF UNABLE TO ATTEND SHOULD BE ABLE TO WATCH LIVE. 12 Aye, 1 Nay – HOUSE FLOOR 3/14/22 Aye 83 No 4 Excused 13

Senate Education Committee – Aye 11 Nay 1 SENATE FLOOR –

DO NOT SUPPORT—–HB4387 – House, Hilbert – Senate, Pugh; – Teacher certification; providing for issuance of advanced teaching certificates; modifying procedures for issuing lead and master teaching certificates; effective date; emergency; conditional effect. THIS BILL PROVIDES A STRUCTURE FOR TEACHER PAY INCREASES AS DESIRED BY GOVERNOR STITT. THERE IS A BILL IN THE SENATE BY BULLARD (SB1139) TO STUDY TEACHER RAISES. TO PREVENT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND TO PROVIDE TEACHERS A RAISE STRUCTURE THAT REWARDS COMPETENCE AND IS FINANCIALLY EFFICIENT FOR THE STATE, THIS BILL SHOULD WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE STUDY PROPOSED BY BULLARD. Aye 11 Nay 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/21/22 Aye 91 Nay 5 Excused 4

Senate Education Committee – Aye 8 Nay 3 SENATE FLOOR –

SUPPORT—–HB4388 – Hilbert, Pugh Amusements and sports; Oklahoma Education Lottery Act; proceeds; Teacher Empowerment Fund; State Department of Education; characteristics; procedures; instructions; effective date; conditional effect. CREATES A REVOLVING ACCOUNT IN THE TREASURY USING THE PROCEEDS OF LOTTERY FUNDS TO MAKE STATE MATCHES FOR TEACHER PAY RAISES. IT WOULD BE BETTER TO WAIT UNTIL BULLARD’S PAY RAISE STUDY IS COMPLETED, BUT THIS HAS NO FISCAL IMPACT OTHER THAN MOVING 60 MILLION DOLLARS (AFTER THE FIRST 60M HAVE BEEN DISPERSED ACCORDING TO STATE LAW) FROM THE LOTTERY FUND TO TEACHER PAY RAISES. Appropriations and Budget 2/21/22 Aye 12 Nay 2 – Appropriations and Budget 3/2/22 Aye 26 Nay 6 – HOUSE FLOOR Amendment 3/22/22 Aye 67 Nay 17 Excused 16 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/22/22 Aye 67 Nay 22 Excused 11

Senate Education Committee – Aye 9 Nay 3 Senate Appropriations Committee – Aye 16 Nay 5 SENATE FLOOR –

SUPPORT—–HB4389 – Baker – School curriculum; subject matter standards; modifying computer science college preparatory curriculum requirements; effective date; emergency. CLEANS UP GRADUATION REQUIREMENT VERBIAGE. Aye 9 Nay 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/8/22 Aye 86 Nay 1 Excused 13

Senate Education Committee – Aye 9 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

NO OPINION—–HB4393 – Baker – Schools; modifying frequency of conducting an educator supply-and-demand study; listing shortage areas to be identified in study; effective date. CAUSES THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, THE COMMISION FOR EDUCATIONAL QUALITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE OKLAHOMA STATE REGENTS TO UNDERTAKE A TEACHER SHORTAGE EVALUATION EVERY YEAR. Aye 9 Nay 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/7/22 Aye 94 Nay 0 Excused 6

Senate Education Committee – Aye 12 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR –

DO NOT SUPPORT—–HB4409 – House Lowe – Schools; subject matter standards; modifying graduation requirement to complete a personal financial literacy course; effective date; emergency. THERE IS ALREADY A PERSONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY COURSE REQUIRED TO GRADUATE. TO MAKE IT CONFORM TO THE PASSPORT TO FINANCIAL LITERACY ACT IS SIMPLY NOT NECESSARY. THE LAW IS THERE, THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENT IS THERE, THERE IS NO NEED FOR FURTHER LEGISLATION. Aye 11 Nay 0 – HOUSE FLOOR 3/22/22 Aye 89 Nay 1 Excused 10

March 8, 2022 0

Parents Have To Parent – It’s A Tough Job To Be Sure – But No One Can Do It But You

The other morning I read a horrible news story about a 12yo girl who was beaten and tortured by 2 other 12yo girls at what was supposed to be a ‘sleep over. That is a horrible situation and the girls must be punished – but let’s talk honestly here.

How many parents know the families of the children with whom their children interact? Sorry to say, I expect MOST don’t.

Sadly – and factually – most all the nonsense going on in public schools about which parents have (rightly) complained, could have been solved by parent involvement at even the basic level of knowing the families of their children’s friends – yet I will go so far as to say that a majority of parents have abdicated so much of the responsibility of caring for their children to the now-government-sponsored systems of daycare and school, that knowing the families of their children’s friends is simply meaningless and unnecessary to them.

How could I make such a statement? I’ve seen it firsthand.

I taught science for 7 years in the public system and 3 years at a homeschool coop. In between those years, I sat on the PTA of our kid’s government elementary before they were pulled to become educated at home. Consequently, I have about 30 years of involvement in many different forms and levels of education.

In EVERY educational situation in which I’ve found myself, I’ve seen FEW parents actually interact with the education of their children.

In fact, there’s even a segment of parents who call themselves “homeschoolers’ who simply drop their children off at ‘coop’ and go about their merry way – they don’t interact with other families, help with coop duties, or even inquire as to how their kids are doing in their subjects – they simply EXPECT others to do their job for them because, for whatever reason, they can’t or won’t do it for themselves.

Since the 1960’s and LBJ’s War On Poverty – where the government offered the benevolent hand of government to ‘help’ families care for themselves – we’ve seen SKYROCKETING dissolution of families, SKYROCKETING single-parenting and SKYROCKETING abandonment of even basic parental duties.

Why would a couple stay together when they can get ‘free’ money from the government to raise their kids separately? Why would a parent make the effort to educate or feed their children when the government does it for them without them having to expend any effort to do so? ‘Free’ daycare, ‘free’ education, ‘free’ lunch… the government programs are endless.

Human nature tends toward laziness – it’s the main reason we have technology – our very nature tells us we have to “work smarter, not harder”. Consequently, when the government inserts its ‘helpful’ hand, society is destroyed.

Solomon said, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop; idle lips are his mouthpiece” (Proverbs 16:27) because humans will – by and large – attempt to do very little work. Once we don’t HAVE to keep ourselves fed, or clothed, or a roof above our heads, we’ll simply stop trying and allow others to do those jobs for us.

Then comes the death spiral; government provides ‘help’ to citizens, citizens stop providing for themselves, personal responsibility fails, government increases to counteract the lack of personal responsibility by creating more and more laws, citizens become oppressed, free society falls.

America is in this death spiral – and at this point we may not be able to recover.

If we ARE going to recover, however, MORE GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IS NOT THE ANSWER. The answer is MORE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

So here’s my request: If your child is in a government school of any kind – get them out and assume the responsibility of educating them yourself without excuses. In this way, citizens can create lifeboats of self-educated families and individuals who can then extend a hand to those who need help exiting the system for whatever reason through their church or other non-governmental group.

Taking control of the personal responsibility for our own actions and consequences (and modeling this for our children and others) is THE ONLY WAY to improve ourselves and this country in a lasting way for generations to come.

March 7, 2022 0

Oklahoma Education Liberty Coalition Statement Opposing The Advancement of Public Funds Into Private Education:

Oklahoma Education Liberty … by Reclaim Oklahoma Parent Emp…

March 7, 2022 0

Senate Education Bills Beginning 3/1/22

Entries in Yellow FAILED in Senate Ed Committee

Entries in Grey FAILED or NOT HEARD on the floor of the Senate

Entries in Blue FAILED or NOT HEARD in House Common Ed Committee

Entries in Orange FAILED or NOT HEARD on the Floor of the House

Entries in Green DIED IN CONFERENCE PROCESS

VETOED BY GOVERNOR

~~SB386~~ ~~By Quinn of the Senate – Education grants; creating the Digital Wallet Program Act; providing for distribution of grant funds. Effective date. Emergency.~~

Withdrawn by author

SB615 By Bullard et al of the Senate (Proposed Comm. Sub., req. #3536) – Schools; requiring curriculum and materials used in certain meeting with counselor to be available for inspection. Effective date. Emergency. Passed Aye 9 Nay 2 SENATE FLOOR 3/9/22 Aye 39 Nay 7 Bill was amended by the House (4/27/22) to include language preventing boys from using girls bathrooms in public schools. Amended bill SENATE FLOOR 5/19/22 Aye 38 Nay 7 HOUSE FLOOR 5/29/22 Aye 69 Nay 14 Sent to Governor 5/20/22 SIGNED BY GOVERNOR 5/25/22

SB626 By Bullard of the Senate and Randleman of the House (Proposed Comm. Sub., req. #3479) – Students; directing disclosure of whether a student has received certain mental health services. Effective date. Emergency.

PASSED 10-2 SENATE FLOOR 3/9/22 Aye 38 Nay 7 HOUSE Education Committee Aye 11 Nay 1 HOUSE FLOOR – 4/28/22 Aye 73 Nay 4 Excused 23 SENATE FLOOR – Aye 42 Nay 5 Excused 1 Sent to Governor 5/10/22 SIGNED BY GOVERNOR – 5/11/22

SB1112 By Dills and Pemberton – Student transfers; allowing the child of a support employee to transfer to employing district. PASSED Aye 13 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR – 2/14/22 Aye 45 Nay 0 Excused 3 HOUSE Common Ed Committee 4/5/22 Aye 12 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR – NEVER HEARD

SB1108 Bergstrom of the Senate; Hasenback of the House – School finances; adding items to be reviewed by School Finance Review Commission. Effective date. Emergency. Passed Aye 9 Nay 3 SENATE FLOOR – 2/21/22 Aye 39 Nay 9 HOUSE Common Education Committee – NEVER HEARD

SB1119 By Garvin of the Senate and Hilbert of the House – Teachers; removing clock-hour limitation for adjunct teachers. Effective date. Emergency. PASSED 9-3 SENATE FLOOR 3/23/22 Aye 35 Nay 9 Excused 4 HOUSE Common Ed Committee Aye 9 Nay 4 HOUSE FLOOR – Aye 68 Nay 25 Excused 7 Sent to Governor 4/27/22 SIGNED BY GOVERNOR 4/29/22

SB1126 By Garvin of the Senate and McEntire of the House – School funding; removing limits on school district general fund carryover; requiring online posting of carryover amounts. Effective date. Emergency. Passed – Aye 12 w title off SENATE FLOOR Aye 32 Nay 15

SB1138 Pemberton of the State and Pae et.al of the House – Schools; modifying provisions of the School Safety and Bullying Prevention Act. Effective date. Emergency. Passed Aye 10 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR – 2/22/22 Aye 45 Nay 0 HOUSE Education Committee Aye 13 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR -Aye 39 Nay 49 Excused 13 FAILED ON HOUSE FLOOR

SB1139 By Bullard of the Senate and Baker of the House – Teacher pay; creating a task force to study and make recommendations on certain pay for teachers. Effective date. Emergency. Passed – Aye 11 Nay 2 SENATE FLOOR – Aye 36 Nay 9 HOUSE Education Committee Aye 12 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR – NEVER HEARD

SB 1142 Standridge – Amendment presented to change “controversial” to “predominately sexual” Amendment failed 4-8; Will pursue on the floor. NEVER HEARD ON THE SENATE FLOOR

SB1145 Taylor – Schools; modifying requirements of the Passport to Financial Literacy Act; requiring separate course to graduate. Effective date. Emergency. PASSED 9-3 Amendment added, title off NEVER HEARD ON THE SENATE FLOOR

SB1147 By Taylor and Miller – Schools; allowing the State Board of Education to determine if certain course is eligible for certain credit. Passed – Aye 13 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR – Aye 42 Nay 0 Excused 6 HOUSE Education Committee Aye 13 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR – Aye 82 Nay 1 Excused 17 Sent to Governor 4/27/22 SIGNED BY GOVERNOR 4/29/22

SB1162 By Merrick of the Senate (Proposed Comm. Sub., req. #3649) – Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program; expanding program to certain students. Effective date. Emergency.

LAID OVER

SB1184 By Taylor of the Senate – Schools; creating the Students’ Right to Know Act to provide certain information to high school students. Effective date. Emergency. Passed – Aye 13 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR – Aye 43 Nay 1 Excused 13

SB1207 – Montgomery and Baker – Student assessments; directing the State Board of Education to promulgate rules for limited exceptions to testing window. Effective date. Emergency. PASSED 2/8/22 Aye 13 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR 2/23/22 Aye 40 Nay 4 Excused 4

SB1213 J.J.Dossett of the Senate and Miller of the House – Career and technology education; creating the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act. Effective date. Emergency. PASSED Aye 11 No 0 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 3/2/22 Passed Aye 18 Nay 0

SB1238 By Dugger of the Senate and Ranson of the House – Schools; allowing transfer students to enroll in certain full-time virtual education program. Effective date. Emergency. request transfers in even when there is no brick and mortar room PASSED 11-0 SENATE FLOOR Aye 34 Nay 6 HOUSE Education Committee Aye 12 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR – Aye 87 Nay 0 Excused 13 Sent to Governor 4/28/22 SIGNED BY GOVERNOR 5/2/22

SB1278 By Garvin of the Senate and Hill of the House – Oklahoma Center of the Advancement of Science and Technology; repealing advisory committee. Emergency. PASSED 12-0 SENATE FLOOR 3/8/22 Aye 45 Nay 0

SB1280 By Daniels of the Senate and Gann of the House – Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Board; removing language requiring appointments from certain lists. Effective date. Emergency. PASSED 8-5 SENATE FLOOR – Aye 28 Nay 18

SB1285 By Stanley of the Senate and Baker of the House Education – repealing language regarding the Oklahoma School for the Visual and Performing Arts. Effective date. …Creation of the Oklahoma School for the Visual and Performing Arts Revolving Fund, and authority to adopt rules PASSED 11-0 SENATE FLOOR 3/8/22 Yay 44 Nay 0 PASSED 9-0 Higher Ed and Career Tech Committee HOUSE FLOOR – NEVER HEARD

SB1307 By Coleman of the Senate (Proposed Comm. Sub., req. #3497) – Students; requiring certain schools to include certain information on student identification cards. Effective date. “…stating legislative intent that certain institutions of higher education include certain information on student identification cards; allowing issuance of certain non-compliant identification cards until a supply is depleted; providing for application; providing for codification; and providing an effective date.” PASSED 10-0 SENATE FLOOR 3/15/22 Yay 39 Nay 4 Excused 5 HOUSE Common Ed Committee Aye 12 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR – Aye 68 Nay 13 Excused 19 Sent to Governor 4/20/22 SIGNED BY GOVERNOR 4/21/22

SB1379 By Garvin of the Senate and McEntire of the House – School employment; allowing a school district board of education to contract for student mental health counseling with certain individual. Emergency. “allowing a school district board of education to enter into a written contract for student mental health counseling with a non-certified person if certain conditions are met; providing for inapplicability of certain definition…” Contract with a mental health professional rather than hiring school counselor PASSED 8-2 NEVER HEARD ON THE SENATE FLOOR

SB1402 By Dahm of the Senate (Proposed Comm. Sub., req. #3481) – Charter schools; creating the Professional Teacher Charter Act; providing purpose. Effective date. Emergency. Passed Aye 8 Nay 5 NEVER HEARD ON THE SENATE FLOOR

~~SB1403 By Daniels of the Senate – Schools; directing school district boards of education to adopt a policy regarding part-time student enrollment. Effective date. Emergency.~~

~~Scheduled, but not heard in Committee~~

SB1405 By Floyd of the Senate and McEntire of the House – Schools; naming act related to suicide awareness and training Evan’s Law. Effective date. Emergency. PASSED 12-0 NEVER HEARD ON THE SENATE FLOOR

SB1408 By Rosino of the Senate and Lawson of the House – Children; adding responsibilities of Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Board. Effective date. Passed 11-1 SENATE FLOOR – Aye 39 Nay 9 HOUSE Education Committee – Aye 12 Nay 1 HOUSE FLOOR – Aye 81 Nay 4 Excused 15 Sent to the Governor 4/27/22 SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR 4/29/22

SB1412 By Dahm of the Senate (Proposed Comm. Sub., req. #3482) – Student transfers; repealing a section of law relating to eligibility to participate in certain competitions. Effective date. Emergency. Passed Aye 8 Nay 5 NEVER HEARD ON THE SENATE FLOOR

SB1429 (SB1429) – by Sterling and Haste – Alternative Teacher certification; providing option of passing certain competency examinations; providing exemption for certain degrees. Passed Aye 13 Nay 0 Appropriations Committee Passed Aye 16 Nay 4 SENATE FLOOR – Aye 39 Nay 3 Excused 6 HOUSE Common Ed Committee – Aye 13 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR – Aye 81 Nay 0 Excused 19 Sent to Governor 5/2/22 VETOED BY GOVERNOR 5/6/22

SB1447 Jett of the Senate – School district boards of education; removing language requiring members to complete certain instruction. Effective date. PASSED 10-2 Title Stricken Amended SENATE FLOOR 3/23/22 Aye 17 Nay 28 Excused 3 Nays – Boren, Brooks, Burns, Coleman, Dossett (JA), Dossett (JJ), Dugger, Floyd, Garvin, Hall, Haste, Hicks, Howard, Jech, Kidd, Kirt, Leewright, Matthews, Montgomery, Murdock, Pederson, Pemberton, Rosino, Stanley, Stephens, Thompson, Weaver, Young Excused – Dahm, David and Treat

SB1512 By Pugh of the Senate – Higher education; stating legislative intent for institutions regarding scores required on certain examination to grant credit. Effective date. Emergency. Standardize CLEP PASSED 11-0 SENATE FLOOR 3/14/22 Aye 43 Nay 3 PASSED 9-0 Higher Ed and Career Tech Committee HOUSE FLOOR – NEVER HEARD

SB1535 Pugh of the Senate – Teachers; repealing language relating to the Oklahoma Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Evaluation System. Effective date. Emergency. PASSED 12–0 SENATE FLOOR 3/21/22 Aye 39 Nay 2 HOUSE Education Committee – Aye 12 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR – Aye 73 Nay 3 Excused 18 DIED IN CONFERENCE

SB1544 By Pederson of the Senate and Conley of the House (Proposed Comm. Sub., req. #3563) – Schools; prohibiting certain schools from knowingly entering into a transaction with certain individual or entity. Effective date. Emergency. Inappropriate Planned Parenthood sex ed prohibited Passed 10-2 SENATE FLOOR 3/7/22 AYE 38 NAY 8 HOUSE Education Committee – Aye 10 Nay 3 HOUSE FLOOR – NEVER HEARD

SB1579 By Paxton of the Senate – School employees; allowing a district board of education to approve certain leave of absence for certain purpose. Effective date. Emergency. If teachers are on leave to lobby, they don’t receive benefits from State. PASSED 9-3 SENATE FLOOR 3/7/22 Aye 35 Nay 9 HOUSE Education Committee – Aye 7 Nay 6 HOUSE FLOOR – Aye 53 Nay 37 Excused 10 Sent to the Governor – 4/27/22 SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR – 4/29/22

~~SB1583 By Treat of the Senate – Schools; allowing a transfer allowance to be granted to a student enrolled in certain school to attend a private school. Effective date. Emergency~~. ~~PASSED Aye 9 Nay 6 – Referred to Appropriations~~ LAID OVER

SB 1592 By Treat of the Senate – Liability insurance; creating Educators’ Professional Liability Insurance Program; requiring liability coverage for school employees. Emergency. PASSED Aye 11 Nay 3 Referred to Appropriations COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 3/2/22 Aye 15 No 4 SENATE FLOOR 3/24/22 Aye 34 Nay 11 Excused 3

SB1618 By Baker of the House Pugh of the Senate – State Department of Education; directing the Department to develop a website for district employment vacancies. PASSED Aye 11 Nay 2 SENATE FLOOR 3/15/22 Aye 29 Nay 14 Excused 5 HOUSE Education Committee Aye 11 Nay 1 HOUSE FLOOR – NEVER HEARD

SB1620 Pugh of the Senate – School transportation; removing language restricting transportation within certain boundaries. Effective date. Emergency. PASSED Aye 12 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR 3/9/22 Aye 36 No 9 Excused 3 HOUSE Education Committee Aye 13 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR – NEVER HEARD

SB1621 By Pugh of the Senate – Charter schools; creating the Statewide Charter School Board; providing for succession to certain contracts. Effective dates. Emergency. Passed Aye 5 Nay 3 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Aye 14 Nay4 SENATE FLOOR 3/23/22 Aye 38 Nay 8 Excused 2 HOUSE Education Committee – Aye 10 Nay 3 HOUSE FLOOR – Aye 56 Nay 29 Excused 15 Conference Granted 5/11/22 CONFERENCE RESCINDED 5/12/22

SB1623 By Pugh of the Senate – Schools; creating the Learn Everywhere Act to allow students extended learning opportunities. Effective date. Emergency. Allows students to count apprenticeships, internships and mentorships outside of the classroom for credit PASSED 11-0 SENATE FLOOR 3/8/22 Aye 36 Nay 8 Excused 4 HOUSE Education Committee – Aye 10 Nay 3 HOUSE FLOOR – NEVER HEARD

SB1624 By Pugh of the Senate – School meals; granting the Board of Agriculture the authority to administer the National School Lunch Act. Effective date. Emergency. Passed 7-1 (Mirror bill passed House Ed Committee 3/1/22) COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Aye 14 Nay 4 SENATE FLOOR 3/15/22 Aye 30 Nay 14 Excused 4 HOUSE Education Committee Aye 6 Nay 7 FAILED

SB1627 Pugh of the Senate – Higher education; creating the Workforce Development Revolving Fund; providing for award of funds. Effective date. Emergency. PASSED Aye 10 Nay 1 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 3/3/22 Aye 17 Nay 1 SENATE FLOOR 3/23/22 Aye 35 Nay 10 Excused 3 PASSED House Higher Education and Career Tech Committee Aye 9 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR – NEVER HEARD

SB1631 – Pugh and Vancuren – Teachers; directing the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to establish a mentor teacher pilot program. Effective date. Emergency. PASSED Aye 9 Nay 2 2/8/22 Amended PASSED Aye 12 Nay 0 2/16/22 SENATE FLOOR 2/23/22 Aye 34 Nay 6 Excused 8 HOUSE Education Committee – Aye 12 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR – Aye 77 Nay 4 Excused 19 Sent to Governor 4/27/22 SIGNED BY GOVERNOR 4/29/22

SB1647 By Treat of the Senate – Students; creating the Oklahoma Empowerment Act; providing eligibility for Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts. Effective date. Emergency. Passed Aye 8 Nay 7 with Treat and Floor Leader voting COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 3/2/22 Aye 12 No 8 – with Treat and Floor Leader voting SENATE FLOOR 3/23/22 Aye 22 Nay 24 Excused 2 FAILED ON SENATE FLOOR

SB1671 By Pugh of the Senate (Proposed Comm. Sub., req. #3642) – School curriculum; directing development of curricula and materials related to Holocaust education. Effective date. Emergency. Passed Aye 8 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR – Aye 42 Nay 0 Excused 6 HOUSE Education Committee Aye 13 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR – Aye 84 Nay 7 Excused 9 Sent to Governor – 5/12/22 SIGNED BY GOVERNOR 5/16/22

SB1673 – Pugh and Nollan – Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program; providing income qualification based on certain number of dependent children. Effective date. Emergency. PASSED Ed Committee 2/22/22 Aye 7 Nay 1 PASSED Appropriations and Budget 3/2/22 Aye 19 Nay 0 SENATE FLOOR 3/22/22 Aye 44 Nay 2 Excused 2 PASSED House Appropriations and Budget 4/4/22 Aye 12 Nay 0 HOUSE FLOOR (4th reading) – Aye 68 Nay 3 Excused 29 Sent to Governor 5/20/22 SIGNED BY GOVERNOR 5/26/22

March 7, 2022 0

Is SB1647 (Education Voucher) Now Only For Homeschooling Families? An Analysis.

Often, it takes hours to really read a bill because it’s important to look up associated laws and terms that may not be obvious to the reader. Then it requires reading passages over and over and comparing them to other passages to make sure of context. Truly, to do it right, each bill requires a substantial time investment to read properly. And to think – legislators must read hundreds of bills during just one half of session alone…

I am not going to paste the entire bill into this post. Please find it here and download the version that was posted March 3rd, labeled, “Senate Floor Version March 2, 2022”.

PLEASE NOTE: ROPE will never be for an education voucher system – only a tax credit system. This analysis simply explains the major issues we’ve found in the bill.

*Page 1: Section 1B: “by directing State Aid for which each child is eligible to the education provider of their choice”.

Page 16: Section 5 lines 3 and 4 – fund is to contain “appropriations, gifts, grants, donations, and bequests”.

This is a mixing of public and private funds and certainly not simply “State Aid” making these sentences inconsistent.

*Page 2: Section 2 A3: “OEA means the account in which funds are deposited by the Agency…”

Page 7: Section 2G1: “The Agency shall notify the State Department of Education and request calculation of the amount of State Aid for which the student is eligible.”

Page8: Section 2 G2: “The State Department of Education on a monthly basis shall transfer to the Agency for deposit into the OEA Revolving Fund”

Page 15: Section 5 creates the Oklahoma Empowerment Account Revolving Fund to which “All monies accruing to the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the office of the Agency (State Treasurer) for the purpose of implementing the provisions of the OEA”. Monies “received by the office of the State Treasurer from appropriations, gifts, grants, donations, and bequests”.

Another apparent inconsistency: The Agency deposits funds, the OSDE transfers funds, “appropriations (State Aid?), gifts, grants, donations, and bequests” are placed in this account.

*Page 2: Section 2 A4: “Education Service Provider means a person, business, public school district, public charter school, magnet school, institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education or organization that receives payments from a parent directing an OEA…”

Why would the OEA pay a PUBLIC school for any service? Wasn’t the idea for kids to go OUTSIDE the public school? So this bill uses state and private funds to pay public schools? Why? For what function?

*Page 2: Section 2A5: “Eligible student means a resident of this state who is eligible to enroll in a public school in this state…”

“Eligible student shall not mean a student who is educated pursuant to the other means of education provided for in subsection A of Section 10-105 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes”.

An “eligible student” then is: 1. Any student who can go to public school 2. Whose family income is 300% of free/reduced lunch price and 3. Not educated by “other means”.

*Page 3: Section 2A6: “Empowerment student” is an OEA eligible student.

Page 5: Section 2Cb – (parent must sign an agreement upon application for the OEA to):

– b. not enroll eligible student as a full-time student in a public school district, public charter school or magnet school AFTER acceptance of an OEA

– d. not accept a scholarship from the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program while participating in OEA

Page 5: Section 2D – “Nothing in this act shall be construed to require that an empowerment student be enrolled full time or part time in a private school or a nonpublic online school”.

Let’s review: to be a student ‘eligible’ for the OEA, that student 1. can’t be enrolled in public school 2. can’t be a student in the LNH scholarship 3. isn’t required to be enrolled at a private school

Granted, 2D is so poorly written it’s hard to make heads or tails of, but if it’s saying that an OEA Empowerment student isn’t required to be in private or non-public online school or public school, or an LNH scholarship student – the ONLY category left would have to be HOMESCHOOL student. I would doubt that’s what’s meant, but that appears to be what was said.

This bill as written, then, creates two types of ‘homeschool students’: those who get state funds and those who “Constitutionally educate” their children and don’t take state funds – but it doesn’t appear to apply to private schools.

This is a HUGE issue. EPIC (public school at home) has already muddied the water in the mind of the public as to what Constitutional “by other means” homeschoolers are (parents pay taxes for public schools and assume all economic responsibility for the raising and education of their children). How in the world would anyone be able to tell which homeschoolers are NOT taking public funds and which ones WERE? And how would a homeschooler that takes public funds be any different than an EPIC user now? While this may seem like a nothing to most people, once a form of homeschooling is identified by state law and regulated, it will be very easy to regulate the other – it’s precedent. To date, homeschooling in Oklahoma has been so successful and unprecedented because of the “by other means” language in the state Constitution, which has NEVER been defined and therefore very hard to be regulated.

*Page 3: Section 2A8b: Qualified expenses – “tuition and/or fees for non-public online learning programs”

2A8d: “services contracted for and provided by a public school district…”

Why would the state provide state funds to send an Empowerment Student to an already-funded state school when the idea was to remove the student from a public school?

*Page 4: Section 2A8k: “tuition, fees, instructional materials, and assessment fees for a curriculum or program offered by a technology center school

Page 5: Section 2A8m: “tuition and fees for concurrent enrollment at an institution with the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education.

This seems like an open door for fraud. Students in Oklahoma under 18 may attend technology center schools without paying for the service. Universities charge for books and fees, but not tuition for concurrent coursework.

*Page 7: Section 2F: “Any unused funds remaining in the OEA at the end of the applicable calendar year shall be remitted to the General Revenue Fund.”

Page 8: Section 2H: “An education service provider shall not share, refund or rebate any amount of an OEA with the parent or empowerment student. A refund or rebate for goods or services purchased with an OEA shall be credited to the OEA.”

Why shouldn’t ANY unused or rebated funds return to the OEA? The General Revenue Fund is a ‘slush fund’ that can be used for any reason. Why take money from the state coffers and then not return it to the account from which it was to be distributed in the first place?

*Page 9: Section 3 C: “participation in the OEA program shall have the same effect as a parental revocation of consent pursuant to 20 U.S.C. Sections 1414(a)(1)(D) and 1414(C) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act”…

It appears that parents who take the voucher may not have their child evaluated for a disability while on the program. I assume because the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship already covers disabled children.

*Page 10: Section 3 F, 1, 2: All of this information from lines 12-23 appear to be creating the Digital Wallet.

ROPE has had major concerns with the Digital Wallet program. We believe it pulls kids into the State Longitudinal Data Base where reams of data are collected and sent to many, many state agencies and it’s a perfect place for implementation of ESG (social credit) scores.

Superintendent Ryan Walters is not only the state’s Secretary of Education, but he runs an organization called Every Kid Counts OK (ECKO). During the pandemic, Governor Stitt applied for federal CARES ACT funds. Eight million dollars was funneled through ECKO using a digital wallet private vendor called “Class Wallet“, so the program has already been beta tested. Now that they’ve used the program and a private vendor to take payments, it appears the next step is to take the program state wide as the backbone of an educational voucher system.

Since federal money was funneled through a private organization, there is no direct oversight set in place for the movement of those funds at the state level. This is not at all a transparent way to handle tax dollars at any level – but then again, creating an entirely new bureaucracy in the State Treasurer’s office isn’t the way to make government smaller, more local and more responsive either.

Early in the session this year, ROPE noticed that Representative Martinez in the House and Senator Quinn in the Senate, both had “Creating the Digital Wallet Program Act” bills. We went to both authors, explained our issues and asked them to please not run the bills. Both actually agreed, yet we were stunned to see Senator Quinn’s on the Senate Ed Committee roster 2/22/22.

That afternoon, I made a phone call to our Secretary of Education, explained our concerns to him and asked that Oklahoma not go down the digital wallet road. Fortunately, Senator Quinn’s bill was pulled from committee and Representative Martinez’ bill was not heard.

In politics, however, those with an agenda ALWAYS have a fail-safe. It appears SB1647 contains the language that is that fail-safe for this program.

In closing, though I read – and marked up every line of the bill – I didn’t cover every line of the bill here – I just stuck to the issues of greatest concern to us.

Since we have begun lobbying against this particular bill, our group – and me personally – have been the brunt of numerous character assasinations – I’m a liar, I don’t care about others, I’m an elitist, I want kids trapped in failing schools.

Certainly, this is disheartening and frustrating, but no matter what dissenters say, our stance is defined upon the following three concepts – the same three upon which our organization has stood from the beginning;

1. Personal Responsibility

2. Smaller government

3. Individual Liberty

SB1647 grows government, infringes on the individual liberty of those who have taken the personal responsibility to care for their own children to the point of paying twice (taxes and tuition) and takes responsibility from churches and individuals to help those who need help. The concept is wrong and the bill is poorly written. That’s really about all there is to it.

Jenni White

Education Director, ROPE

March 5, 2022 1

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