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Oklahoma Legislation Affecting Homeschool Or Education Autonomy To Support Or Oppose

Below are the bills which would affect homeschooling families in one way or another. The RED are not supported by home educators and the GREEN are supported by those who educate their children at home without government assistance. This list was compiled by homeschool educator Robert Scott.

In order to help you read this list better, you can click in the document and it will take you to our SCRIBD site. You may also print out this PDF. Below is a list of just the bills.

Also, HJR1010 by Jim Shaw which would provide constitutional protection for homeschools and private schools. A Joint Resolution directing the Secretary of State to refer to the people for their approval or rejection a proposed amendment to Section 4 of Article XIII of the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma; stating certain parental and legal guardian rights; limiting certain school regulations; providing ballot title; and directing filing.


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Homeschoolers Want End To Educational Tax Credit

Long-time homeschoolers Jana Belcher of Oklahoma Constitutional Home Educators Alliance and homeschool dad, Robert Scott, joined Michael and I to talk about homeschooling in Oklahoma.

In the clip below, our guests tell us what homeschooling is and why it’s important for children and families.

As we said numerous times during the podcast – what the government funds, the government will control and that alone is why many homeschooling families want lawmakers to remove homeschoolers from the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit passed this last session.

In the clip below, Jana and Robert talk about why this tax credit is so harmful to the freedom homeschooling families in Oklahoma enjoy now and have enjoyed since statehood – a greater level of freedom, in fact, than most, if not all states.

For those of you interested in helping Oklahoma homeschoolers get out of the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit, if you would like to sign a petition that will be taken and presented to lawmakers next session, please reach out to Andrea Scott on Facebook. The petition has to be signed in person, so she – or another volunteer – will have to meet you to sign it.

You can also visit the Oklahoma Coalition To Protect Constitutional Homeschooling on Facebook as well. There, you can get more information on this effort and get plugged into the community of homeschoolers who want to protect Oklahoma’s history of ZERO regulation for Oklahoma homeschoolers.

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Neither The Oklahoma State Department of Education DEI Rules Or Gov Stitt’s Executive Order Will Stop DEI In Oklahoma Education – Here’s Why

Jenni White – 1.25.24

GOVERNOR STITT’S EXECUTIVE ORDER (EO-31) FOR DEI IN OKLAHOMA HIGHER EDUCATION

December 13, 2023, Governor Stitt signed an Executive Order 2023-31 (EO) that has been referred to as BANNING DEI by the general media. Heritage Foundation (a center-right think tank that also promotes School Choice, but was loudly vocal against Common Core) referred to the Executive Order as “condemning DEI” – a big difference from “banning DEI”.

EO-31 DOES prohibit Oklahoma’s Executive Branches from using “state funds, property or resources” to promote DEI via any of 6 different ways listed, including “(2) Mandate any person to participate in, listen to, or receive any education, training, activities procedures or programming to the extent such education, training, activity or procedure grants preferences based on one person’s particular race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over another’s”. 

It also orders the heads of the Executive Branches to “initiate a review” of any DEI programs or activities under their purview and bring them into compliance with the parameters of EO-31 if not already. 

Here is a listing of Oklahoma’s Executive Branches:

  • Attorney General
  • Governor
  • Lieutenant Governor
  • Oklahoma Secretary of State
  • Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector
  • Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Oklahoma Treasurer
  • Oklahoma Agriculture Commission
  • Oklahoma Insurance Commission
  • Oklahoma Labor Commission
  • Oklahoma Corporation Commission
  • Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission

To be clear, according to EO-31, I can’t be hired by the Insurance Commission and have them give me training out of their budget that includes a DEI component. That is good and I do not want to overlook the GOOD part of this EO.

Now, though, let’s look further down in the Executive Order and note that the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education is NOT an Executive Agency. EO-31 is clear in the first statement of the EO, “Executive state agencies shall not utilize state funds, property or resources to:”. It says NOTHING about anything outside the agencies listed above.

Thinking in that vein, note the underlined in red below:

Let’s stop here. This paragraph says that EO-31 will not apply to COLLEGES and UNIVERSITIES or any of the executive agencies SUPPORTING them – INCLUDING THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION – if they apply for a GRANT or to comply with ACCREDITATION requirements. Unfortunately, GRANTS and ACCREDITATION are where so much of the DEI in higher education arises. If you don’t believe me, internet search “DEI in higher ed accreditation” and you will find article after article about how, the only way to really advance DEI principles in higher education is THROUGH ACCREDITATION. 

Here, in fact is an article from the Chronicle Of Higher Education titled, “The New Accountability: How Accreditors Are Measuring colleges’ diversity, equity and inclusion efforts“.

So what about grants? Well, we ALL know Higher Ed takes federal government grant money. Check this out:

And that’s just FEDERAL grants. There are other grants from non-Federal sources in abundance, like this group. 

Now let’s look even FARTHER down in EO-31. It says:

Alright. Let’s think about that. The order says the EO DOESN’T apply if a federal law supersedes. Here’s a Fact Sheet from the Feds that talks about how Title VI law CAN PROMOTE DEI. And not only that, President Biden also has his OWN EO mandating DEI in schools, so NO, EO-31 STILL DOESN’T STOP DEI in higher ed. 

We could go on, but EO-31 won’t stop higher ed DEI scholarly research either and a friend just sent this to me. Not only will EO-31 not stop, creepy research, it won’t stop “a student organization registered with or recognized by an institution of higher education”. This research is in conjunction with the BGLTQ+ Student Center and we all now know that the alphabet sex brigade and DEI go together like furries and cat boxes.

RYAN WALTERS PROPOSED DEI RULE FOR K-12 SCHOOLS

Here is the set of rules proposed by Walters to be heard by the Board on Friday, February 16th. 

The rules for K-12 actually do more than those for higher ed, but they still do not stop DEI.

Walters’ rules FOLLOW THE GOVERNOR’S EO-31 EXACTLY (with the exception of the removal of #2 and #3 under letter (f) of the Governor’s EO that apply only to higher ed). In point of fact, they would have to, as the OSDE is an Executive Branch and it must follow the Governor’s EO-31. 

But herein lies a bit of a problem.

Accreditation of Oklahoma public schools are done by the OSDE using their accreditation standards. So, as long as those standards don’t allow DEI, that window is closed – unlike with higher ed and Oklahoma private schools which can be accredited by the OSDE, or a myriad of other accrediting agencies.

Unfortunately, however, we still have the issue with GRANTS.

Here, Edmond Public Schools Foundation is thanking those donors who are helping to raise OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS for SEL programs inside Edmond schools. Unfortunately, SEL is intricately tied to DEI in a million ways and any grant that comes into a school for SEL will ultimately bring in DEI as well. George Lucas’ educational non-profit Edutopia, has a whole page devoted to ways in which k-12 schools can obtain grants to push out SEL. 

Also unfortunately, we still have the problem with FEDERAL LAW being exempted as well as student organizations, with both of those issues similar in K-12 to my discussion on higher ed.

An article from OETA entitled, “D.E.I. In Oklahoma Schools“, quoted OCU’s DEI coordinator as saying:

Yet LGBTQ clubs such as this one from EPIC Charter Schools, is exempted from the new DEI rule because it’s a student organization recognized by the school.

To close out, since data collection is ALSO exempted, DEI also can come in through THAT door. I’ve written numerous times about how horrible some of the surveys being given by Oklahoma public schools are today. Here’s an article about Success Highways and its link to DEI. Here’s another about the Oklahoma Prevention Needs Survey.

And worse, here’s an exchange I had with a teacher on social media that shows that it’s often teacher training and teacher mindset that bring DEI ideals into the classroom on a daily basis without even needing a private or federal grant, or anything else.

Additionally, Oklahoma uses school counselors from the American School Counselor Association an organization DEDICATED to bringing DEI into every school and with every child. So there’s that.

Consequently, since we still have DEI coming into schools through data, teachers and counselors, whether or not Walters’ new rule on DEI is passed by the Oklahoma State School Board members or not

the bottom line here is this: BOTH THE HIGHER ED EO and the K-12 RULES ARE BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAD BEFORE – WHICH WAS NOTHING – but it’s important to remember that NEITHER STOP DEI. Really, the surest way to keep your child from being influenced by DEI ideology is to:

  1. Educate your child/children at home – not even private schools are ‘sure things’ in terms of rational, classical, non-ideological education anymore
  2. Monitor your child’s social media and internet access closely and lock down problem apps and sites
  3. Talk to your children constantly about your moral values and ethics – your worldview
  4. Make sure you’re clear with your children about what you as a parent – or guardian – expect from them in terms of their behavior
  5. Prevent as much government entanglement as possible, including the use of tax credits or vouchers for private school as these have strings that can bring unwanted influences in through the regulation
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ROPE’s Right Again…Sigh. Two Muslim Schools Among 174 Registered/Registering For The Oklahoma Parental “Tax Credit”

For years, ROPE has been fighting ‘city hall’ all for a parent’s right to educate their child the way they wanted without interference from the government. Unfortunately, our advocacy for educational self-reliance appears to go out the window when money comes into the picture as we watched over 30,000 parents line up to take money from the government for their child’s education while waving the banner of “it’s my money”.

Early on in the push to get universal school choice in Oklahoma, ROPE sounded the call: 1. Once tax dollars are removed from you (by force) by a government, they are no longer YOUR dollars, they are the state’s dollars. They are not earmarked as Jane’s dollars, or Sam’s dollars – all dollars go into a pot to be divided up among government agencies and programs to be used the way the government sees fit – often, giving tax dollars away to businesses to make it desirous for them to do business in the state. 2. If the state gives private schools tax dollars, those private schools become public schools. Alex Newman, an excellent education researcher and a recent guest on our podcast explains:

LOTS of Christians have been pushing this program. “But, wait!”, we say; this will break the barrier of church and state, where the state will gain control private religious schools. It doesn’t matter, we’re told, THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE FAAAIIILLLLIIINNNGGGG, and the state will stop the program once public schools don’t have enough money to educate kids anymore (because the state has stopped, Medicare and Medicaid and Welfare….insert eyeroll). “But, wait!”, we say; once the state gives out money to a Christian school, they’ll be bound to give money to ANY SCHOOL THAT DECLARES A RELIGION, including Satanists. No, we’re told, the Satanists won’t come here and the state won’t let that happen.

Lucien Greaves is the Co-Founder and the Spokesperson for the Satanic Temple.

As of 12/10/23, I counted 174 registered schools – two of which are Muslim/Islamic.

So here’s the problem. Many people in Oklahoma identify as members of the Christian faith. Unfortunately, no matter how the ‘religion of peace’ likes to bill itself, Islam is not friendly to/toward Christians. In fact, Christianity Today marked the 50 countries where Christians were most persecuted in 2021 and says this:

Islamic oppression (29 countries): This is the main source of persecution that Christians face in more than half of the watchlist countries, including 5 of the 12 where Christian face “extreme” levels: Libya (No. 4), Pakistan (No. 5), Yemen (No. 7), Iran (No. 8), and Syria (No. 12). Most of the 29 are officially Muslim nations or have Muslim majorities; however, 7 actually have Christian majorities: Nigeria (No. 9), Central African Republic (No. 35), Ethiopia (No. 36), Democratic Republic of Congo (No. 40), Cameroon (No. 42), Mozambique (No. 45), and Kenya (No. 49).

A Guardian article from 2019 on persecution of Christians in the middle east said this:

In Saudi Arabia, the report says, school textbooks “teach pupils religious hatred and intolerance towards non-Muslims, including Christians and Jews”.

The website Jihad Watch, documents what the Quran says about Christians throughout its many articles. Here is but one paragraph:

A Shafi’i manual of Islamic law endorsed by the most prestigious institution in Sunni Islam, Al-Azhar University in Cairo, says that the leader of the Muslims “makes war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians…until they become Muslim or else pay the non-Muslim poll tax,” and cites Qur’an 9:29 in support of this idea: “Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and who forbid not what Allah and His messenger have forbidden-who do not practice the religion of truth, being of those who have been given the Book-until they pay the poll tax out of hand and are humbled.” (‘Umdat al-Salik o9.8)

Why should ANY taxpaying Oklahoma Christian be alright with their tax dollars funding an Islamic school in Oklahoma?

Look, I don’t care who you worship, or marry, or anything else you do, frankly – unless you commandeer the government to force me to do it too – or spend my money on it. I’m certainly willing to live and let live, but I’m not okay with the government using state funds to support a school of people whose holy book tells them to fight Christians until we are humbled and become Muslim. This. Is. Not. Okay.

Additionally, we’re told that Oklahoma Public Schools are GOING WOKE and we HAVE to get kids into private education to SAVE them from the WOKENESS. Well guess what? Christian schools are going woke too.

In this article from Capstone Report, Analysis; WOKE Comes For Christian K-12 & Homeschools, the author points to the fact that the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) has “partner[ed] with UnifiEd to offer Christian schools resources on Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Reconciliation with focus on Multiculturalism”. From the article:

And multicultural is the goal of Dr. Strickland’s organization, according to the press release: “The majority of our resources are designed to assist leaders with the ongoing challenge of implementing a God-glorifying diversity strategy that fosters a multicultural environment.”

Interestingly, an unrecorded phone call on Tuesday, November 7th with Dave Bond of OCPA and Jennifer Carter of American Federation for Children – ostensibly to help private schools become registered as vendors for the tax credit – included OPSAC, the Oklahoma Private School Accrediting Commission which, itself does not accredit schools, but is an association of organizations that accredit Oklahoma private schools. OPSAC’s “Association” page lists ACSI – thus, ACSI accredits Oklahoma private schools.

Here’s some information from OPSAC’s webpage referencing accreditation of Oklahoma private schools:

An accrediting agency that requires schools to uphold standards comparable to State standards may apply to an agency for accreditation. These standards include, but are not limited to, consideration of the school’s goals and objectives; compliance with applicable state and federal statutes; effective governance and administration; the teaching of a balanced curriculum; implementation of personnel practices which ensure the hiring of qualified and degreed instructional leaders; and standards for student achievement.

WHAT? So, if Oklahoma accredited private schools – the ONLY ones that can register for the voucher/tax credit – have to comply with state and FEDERAL statutes (you know, like the ones that say that boys can use girls bathrooms), can someone please tell me how OKLAHOMA ACCREDITED PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE ANY DIFFERENT THAN OKLAHOMA PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

In addition, at least one private school on those approved for enrollment, Mt. St. Mary’s, has/is suffered/suffering through a sex abuse scandal.

So, to sum up – ROPE was right yet again. We fought our own Republicans TOOTH AND NAIL against Common Core only to find that everything we warned about had come true in the states and schools that used that ploy to dumb down all kids trapped in the program. We’ve fought our own Republicans for the last two years they’ve tried to foist universal school choice on Oklahomans, yet, here we are.

What is it going to take to wake up Oklahomans to the FACT that they’re being deluded into thinking – just like with Common Core – that taking money from some Oklahomans and giving it to others so their kids can go to a private school IS A VERY BAD THING? THIS?

PS: Here’s my research on the Tax Credit Rules that contains lots of information on the concept of school choice.

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A Social Media Punking of Leftists Shows Them To Be Not Only Extremely Intolerant But Alarmingly Anti-Christian

Forever it seems, when ROPE, or other conservative organizations, or parents have concerns that, “X is happening in public schools” (substitute the “X” for CRT, SEL, inappropriate ‘sex education’), the Leftists scream, “NO IT DOESN’T”. It doesn’t matter if you have a 3-D color photo of it happening in real time, the educrats inevitably just scream “NO IT DOESN’T”, as though these words are the only ones in their lexicon.

During the Common Core fight, public educators argued nearly every fact we uncovered regarding what the Standards said. Even when we’d publish exactly where we’d found whatever controversial topic we’d uncovered (and believe me there were plenty), the answer from the public school advocates was always some form of gaslighting meant to get people to disbelieve what their own eyes were seeing.

Just since writing about all the books found in public schools – and assigned by English teachers – that were not developmentally appropriate at best and flat out pornographic at worst – the lefties have come out of the woodwork to call any parent who complains about these books “book burners” or “book banners”, as a way to disenfranchise their opinions and deprive them of their First Amendment right to free speech. After all, what’s the fun in being reasonable and saying something like, “Okay, well let’s remove sexually inappropriate materials from school libraries while leaving them at the community library level.” I mean, NO “CONSERVATIVE” IS SUGGESTING BANNING BOOKS, just preventing kids from getting to them unless their parents want them to have them.

Then, there are all the LGBT grooming issues originating in public schools and then being hidden from parents by the school (check below for a substantive list of how often this is now happening in public schools). THIS issue, prompted former Board member, Julia Seay, to pose the exceptionally rational question below. It was merely meant to make people put 2 and 2 together to get the 4 of, if you don’t want your kid baptized behind YOUR back, don’t LGBT my kid behind MY back.

Instead of rational – or even interesting – discussion, we got hundreds of comments similar to the ones posted below. I wanted to put them here because I so often hear people refer to Oklahoma as the “Bible Belt”, or talk about how Conservative (meaning Christian?) we are in this state. HEADS UP: Oklahoma is quickly becoming a-religious and worse – ANTI-CHRISTIAN. If you don’t believe me, read some of these comments posted after Julia’s question, which you can read in full for yourself by clicking on the screenshot above.

PLEASE, IF BAD LANGUAGE OFFENDS YOU, BEWARE!

You get the idea…it went on and on and on…

Finally, a poster hit the nail on the head and – bless her heart – even defended us:

So, there you go. Anita says just what I would have said, but I’ll follow it up with a final thought.

THIS – this lack of critical thinking, narcissistic ideation, hatred of anything religious and/or Christian specifically, unimaginative, literal, inability to reason – did not come merely from the internet, IT CAME FROM PUBLIC EDUCATION. THIS is what we’re doing to kids with the money we earn with the sweat of our brow.

THIS represents educational malpractice of the highest order.

I’m a Christian. I try not to be fearful because I’m told in Isaiah 41:10 specifically not to be, but I can’t lie either; at this point, I’m afraid for our children in public schools and I’m afraid for our society and our way of life. We’re not leaving our kids a legacy to be proud of, we’re miseducating them and then turning them out like dogs on the county dump. It’s unbelievably horrifying and we should all commit to doing everything we can to PROPERLY educate our youth no matter what it takes to do so.

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This Social Media Exchange Helps Explain How DEI Gets Into Public Classrooms

I recently came across this post on social media and stopped. I agreed with the notion and started to look down through the comments to see what was being said about it.

Quickly, I came across this comment:

This comment made me feel the need to respond because of the use of her language, “bringing students into the conversation”, “using diverse methods”, “approaching students” – all which are progressive education buzzphrases – so I responded:

She replied:

I continued, hoping that she would understand what I was trying to say. She wasn’t ugly, she was – probably like me – trying to reach a point of understanding between us.

I wish I hadn’t been so terse in my response, but it’s somewhat shocking – even now – to see someone who so clearly wants to be helpful and so clearly believes she is doing the right thing, when in fact nearly her entire outlook is based on a completely flawed premise – that somehow teachers can overcome family and other outside influences (Tik Tok anyone?) by treating their students differently based on a concept that doesn’t exist in reality (equity). She responded one last time:

As did I:

Looking back on this conversation reminds me of one of the reasons I quit teaching; I saw these ideals bubbling up through continuing education courses and I knew I was never going to be able to assimilate them into my classroom. I couldn’t.

I have ALWAYS believed in the power of the INDIVIDUAL to succeed – or fail – depending upon how much effort that INDIVIDUAL put in. Now, is every kid primed to take up the gauntlet of self-individuation and put their head down with a plan? No. Too many other factors – especially a bad home environment – can put a chip on the shoulder of a kid that may never come off. That doesn’t mean that teachers in public school classrooms are to deal with that chip – even if a kid isn’t learning. Teachers can only do what they can do WHILE INSTRUCTING KIDS IN THE NECESSARY TOOLS OF LEARNING; reading, writing and math.

The particular theory this young teacher espouses asserts that teachers should become the parents of the children – because, obviously, the parents are not doing their jobs if kids are coming to school scared and weak and timid. Sadly, it’s true for many children today. Many parents use school as a babysitter and could care less what their kids are doing in a day to actually recieve an education, but that doesn’t mean it’s THE JOB OF THE TEACHER TO RECTIFY THE POOR UPBRINGING OF THEIR STUDENTS. In fact, most of the time, it’s either a psychologist, or the school of hard knocks that changes students with downward trajectories – if they do – some, sadly, go to prison or wind up dead. Still and all, the lifetrack of a child is not the responsibility of the teacher. The education of that student is – alone – the job of the teacher.

Teachers are not to become the parents of poorly-performing students, they are to work harder to bring parents into the equation (or remove the child from school if the child is disrupting others and the parents won’t help control the child) to help the child, not take on the troubles of the child themselves. In fact, it’s this kind of progressive ‘theology’ that leads to classrooms where feelings and psychological concepts take center stage, NOT INSTRUCTION IN READING, WRITING and MATH. I believe it’s easy to see how wrong-headed this model of ‘education’ is and how it’s RUINING children just by looking at Oklahoma’s test scores. And if you don’t believe me, check out this video for an enormous wake-up call.

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I Spoke Before The Oklahoma State Textbook Committee. Here’s Why and What I Said.

Author: Janice Danforth, Chapter Chair, Moms For Liberty, Tulsa County

On Friday, October 6, 2023, I spoke before the Oklahoma State Textbook Committee. Back in September, the Tulsa County Chapter of Moms for Liberty spent time reviewing textbooks that were up for approval and discovered that McGraw Hill has embedded Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into its elementary-level math books. We do not support SEL and it most definitely does not belong in Mathematics.

Social Emotional Learning was coined in 1994 at the Fetzer Institute and came about in the face of school violence. In 2002 ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) either encouraged or required the inclusion of SEL in schools. By 2022 SEL instructional materials cost $1.725B up 25.9% from the previous year. Does anyone believe that school violence has declined since 1994? No, the opposite is true. In fact, a headline from an article in 2021 states, “Violence in schools seems to be increasing, why?” We are being sold an ideology that not only isn’t working but is costing taxpayers a lot of money.

Oklahoma students are suffering with proficiency, not only in reading, but mathematics as well. In 2022 The proficiency rate in MATH for OK 4 th graders was at 27%. We are ranked 49 th in education and I’m certain all can agree that it is time to move the needle in the other direction. Oklahoma students deserve to learn the core subjects and 100% of the material should be focused on academics. SEL takes time away from academics and also undermines parental rights which clearly state that we are the authority of our child and are the ones to direct their moral upbringing. SEL interferes with that. We along with many other parents see the failings of this ideology and by no means desire for the government to mold the character of our children.

As the chapter chair, I had three minutes to state my reasons for why we were requesting the committee to reject this contract with McGraw Hill, and in turn, McGraw Hill had the same opportunity to share why they felt the committee should accept their contract. The State Textbook Committee has a month to make their decision.

While the committee may not reject the contract with McGraw Hill, I firmly believe we make changes one conversation at a time. Going up against a Goliath like McGraw Hill may seem daunting and even impossible, but change only happens when we fight, when we stand up, even if we lose this time. Because eventually, we get a win, and then another, and then another. But it takes all of us willing to stand up to the giant, to ignore the noise of the haters, and to go into the battle, win or lose because our children deserve for us to try. Our children deserve for us to fight for them, because if not us, who else will?

My Remarks

Good morning. My name is Janice Danforth and I am the chapter chair of the Tulsa County Moms for Liberty. I am here because our chapter spent time reviewing textbooks that were up for approval by the State Department of Education. We discovered that McGraw Hill has embedded Social Emotional Learning into its elementary level Math Books. We do not support SEL and it most definitely does not belong in Mathematics.

I want to give a quick background about SEL so you as a committee can understand why SEL is a concern. Social Emotional Learning was coined in 1994 at the Fetzer Institute and came about in the face of school violence. In 2002 ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) either encouraged or required the inclusion of SEL in schools. By 2017, K-12 was spending $21-47B annually on SEL. By 2022 SEL instructional materials cost $1.725B up 25.9% from the previous year. Does anyone believe that school violence has declined since 1994? No, the opposite is true. In fact, a headline from an article in 2021 states, “Violence in schools seems to be increasing, why?”

So, here are some concerns related to SEL:
SEL undermines parental rights
SEL is designed to become the “Parent Voice”
SEL is designed to be woven throughout all subjects
SEL impersonates mental health services
SEL allows teachers to psychologically evaluate students
SEL removes/doesn’t take into account beliefs existing at home
SEL coerces students to pick the “right” answer
SEL distracts and takes time away from actual education and gaining knowledge
SEL sets the focus on feelings rather than truth/facts. Why? Because emotions are easy to manipulate. You can’t manipulate the truth.

So, as a parent and as a taxpayer I have to ask the question, why are we spending so much money on a program that not only isn’t working but is undermining how a parent raises their child? And SEL has now become embedded into all subjects at school and this is a problem.

McGraw Hill creates textbooks and has been doing so since the late 18 hundreds, but that does not mean we blindly trust them and continue to allow their textbooks into our schools. In this particular instance, they have embedded an ideology into a core subject of Math, this is a red flag and should be for each of you. Oklahoma students are suffering with proficiency, not only in reading, but mathematics as well. In 2022 The proficiency rate in MATH for OK 4 th graders was at 27%. We are ranked 49 th in education and it is time to move the needle in the other direction. These students deserve to learn the core subjects and 100% of the material should be focused on academics.

As Moms for Liberty, Tulsa County I am asking you to reject the contract with McGraw Hill. The only way we change the trajectory of where we are headed is to say no to publishers like McGraw Hill who have embedded an ideology into a core subject. If enough states start standing up and saying no, these publishers will be forced to get back to academia and will be forced to remove programs like SEL because let’s be honest, for them, making money is the bottom line.

Set a precedent today for McGraw Hill and for other publishers that want to do business in Oklahoma that we will not tolerate nor invest in publishers that have embedded ideologies into their textbooks. Instead, let’s invest and partner with publishers that desire to increase proficiency and that is their only motivation. This is what Oklahoma students deserve!

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Part 2: Senator Jake Merrick’s Loss Engineered At The Hands of Oklahoma’s School Choice (Voucher) Cabal Who Helped Spend Nearly 350 Thousand Dollars To Elect His Opponent

While every political campaign has numerous points for failure from fundraising to voter contact, a post mortem of Jake Merrick’s re-election campaign shows that a combination of dark money and redistricting probably did more than anything to sink the re-election campaign of a fine man and public servant.

When I wrote Part 1 of the series, I reported that OCPA, through their Dark Money group Catalyst Oklahoma, had spent $50,620 FOR Merrick’s challenger, Kristen Thompson after spending over $100,000 FOR Merrick’s special election through their dark money group People for Opportunity last year.

I also reported that Senator Merrick – while voting yes in the Senate Education Committee – voted no on the Senate floor on the extremely contentious bill – SB1647 – which would provide publicly funded vouchers to private schools.

INDIVIDUAL CAMPAIGN DONATIONS

Searching the Oklahoma Ethics Commission website is painstaking, but not hard. 

According to Kristen Thompson’s campaign Pre-Primary Ethics Commission report, she had a bit over sixty thousand dollars in her campaign account.

According to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, Jake Merrick had a little over $12 thousand dollars.

According to records posted to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission website, Kristen Thompson’s campaign contributions have been a ‘who’s who’ of Oklahoma School Choice (voucher) proponents and Big Government Republicans.  For information;  individuals can donate up to $2,900 per candidate, unlimited committees $5000 and limited committees $2500. 

Lucia Frohling and Jill Shero both work for ECKO – Every Kid Counts – an organization run by Education Secretary Ryan Walters which supports school choice, including vouchers.

Ryan Martinez wrote a $1,000 check from his campaign account (Friends of Ryan Martinez) to Thompson’s campaign in December of 2021.  Martinez is a Representative from the Edmond area who was the House Chair – along with Senator Lonnie Paxton, the Senate Chair – of the state’s legislative redistricting efforts.  In March, Friends of Ryan Martinez donated another $1,700 to Thompson.

Mike Cantrell – an originator of Oklahoma Energy Resources Board (OERB) and an 11-year member of the Board of EPIC Charter Schools, who left the Board as depositions began for the criminal investigation which culminated in the arrest of EPIC’s founders, David Cheney and Ben Harris for alleged embezzlement of state tax dollars, donated $1,000. 

Josh Cockroft – Governor Stitt’s Political Director.

Glenn Coffee – former Oklahoma Senator and Pro Temp and General Counsel for the Oklahoma State Chamber who was implicated in the Joy Hofmeister/Fount Holland conspiracy to coordinate with an independent campaign working for her election against former State Superintendent Janet Barresi. 

Jim Dunlap – A long-time lobbyist in Oklahoma. 

Donelle Harder – who has worked for Governor Stitt – by way of Washington, D.C. – in several capacities and currently manages his 2022 re-election campaign. 

Linda Huggard – a long-time Oklahoma Republican party member gave the maximum allowed for an individual donor – $2900.00.

Chris Kannady, an attorney and State Representative for Cleveland County wrote a check from his campaign account (Friends of Chris Kannady) for $1500 to Thompson’s campaign.  Kannady told the New York Times that he had led an effort to purge then-elected Republicans from the State House in 2018 because they were a “cancer” to the Party. In July, the Oklahoma Ethics Commission made public that it will sue the Conservative Alliance PAC, from which dark money donated via the Prosperity Alliance was used to oust as many as 11 Conservative House members that year.  His campaign pays a consultant called the James Martin Company LLC, owned by Jenna Worthen, wife of Trebor Worthen, former partner with Fount Holland of AH Strategies, an organization who, with client Joy Hofmeister, was charged in a 2016 dark money scheme to oust former State Superintendent Janet Barresi.  Today, Trebor runs Sooner State Leadership, a 501C4 dark money group running adds against Governor Kevin Stitt.  Kannady also apparently works with CAMP (Campaign Advocacy Management Professionals), run by Worthen’s former partner, Fount Holland.  Just a quick glance Kannady’s campaign account is eye-opening.  For the first filing period in 2022, Kannady had $341,154.42 and his contributions are a “who’s who” of Oklahoma and national PACs including $10,000 of donations from the OKC Fraternal Order of Police $5,000 and Marathon PAC $5,000. 

Trent Smith, the CEO of Accentra, is also co-owner of Sooner Medical Staffing with House Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols and was appointed to the Oklahoma State School Board by Governor Kevin Stitt. 

Republican House member Preston Stinson donated $1,000 to Thompson via his campaign fund – Stinson for House.  Stinson was prominently featured in the state audit against EPIC Charter Schools management organization, Community Strategies.  Ben Harris appointed Stinson to the Community Strategies Board – the governing body for Epic One-on-One Charter School and Epic Blended Charter School in 2016 – and later Community Strategies-CA, alleged to be the ‘shell’ company used by Epic Youth Services through which to receive management fees from Epic California creating profits for Harris and Chaney (#49 of Affidavit of Probable Cause).  Preston Stinson received 55% of all campaign donations from EPIC founders and family for his 2020 campaign for the House of Representatives.

Former one-term State Superintendent Janet Barresi not only donated the $2,900 maximum to Kristen Thompson, she introduced her at an Oklahoma Conservative PAC meeting where Kristen shared her message with the audience AFTER OCPAC had committed to endorsing Jake Merrick again for his second campaign for Senate.  Fully committed to Common Core during her tenure as State Superintendent, ROPE was nevertheless able to help repeal the bill mandating Common Core in 2014. 

Jennifer Carter, former Cheif of Staff for Superintendent Janet Barresi is now the Oklahoma liaison for the American Federation for Children – an organization fronted by the DeVos Foundation to push school choice (vouchers) across the country.  Jennifer’s husband Ray Carter writes for the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs – an organization working for vouchers – recently in the news for its alleged mis-treatment of the wife of House of Representatives member and attorney, Anthony Moore.  Moore’s wife dismissed the filed Victim Protective Orders after the primary election.  

The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber PAC provided $1,500.

The State Chamber PAC kicked in $1,000.

Friends of Anthony Moore – who now has had an Oklahoma Bar Association complaint filed against him by OCPA President Jonathan Small for the VPO’s filed by his wife prior to the primary – donated $1,000 from his campaign fund (Friends of Anthony Moore 2022).

OKC Firefighters Association PAC Fund – $5,000.

Turnaround Team Pac donated $1,500 to Thompson.  Governor Stitt has frequently called his first four years the “Oklahoma Turnaround”.  In fact, his latest TV ads for his re-election campaign prominently feature this concept.  The Oklahoma Ethics Commission filing for Thompson list a PO box in Jenks, Oklahoma as the PAC’s address.  It is listed as an ‘unregistered’ PAC and there is no filing for the PAC with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, but Turnaround Team PAC is registered with the FEC in Newport, Kentucky.  The treasurer for the PAC is listed as Kevin Broghamer from Newport, Kentucky, who is also the registered treasurer for Governor Stitt’s Oklahoma campaign account.  As of 7/14/22, the PAC has $110,000.  Donors include;

REDISTRICTING

For the past year, the House and Senate worked on re-drawing House and Senate districts across the state.  This is done every 10 years in conjunction with the collection and distribution of the decade’s CENSUS data.  Here is a picture of Merrick’s original district with the new district transposed over the top with red.

Note the approximate location of Merrick’s house (the small red dot nearly on the new southern district line) – especially compared with before.  Prior to re-districting, Merrick’s neighbors could vote for Merrick.  Now, only the neighbors to the north had that opportunity.  Truly very odd.  

It almost seems as though the powers that be wanted to re-district Merrick right out of his district.  Losing a large chunk of voters with whom Merrick lived and already had voter recognition was tough.  

With 9,485 votes in the election, Merrick lost to Thompson by 833.  Merrick won Canadian county by 210 votes (total voters 3,036), but was beaten soundly in Oklahoma County by 1,043 (3,746 to 2,603 – total voters 6,449).  Merrick had an uphill battle when most of the voters in this election were in Thompson’s backyard.

PACS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

These PACS spent money FOR Thompson (except Job Creators Action Fund).

These PACS spent money AGAINST Merrick.  There was no PAC spending FOR Merrick.

The School Freedom Fund, is a dark money super PAC that is registered by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).  It was given $15 million dollars by the founder of the PAC, Jeff Yas, a resident of Pennsylvania who earned his billions via gambling and playing the stock market.  Yas did not donate money to Trump, but to libertarian, Gary Johnson, but he is a rabid supporter of “school choice” and donates frequently to “school choice” PACS.

{Interestingly, OCPAC’s Bob Linn, quotes Jeff Yas in the OCPAC email of July 11th 2022 where he touts the “money following the kid” (vouchers).}

A large chunk of School Freedom funds have been donated to the Protect Freedom PAC and the Club For Growth. 

In Oklahoma, according to the Ethics Commission, the Chairperson for the School Freedom Fund is David McIntosh whose email url reads “clubforgrowth.org”.

Also according to Ethics Commission reports, the School Freedom Fund PAC spent $75,206 FOR Thompson and $119,546.23 AGAINST Merrick.

Then, there’s Common Sense Conservatives, LLC.  Here is the address for the PAC.

Yup.  A Reesor’s parking lot. 

There is no email listed for the Director whose name is simply listed as “Walt Lowe”.  

There are a couple Walter Lowe’s in Tulsa, but not anyone who stood out as being someone associated with a PAC – like an attorney.  I have tried the number listed on the PAC and it does not work (1-918-236-6078) it’s a constant busy signal as though it’s not a working number.  I have checked the Oklahoma Secretary of State website for the LLC.  Guess what?  Big shocker there – nothing listed.  I even tried the FEC and there’s no listing there either.  It’s an LLC – according to the Ethics Commission website, so I wouldn’t be able to locate it on the IRS website for non-profit filings.  I can’t locate it under “Committees”, I can only find it under “Independent Expenditures”.  I’m so mad about it, I filed an Ethics Complaint on the PAC 7/20/22.

Common Sense Conservative (FAKE) PAC spent $66,310 on Digital Ads through an organization in Tennessee called Counterpoint Messaging LLC AGAINST Merrick.

In fact, this PAC spent $207,592.17 against a whole slew of candidates – J.J. Stitt and Brady Butler running against Darcy Jech in SD26, Chris Toney running against Brenda Stanley in SD42, Deb Campbell and Jennifer Sengstock in HD50 against Marcus McEntire, Ron Lynch in HD60 running against Rhonda Baker and Karmin Grider running in an open seat for HD31.  ALL candidates but Grider lost.  Grider is in a run-off.

In total, PACS spent $158,615.17 FOR Thompson and $185,856.23 AGAINST Merrick, meaning that Thompson benefitted from a WHOPPING $344,471.40.  

What in the world?  Sadly, how is Kristen Thompson not a bought and paid for candidate by special interest dark money PACS whether she means to be or not?  The fact that Oklahoma elections can be BOUGHT like this should concern every voter in the state, not just those in SD22.

WHY DARK MONEY PACS WORK

Most voters don’t work to be educated about issues or candidates.  They don’t study candidates or even subscribe to organizations from which they could get an idea of what issues candidates stand for.  Consequently, when they see an ad on Facebook calling Jake Merrick a “fake Republican who supported government overreach”, they’re likely not going to look up his voting record, emotions will kick in and Jake will get kicked to the curb.  Same with the crazy mailers Fount Holland and his buddies make up.  

Former state Senator Ron Sharp knows how this system works all too well.  He was attacked by the “school choice” crowd using EPIC money and lost his seat to Shane Jett in 2020. 

WHY CAMPAIGN ACCOUNTS SHOULD BE BARRED FROM CONTRIBUTING TO EACH OTHER

Note the number of campaign accounts listed in Thompson’s contribution reports: 

  1. Friends of Anthony Moore
  2. Friends of Chris Kannady
  3. Friends of Ryan Martinez
  4. Stinson for House 2022

Four separate campaigns donated to Thompson.  Let’s say I donated to Friends of Anthony Moore.  I expected that money to go to support his election/re-election campaign, I didn’t expect he would donate my funds to another candidate I might not like instead.

Truly, this is a form of money laundering.  Money comes into the campaign for campaign expenses, but it’s then donated to another campaign who then donates it to another.  Where is accountability in this round robin?  If an elected official wants to donate to a campaign.  It should be out of their own pocket, not out of funds citizens provide in good faith that it will be used for their campaigns.

HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM

Though this month (7/22) the Ethics Commission recently shut down arguably the most influential PAC in Oklahoma – the Senate Republican PAC – due to ethics violations, over the years, the legislature has taken away more and more of the Commission’s ability to preside over dark money and other campaign issues.  

If we are to take back our elections and elect candidates we want representing our community instead of people from out of state willing to throw around truckloads of cash to get candidates elected to forward their agendas in our legislature, or the school choice voucher cabal here in Oklahoma who use in-state and out-of-state donors to push their political will, we must give the Ethics Commission the tools they need to fight for campaign accountability.

Nothing beats an educated voter, but until we have a million of those, we need an Ethics Commission armed and ready to beat back unethical campaign behavior to keep good candidates like Jake Merrick from being steamrolled out of office.

Explain to your legislator that Oklahoma absolutely must give the Ethics Commission the ability to prosecute any electioneering that occurs against Ethics rules and ask them to sponsor legislation next year toward that end. 

It’s our only hope.

——————–

FYI:  CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THOMPSON: Catalyst Oklahoma $50,620, School Freedom Fund $75,206, American Energy Action Fund $9,862, Job Creators Action Network $22,927.17 

CONTRIBUTIONS AGAINST MERRICK: School Freedom Fund $119,546.23, Common Sense Conservatives $66,310

2

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

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