OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Two state lawmakers are encouraging Oklahomans to speak out against proposed Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) changes to how public schools are graded for Oklahoma’s A-F report cards.
State Senator Mark Mann and State Representative Ellen Pogemiller said the proposed OSDE changes are built to punish public schools for things they can’t help, such as the ongoing teacher shortage.
Sen. Mann co-wrote Senate Bill 711, which removed chronic absenteeism as a sign of school quality since it isn’t something schools can control.
OSDE suggested replacing chronic absenteeism with “teacher effectiveness” measures and adding an evaluation, which would include the percentage of teachers who are certified and the percentage of teachers who are “highly qualified,” meaning they have taught three or more years, and the percentage of teachers who receive a good evaluation from their principals.
“It’s not right to punish schools who are forced to use alternative or emergency certified teachers because there aren’t enough credentialed or highly qualified educators. We’re still in a teacher shortage crisis in Oklahoma, and Superintendent Ryan Walters has done nothing to address it — in fact he’s a large part of the problem,” said Mann. “As to the third change, evaluations are an important tool to help classroom teachers reach their full potential as professional educators, but if those evaluation outcomes are used in a school’s report card, then principals could feel pressured to hand our high reviews to everyone. That is not how we achieve excellence in education.”
Rep. Pogemiller said Oklahomans speaking against the proposed changes is important.
“Walters’ ESSA criteria highlight a problem he had no intention of solving. Every school in our state wants certified, experienced teachers — penalizing them for shortages without offering real solutions is political theater, not leadership,” Pogemiller said. “It’s important that Oklahomans heed this opportunity to provide public comment. ESSA plans have always been shaped with the support and insight of professional educators and administrators. This is a unilateral move, not a collaborative one.”
Oklahomans have the opportunity to look over the proposed changes to the A-F grading system and submit their comments by Friday, August 8.
To do so, click here.
