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The Tulsa Beacon

 

Tag: Schools

We Need More Discussion

Tulsa Beacon

Over the last week, there were several articles that need to be commented on.  One was about Webster High School – where 17-year-olds lament being too young to participate in the mid-term elections. The teacher walkout earlier in the year caused students to want to learn more about conditions in Oklahoma’s public education, which were…

Dr. Everett Piper to retire as president of OKWU in 2020

Tulsa Beacon

Dr. Everett Piper, president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, has announced he will retire in June of 2020 and the university has started the process to search for his replacement. “Oklahoma Wesleyan University owes Dr. Piper a huge debt of gratitude for the amazing turnaround in the financial health of our school since his arrival 16…

More parents seek exemptions from mandatory vaccinations

Tulsa Beacon

According to results of the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Kindergarten Survey, vaccination coverage for those entering school remains high. The survey encompasses millions of children across the United States. Oklahoma is following the national trend of a slight increase in the number of parents seeking exemptions from immunizations for their children….

Education Stakeholders Again Drop the Ball

Tulsa Beacon

You may have seen a number of times, scenes from Marine Corps’ Boot Camp.  The mental and physical work is very hard, but it does result in producing America’s finest fighting force. Most of us wish that the world did not need such forces, but we do.  You can go from China, the Middle East,…

Survey shows teachers will vote no on State Question 801

Tulsa Beacon

A survey conducted by Professional Oklahoma Educators indicates that almost 80 percent of teachers, administrators and support staff do not support SQ 801, which calls for a vote of the people on the November ballot to amend the state constitution. If passed, SQ 801 would allow local school districts to use money from property taxes,…

An Excellent Interview

Tulsa Beacon

The Wall Street Journal ran an article by Jillian Kay Melchior entitled, “The Scourge of Diversity.”  The column is about Heather Mac Donald, a one-time liberal who now believes identify politics threatens higher education and civilization itself. You may recall that it was Heather Mac  Donald who was chased away from invited scheduled speeches by…

Teacher shortage despite the raises

Tulsa Beacon

Despite an average salary raise of around $6,000 a year, Oklahoma’s public schools are having trouble hiring certified teachers. The reported figure for Tulsa Public Schools is about 340 noncertified instructors. Here is how the number of emergency teaching certifications issued by the Oklahoma Department of Education has risen since 2011: 32 – 2011-12 98…

The Wraparound Approach

Tulsa Beacon

The fall edition of Focus magazine just arrived.  The magazine is written by the Lumina Foundation, which is an independent private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. The first article centers around Morgan State University, a historically black institution in Baltimore that was founded…

Tulsa School Board adds replacement member in split vote

Tulsa Beacon

In a split vote, the Tulsa School Board appointed Jania Wester to the board last week. Wester formerly was a principal at Zarrow International School, is Hispanic and now represents District 2 in which 40 percent of the public school students are Hispanic. That district is in the north/central part of Tulsa. Board member Jennettie…

‘Best Bang for Your Buck’ college

Tulsa Beacon

College of the Ozarks was recently ranked by Washington Monthly, earning No.1 Best Bang for the Buck in the Midwest and No. 3 Baccalaureate College out of the 150 on the list. Washington Monthly released their 13th annual college guide and rankings in the September/October issue of the magazine and online. Rankings emphasized social mobility,…