Two key reforms for Race to the Top pass Senate
Reforms that are considered key to Oklahoma’s application for $175 million in Race to the Top grant money passed the Senate Tuesday.
Senate Bill 2033 is ostensibly a Race to the Top reform package that creates a system for teacher incentive pay, modifying teacher and administration evaluations, and creating a Race to the Top commission.
The 45 page bill passed the Senate 37-10 with an emergency clause that would have the bill take effect the moment the governor signs it. The bill now heads to the House for consideration.
A key change to the teacher evaluation system is a proposed Oklahoma Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Evaluation System that will score teachers on five levels: superior, highly effective, effective, needs improvement and ineffective.
The assessment will be based 35 percent on student academic growth as measured by standardized test data, 15 percent on “other” academic measurements, and 50 percent on “rigorous and fair qualitative assessment components.”
Also approved Tuesday, was an amendment to the state’s charter school law, which if approved by the House and signed into law will remove the cap of how many charter schools can open in a year for metropolitan areas with a population of more than 500,000.
Changes to the charter school law, contained in Senate Bill 1862, passed the Senate 33-14, and is considered a key step in proving to the US Department of Education that Oklahoma is serious about education reforms promised in its Race to the Top application.
MAPS for Kids breaks ground at three schools
In a flurry of May MAPS for Kids projects, three Oklahoma City elementary schools are celebrating the start of renovations and expansions.
Hillcrest Elementary School, 6421 S Miller Blvd, is kicking off a $3.2 million expansion on Tuesday, while Linewood and Fillmore elementary schools have already turned over dirt to symbolize a summer of frenzied construction.
Hillcrest’s expansion will bring renovations and an additional 14,800 square feet of space.
Fillmore will almost double in size with a new 34,000 square foot wing growing to accommodate 853 students from pre-kindergarten through 6th grade. The project has a budget of $5.7 million.
Linwood, 3416 NW 17th Street, is getting a 16,000 square foot wing in addition to an expansion of the existing facilities. That project has a budget of $3.4 million.
The projects are funded by a voter-approved sales tax and bond issue known as MAPS for Kids.
Schools notified this morning of additional cuts
Oklahoma school districts were notified this morning of additional cuts coming down in this fiscal year, adding another level of budget stress as the schools look to FY 2010.
“We have just been given notices that our budgets have been cut by an additional 10 percent this month,” said Joe Siano, superintendent of Norman Public Schools. “That’s an additional $300,000.”
For Putnam City Public Schools the additional 10 percent cut announced this morning is $438,931, district spokesman Steve Lindley said.
“The concern for any district at this point would be there is really no time to absorb this,” Lindley said.
Districts throughout the state had already cut the fiscal year 2009-2010 budget by around 5 percent this year, and districts are preparing for as much as a 10 percent budget cut next year as the state Legislature nears a budget agreement.
We were notified today that we are down an additional $300,000 for this month,” Joe Siano said. “
Pioneer of early childhood education honored
Kids at Educare center in southern Oklahoma City planted a “Survivor Tree” Thursday in honor of the victims of the federal building bombing.
The tree will eventually be planted in the median in front of the Educare on Grand Boulevard, but for now, the tree will remain inside.
Also on Thursday, a room in the Educare facility was dedicated to John Rex, who worked at American Fidelity Assurance for 35 years, and was a proponent of early childhood education, according to a media release sent out by the agency.
“John’s mission in life was to prepare all children, especially those from low-income families, for learning,” Bob Ross, president of the Inasmuch Foundation said.
Third Educare in Tulsa planned: Second for OKC?
The Tulsa World reported today that a third Educare is planned in Tulsa to provide low-income children education from birth to age four.
Oklahoma City’s Educare facility has been up and running since July thanks to donations from the Inasmuch Foundation and also the George Kaiser Foundation, which has heavily supported the first two Tulsa centers. The third center will be funded through a voter approved bond.
But Bob Ross, president of the Inasmuch Foundation said dreams for a second Educare center in Oklahoma City are still several years away.
“I’d like for us to first accomplish 100 percent all-day pre-kindergarten in Oklahoma City Public Schools and Putnam City,” Ross said. “We can focus on that then from there I think we can maybe build some centers that are high quality for 3 and 4 year-olds together.”
Educare centers are expensive endeavors – in Oklahoma City it took $9.3 million for the building at 500 Grand Blvd. – and Ross said he’d like to see several less expensive but still high quality facilities put into place.
”I’d love to see a second one,” Ross said. “The first priority is getting all of our kids attending pre-kindergarten.”
