Auditor releases report on state Education Department, conference nonprofit
Here’s a news release from the state auditor’s office:
OKLAHOMA CITY – State Auditor Gary Jones released a second audit regarding the inappropriate use of Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) employees to sponsor, organize and host a summer education conference.
An audit released in March 2012 was critical of OSDE’s relationship with a non-profit foundation in which bank accounts were not disclosed to the non-profit’s board but were utilized to funnel more than $2 million over a 10-year period to host an annual education conference.
The 2011 conference was not the focus of our previous investigation. While OSDE made verbal assurances that the 2011 conference had been handled differently than in past years, no such written assurance was provided to our office as requested.
The audit released today again criticizes the use of a non-profit foundation, apparently established for the sole purpose of administering the Innovation 2011 Conference, but not fully delineating the boundaries and functions between OSDE and the non-profit entity in the planning and execution of the conference.
“Our investigation found OSDE still maintained operational control of the event and utilized state personnel in a questionable and likely inappropriate manner,” said State Auditor Gary Jones. “It’s clear that OSDE personnel were primarily involved with raising and collecting funds and that it shared responsibility for contracting, disbursing funds and authorizing expenditures of the non-profit.
“It is our understanding that the new administration relied on the institutional knowledge of its personnel and the previous framework to organize a large conference in a short amount of time,” Jones said. “Unfortunately, in its haste, the current administration repeated many of the same errors committed over multiple years by the prior administration which utilized what amounted to a slush fund to pay conference expenses.”
The audit report points out that current and former OSDE employees approved and carried out the creation of a non-profit foundation for the purpose of soliciting funds, contracting with vendors and hosting the Innovation 2011 summer conference. The board of the Oklahoma Foundation for Innovation in Education never met or voted as a board; it did not have a written contract with OSDE, and was, arguably, serving merely as a front organization without actual operational control over the conference.
The full report is available online at www.sai.ok.gov.
Have you seen the Douglass Mid-High School teacher response?
This is a pretty powerful video. Tinasha LaRayé Williams teaches drama at Douglass Mid-High School.
Superintendent coalition grows
As you might have heard, support continued to grow for the ad hoc coalition of superintendents that asked the state Board of Education last week to halt the release of the new A-F school evaluation system. The coalition won, and the board voted Monday to delay the release of grades until Oct. 25, when a possible glitch in the system can be evaluated. In the mean time, here are the school districts represented by superintendents who are members of that coalition:
Ada Public Schools
Adair Public Schools
Alex Public Schools
Altus Public Schools
Alva Public Schools
Amber-Pocasset Public Schools
Anadarko Public Schools
Ardmore City Schools
Arkoma Public Schools
Asher Public Schools
ASTEC Charter Schools
Avant Public Schools
Balko Public Schools
Barnsdall Public Schools
Bartlesville Public Schools
Bearden Public Schools
Beggs Public Schools
Belfonte Public Schools
Bennington Public Schools
Bethany Public Schools
Bethel Public Schools
Billings Public Schools
Bishop Public Schools
Bixby Public Schools
Blackwell Public Schools
Blanchard Public Schools
Boise City Public Schools
Briggs Public Schools
Bristow Public Schools
Broken Arrow Public Schools
Brushy Public Schools
Buffalo Public Schools
Buffalo Valley Public Schools
Burlington Public Schools
Byng Public Schools
Calumet Public Schools
Cameron Public Schools
Caney Valley Public Schools
Carney Public Schools
Cashion Public Schools
Catoosa Public Schools
Cave Springs Schools
Cement Public Schools
Central Public Schools
Chandler Public Schools
Chattanooga Public Schools
Checotah Public Schools
Cherokee Public Schools
Cheyenne Public Schools
Chickasha Public Schools
Chouteau-Mazie Public Schools
Chisholm Public Schools
Choctaw-Nicoma Park Public Schools
Claremore Public Schools
Clayton Public Schools
Clinton Public Schools
Coalgate Public Schools
Colbert Public Schools
Collinsville Public Schools
Comanche Public Schools
Commerce Public Schools
Copan Public Schools
Coweta Public Schools
Coyle Public Schools
Cushing Public Schools
Cyril Public Schools
Dale Public Schools
Davis Public Schools
Deer Creek Public Schools
Denison Public Schools
Depew Public Schools
Dewar Public Schools
Dewey Public Schools
Dibble Public Schools
Dickson Public Schools
Dover Public Schools
Drummond Public Schools
Duncan Public Schools
Durant Public Schools
Eagletown Public Schools
Edmond Public Schools
Elk City Public Schools
El Reno Public Schools
Enid Public Schools
Eufala Public Schools
Fairland Public Schools
Felt Public Schools
Foyil Public Schools
Frederick Public Schools
Ft. Gibson Public Schools
Gage Public Schools
Garber Public Schools
Geary Public Schools
Geronimo Public Schools
Glencoe Public Schools
Glenpool Public Schools
Graham Public Schools
Grand View Public Schools
Greenville Public Schools
Grove Public Schools
Guthrie Public Schools
Hammon Public Schools
Hanna Public Schools
Harmony Public Schools
Harrah Public Schools
Hartshorne Public School
Haywood Public Schools
Haworth Public Schools
Hennessey Public Schools
Hilldale Public Schools
Hobart Public Schools
Hodgen Public Schools
Holdenville Public Schools
Holly Creek School
Hooker Public Schools
Hugo Public Schools
Hulbert Public Schools
Inola Public Schools
Jay Public Schools
Jenks Public Schools
Kellyville Public Schools
Keota Public Schools
Ketchum Public Schools
Keys Public Schools
Kiefer Public Schools
Kingfisher Public Schools
Kremlin Public Schools
Lane Public Schools
Latta Public Schools
Lawton Public Schools
LeFlore Public Schools
Liberty Public Schools
Lone Star Public Schools
Lukfata Public Schools
Madill Public Schools
Mannford Public Schools
Maple Public Schools
Marble City Public Schools
Marietta Public Schools
McAlester Public Schools
McCurtain Public Schools
McLoud Public Schools
Medford Public Schools
Meeker Public Schools
Miami Public Schools
Midwest-Del City Public Schools
Milburn Public Schools
Millwood Public Schools
Minco Public Schools
Moffett Public Schools
Monroe Public Schools
Moore Public Schools
Mooreland Public Schools
Morris Public Schools
Morrison Public Schools
Moseley Public Schools
Mounds Public Schools
Moyers Public Schools
Muldrow Public Schools
Muskogee Public Schools
Nashoba Public Schools
Noble Public Schools
Norman Public Schools
Norwood Public Schools
Nowata Public Schools
Oak Grove Public Schools
Oakdale Public Schools
Oilton Public Schools
Okarche Public Schools
Okemah Public Schools
Oklahoma City Public Schools
Oklmulgee Public Schools
Oktaha Public Schools
Olustee Public Schools
Oologah-Talala Public Schools
Osage Public Schools
Osage Hills Public Schools
Owasso Public Schools
Paden Public Schools
Panola Public Schools
Pawhuska Public Schools
Peggs Public Schools
Perkins-Tryon School
Piedmont Public Schools
Pioneer Pleasant Vale Public Schools
Pleasant Grove Public Schools
Ponca City Public Schools
Pond Creek Public Schools
Porter Consolidated Schools
Porum Public Schools
Prague Public Schools
Prue Public Schools
Pryor Public Schools
Purcell Public Schools
Putnam City Public Schools
Quapaw Public Schools
Ringling Public Schools
Ringwood Public Schools
Riverside Public Schools
Robin Hill Public Schools
Rock Creek Public Schools
Rocky Mountain Public Schools
Roff Public Schools
Rush Springs Public Schools
Salina Public Schools
Sallisaw Public Schools
Sand Springs Public Schools
Santa Fe South Public Schools
Sapulpa Public Schools
Sasakwa Public Schools
Shady Point Public Schools
Shawnee Public Schools
Shidler Public Schools
Skiatook Public Schools
Snyder Public Schools
South Rock Creek Public Schools
Spavinaw Public School
Sperry Public Schools
Stigler Public Schools
Stillwater Public Schools
Stilwell Public Schools
Stonewall Public Schools
Straight Public Schools
Stratford Public Schools
Stringtown Public Schools
Stuart Public Schools
Swink Public Schools
Tahlequah Public Schools
Tecumseh Public Schools
Tenkiller Public Schools
Texhoma Public Schools
Thackerville Public Schools
Tonkawa Public Schools
Tulsa Public Schools
Tupelo Public Schools
Turpin Public Schools
Tuskahoma Public schools
Tuttle Public Schools
Tyrone Public Schools
Union Public Schools
Valliant Public Schools
Vanoss Public Schools
Vinita Public Schools
Wagoner Public Schools
Watonga Public Schools
Watts Public Schools
Waukomis Public Schools
Waurika Public Schools
Welch Public Schools
Weleetka Public Schools
Westville Public Schools
Wellston Public Schools
Westville Public Schools
Wetumka Public Schools
Whitefield Public Schools
White Rock Public Schools
Wickliffe Public Schools
Woodall Public Schools
Woodland Public Schools
Woodward Public Schools
Wright City Public Schools
Wyandotte Public Schools
Wynnewood Public Schools
Wynona Public Schools
Yale Public Schools
Yarbrough Public Schools
Yukon Public Schools
Share your thoughts about A-F reform
In case you hadn’t heard, the state Education Department will release letter grades for all 1,761 school sites in the state Oct. 8.
I’ll be writing lots of stories about the A-F grading release next week, and I’m looking for school officials on both sides of the issue. If you want to throw your 2 cents in, give me a call at (405) 475-3911 or email me at ccoppernoll@opubco.com.
John Marshall High School hosts first 5k
Check out these funs times at John Marshall High School. The school hosted its inaugural 5K recently. More than 130 people registered ahead of time, including students from Webster, North Highlands, Britton, Centennial, John Marshall and Northwest Classen. From Principal Aspasia Carlson: “It was a wonderful evening, with music and Oklahoma Fidelity grilling for all who attended. Family and community members also participated in the 1-mile Fun Walk around the new track. We hope to have an even bigger event next year!”
