Latest news with #JenksPublicSchools
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma governor signs mandatory one-year school cellphone ban into law
Gov. Kevin Stitt visits a chemistry classroom at the Jenks Public Schools Math and Science Center on Nov. 13 while visiting schools with cellphone restrictions. Stitt signed a bill into law Monday to implement a yearlong cellphone ban in all Oklahoma public schools. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed into law a yearlong ban on student cellphone use in all Oklahoma public schools. Oklahoma will join 11 other states that have implemented similar statewide restrictions. Some school districts in the state enforce a similar policy already. Stitt signed Senate Bill 139 on Monday to implement the 'bell to bell' ban for the 2025-26 school year. The restriction becomes optional for districts in the 2026-27 school year and thereafter. While the yearlong ban is in place, each district's school board must adopt a policy restricting students from using cellphones, laptops, tablets, smart watches, smart headphones and smart glasses from the first bell ringing in the instructional day until final dismissal. The policy must outline disciplinary procedures for enforcing the rule. Gov. Kevin Stitt, center, and Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller, right, listen during a Nov. 13 roundtable discussion with students about a cellphone ban at the Bixby Ninth Grade Center. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) School-issued or school-approved devices used for classroom instruction are still allowed under the law. Districts could permit cellphone use for emergencies and for students who need it to monitor a health issue. Stitt previously urged public schools to find cost-neutral ways to make classrooms cellphone free to reverse a 'worrying trend' of distraction, bullying and learning difficulties. 'We're seeing classrooms across the country struggle with the influx of cellphone use by students,' Stitt said in a statement Tuesday. 'That's why I issued my cellphone free school challenge in the fall. We want kids to be focused and present while they're with their teachers, and this legislation helps promote an environment conducive to learning.' Before the 2025 legislative session began, state lawmakers met with mental health researchers who warned about the negative effect and addictive impact of digital media on youth. They also spoke with Oklahoma educators who said their schools saw better student behavior after banning cellphones. Meanwhile, Stitt visited schools that already have these restrictions in place, where students and educators spoke favorably about their school rules. Among the nation's largest teachers union, 90% of members said they support cellphone restrictions during class time, and 83% favored prohibiting cellphone and personal device usage for the entire school day, according to a National Education Association survey. U.S. adults reported broad support for classroom cellphone restrictions in middle and high schools, but only a third of American adults said they support extending these bans for the whole school day, the Pew Research Center found. Support for SB 139 wasn't overwhelming among Oklahoma lawmakers, either. The state Senate passed the bill with a 30-15 vote, and the House approved it 51-39. The House also passed a similar school cellphone ban, House Bill 1276, that would allow districts to opt out of the policy. SB 139 allows no such option until after a year. Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, wrote Senate Bill 139 to implement a mandatory yearlong ban on cellphones in schools. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) 'This will allow teachers to focus entirely on educating our kids while students can concentrate on learning as much as possible,' an author of both bills, Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, said. 'After two years of hard work on this issue, I'm thrilled to see this legislation become law, and I'm confident students, parents and teachers will see immediate benefits once the new school year begins.' HB 1276 is unlikely to advance in the Senate now that SB 139 has the governor's signature, Seifried said. The bill's House author, Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, called the measure a 'try it before you buy it type of policy.' 'I appreciate Gov. Stitt signing SB 139 to remove the distractions of cellphones from our schools and give our kids their childhood back,' Caldwell said Tuesday. The governor on Monday also signed into law a restriction on virtual school days. Senate Bill 758 will limit districts to using a maximum of two online instruction days per school year. 'Kids learn best in the classroom,' said Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, who wrote the bill. 'Virtual days have their place in emergencies, but we've seen them become a go-to solution in some districts — and that's not fair to students or families. This bill strikes the right balance by preserving flexibility without compromising the quality of education.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House sends mandatory ‘bell-to-bell' cellphone ban bill to Oklahoma governor
A poster reads, "bell to bell, no cell" at the Jenks Public Schools Math and Science Center on Nov. 13. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — The state House narrowly passed an altered bill that requires school districts to implement 'bell-to-bell' cellphone bans for the upcoming school year. Senate Bill 139, which passed by a single vote, heads to Gov. Kevin Stitt for consideration. While it requires schools to ban cellphones and personal electronic devices like smart watches, tablets and smart glasses for one year, it allows districts to lift that ban in any subsequent years. Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, said the version that heads to Stitt's desk is different from the initial version passed by the House. The original version contained an opt out for districts that didn't want to comply. The Senate version, which heads to Stitt's desk, contains none. He said the chambers compromised on a 'try it before you buy it, type of policy.' Everyone will be required to try it for a year, but if a district finds the policy doesn't work for them, and they would like students to have cellphones in class, then they can opt out moving forward, Caldwell said. How districts implement the ban is up to them, he said. Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, said he liked the original House bill that would have allowed districts to opt out and provided local control. 'I'm not fond of the requirement because we talk a lot about local control, and it looks like we're kind of creeping into no control on the first year of this,' he said. But Caldwell said the bill is consistent with other bills that the Legislature passed because it directs districts on what to do, but gives them flexibility on how to act within those parameters. 'Ultimately, I think where this goes back to is the total local control,' he said. '…After this year, (if) they're the outlier, they're the district that their education outcomes didn't improve, their behavioral problems didn't decrease, and the school board wants to take the step up and say, 'No, we want cellphones back in our classes,' they can do that.' Caldwell said he hopes Stitt will sign the measure and 'we'll all celebrate next year when our kids can go to a distraction-free classroom.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma House, Senate consider each other's bills banning cellphones in schools
A poster reads, "bell to bell, no cell" at the Jenks Public Schools Math and Science Center, where students are prohibited from using cellphones during class time. Oklahoma lawmakers are considering multiple bills that would restrict student cellphone use during the school day. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A Senate committee has approved a House bill calling for cellphone bans in public schools, setting the stage for final negotiations on a major policy priority for Oklahoma lawmakers. The Senate Education Committee advanced House Bill 1276 with a 7-4 vote on Tuesday. Similar legislation from the Senate is on the agenda for the House Common Education Committee's meeting Wednesday. HB 1276 would require every district in the state to develop a policy restricting student use of cellphones and personal electronic devices for the entire school day, starting next school year. The bill leaves the door open for local school boards to opt out and continue permitting student cellphone use in their districts. Similar legislation that originated in the Senate, SB 139, would mandate a cellphone ban in all public schools for a year with no chance for districts to opt out until after the 2025-26 academic year. Districts would have the choice after the first year whether to keep the prohibition in place. Each version would allow students to use their cellphones for medically necessary reasons or in emergency cases. Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, and Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, are the authors of both bills. If both bills pass the committee stage, Seifried said House and Senate lawmakers will discuss which version has the most support from the full Legislature. Allowing districts the chance to opt out of the cellphone ban has been a priority of the House, Seifried said. The message she heard most often from fellow senators is 'let's get it done,' she said. 'I think we'll eventually get together and decide which version will pass and which can gain the most consensus,' Seifried said after the committee vote. 'We wanted to get both through committee. We really are working together on this quite closely, and so that'll be for us to decide in the coming weeks.' House lawmakers passed HB 1276 with overwhelming support from both parties. The Senate passed SB 139 along party lines. The policy of restricting cellphones in schools has enjoyed vocal support from Gov. Kevin Stitt and legislative leaders. If one of the measures becomes law, Oklahoma would join nine other states, including California and Arkansas, that have enacted a ban on cellphones in schools. Oklahoma lawmakers have been looking into the issue since before the 2025 session began. Both chambers hosted fall interim studies examining the detriments of digital media on children and the benefits of cellphone bans in Oklahoma schools that already have these restrictions in place. Caldwell said he and Seifried agree educators, parents and students would recognize the positive impact once a statewide ban is in place. He decided to include a district opt-out provision in HB 1276, he said, after having conversations with House leadership and fellow representatives. Caldwell said he hopes both the House and Senate versions advance past the committee stage for consideration in final negotiations. 'This truly has a chance to make transformative change in our schools, and that's not something we get a chance to do every day,' Caldwell said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller announces bid to replace Ryan Walters with rap: Watch
Rapping his announcement on the Oklahoma Capitol steps during a celebration of public school education on Tuesday, Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller — who's been a thorn in the side of state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters — announced he was running for Walters' office in 2026, whether or not Walters seeks reelection. Miller, 63, filed his candidacy papers with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission on Monday. He's the first Republican to officially file to run for state superintendent. Walters, who's a little more than two years into his first term as state superintendent, has not said anything about his future political plans, but it's widely believed he will seek the GOP nomination for governor. Since 2018, Miller has served as the superintendent of Bixby, a suburb south of Tulsa. He was named as a region superintendent of the year in 2020. During his time as a teacher and administrator in Jenks Public Schools, he was named as the state middle school principal of the year in 2014. That fall, he was a finalist for the national principal of the year award. While working in the Sand Springs Public Schools district, Miller was the state assistant superintendent of the year in 2018. Last week, Miller made a snow-day announcement for Bixby that went viral, as he rapped to the tune of Eminem's 'Lose Yourself.' He did a reprise for his campaign announcement, wearing a Marines beanie while doing so: 'Yo Oklahoma, listen up, it's time to decide / If you had one shot, one chance, can't let it pass by / You know the words, you know the beat, you know the song / But today, this moment, it won't last long / If you had one shot, one opportunity to stand for our schools and lead with unity / Would you capture it, rise up, answer the call, or let it slip, watch our futures start to fall,' Miller said. 'Well I'm not letting it slip, no way, not today / I'm stepping up, I'm all in, I'm here to stay / With experience, heart and a vision that's strong / For our kids, our teachers, I'm bringing it on.' Miller is the first announced candidate for the superintendent's office. Jena Nelson, a Democrat who lost to Walters in the 2022 general election, told The Oklahoman she hasn't yet decided if she'll run again. While not endorsing Miller, Erika Buzzard Wright, the founder of the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition, said she was 'absolutely thrilled that Rob Miller is stepping up to the plate to run for state superintendent. A man of his character is exactly what we need right now ― someone who recognizes it's about the kids and not self-serving ambition.' Grace Kim, a spokeswoman for Walters, said decisions about his political future will be "made at a later time." Walters' critics have said he spends more time focusing on culture-war issues and on securing national media interviews — using public money to do so — than on the day-to-day operations of the Oklahoma State Department of Education and on improving educational outcomes for children. "Superintendent Walters remains focused on keeping woke administrators out of the classroom, implementing President Trump's education reforms, and empowering parents to have a greater voice in their children's education," Kim said. Miller moved into a broader state spotlight last summer. On X on July 27, Miller questioned why there had been a long delay in the Education Department informing school districts as to how much their federal funding allocations under Title I might be. After his post, Miller's counterparts from districts across Oklahoma said they, too, wondered about the delays but had received no answers from the state agency. Title I money is allocated based on the number of low-income students served by schools. Those numbers, provided to districts by the agency's past administrations in late spring or early summer, are vital in helping districts plan budgets and determining how many teachers they could hire. The fiscal year began July 1. After a State Board of Education meeting four days later, Walters verbally lashed out against Miller and hinted of potential financial improprieties within the Bixby district. 'He's a liar,' Walters said when asked about Miller. 'I mean, he's really a true embarrassment. He knows every year when he gets the Title I funds, and we're dealing with all kinds of financial problems with his district that we're hoping to address right now. So you know, Rob ― Rob's a clown and a liar. So he knows that. Same time every year — at least late August. It's the same way it's been every year for, my team tells me, over a decade. So he knows that has been communicated to districts. Rob's never reached out, never indicated there's an issue. There's not an issue. He made it up. So he wants his name in the press.' Miller soon sued Walters in Tulsa County District Court for defamation and libel. Walters asked a judge to dismiss the case, but the judge allowed the case to continue and it's still pending. Bixby's most recent audit was clean and a document signed by Walters in July granted all of the district's schools accreditation with no deficiencies. Earlier this month, Gov. Kevin Stitt — in what appeared to be an attempt to make a political point to Walters — recognized Miller during the governor's annual State of the State speech for the Bixby district's policy limiting cellphone use during the school day. As both Republican and Democratic lawmakers rose to applaud Miller, Walters sat stone-faced in his chair on the House floor. 'There's no wrong time to do the right thing,' Miller said Tuesday. 'The right thing right now is to stand up for the kids and our families in Oklahoma. Our state Department (of Education) needs strong leadership and a vision for the future.' He said his announcement covers 'the governor's recent comments about his dissatisfaction with the direction of education in Oklahoma. He said that we need a new set of eyes and we need to renew our focus on what's really important and that's the kids.' This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Bixby superintendent running for Oklahoma superintendent: See rap
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House committee advances bill requiring Oklahoma school cellphone bans
A poster reads, "bell to bell, no cell" at the Jenks Public Schools Math and Science Center on Nov. 13. The school district prohibits student cellphone use during class periods. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A major priority for Oklahoma lawmakers and the governor was the first item on the House Common Education Committee's agenda Wednesday. In its first meeting of 2025, the committee voted 11-2 to pass House Bill 1276 with bipartisan support. The bill, from Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, would require public schools to ban students from using cellphones and smart watches while on campus. It would take effect July 1 and start applying in the 2025-26 school year. It advances to the Education Oversight Committee, which must pass the legislation before it could be heard on the House floor. Gov. Kevin Stitt and legislative leaders have said one of their top goals this year is curbing student cellphone use to reduce distractions in the classroom. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, voted in favor of the bill at the committee meeting. 'It's time our classrooms return to being places of learning, not distractions,' Hilbert said in a statement afterward. 'House Bill 1276 gives Oklahoma's schools the flexibility to set policies that fit their needs while reinforcing a simple goal — to let kids be kids and let teachers teach.' Rep. Chris Banning, R-Bixby, and Rep. Molly Jenkins, R-Coyle, were the only committee members to vote against the bill. Banning noted in his line of questions to Caldwell that schools already can implement a cellphone ban voluntarily. The number of districts enacting similar policies has increased in recent years as the popularity of these prohibitions grows nationwide. Caldwell said the bill would prompt all districts to develop their own cellphone-free policy. 'Candidly, I wish more of our schools would have already done that, but we're going to help our schools do the right thing to go phone free,' he said during the committee meeting. The state Senate will consider similar legislation in Senate Bill 139 from Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
