Latest news with #SenateBill758
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House sends bill curtailing virtual school day use to Oklahoma governor
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, left, and House Speaker Pro Tempore Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, right, applaud during the governor's State of the State address in the House chamber of the state Capitol on Feb. 3. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — The state House on Tuesday sent a bill that would limit most public schools to two virtual days a year to the governor's desk despite bipartisan opposition. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, Senate Bill 758 limits brick-and-mortar schools to 12 hours of virtual instruction as long as the state superintendent approves an online instruction plan or if there's a governor-issued state of emergency affecting the district. State Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, the bill's author, said nothing in the measure eliminates the option for a four-day school week. More than two virtual days just couldn't count toward instruction time. Moore said his bill ensures that districts not specifically approved for a four-day school week are not taking every Friday off by scheduling a virtual day, resulting in 37 fewer days of instruction. 'I think that I'm with you on this idea that we don't want to be losing class time, but I'm not sure why virtual days are equating to not having instruction,' said Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa, a former educator. 'Is that how it's being applied? Because every virtual day I've ever been involved in really still required a lot of instruction and support on my part as a teacher.' Moore said it should work that way, but it isn't in a lot of districts. Schools are sending packets home with no teacher available online. His children had two virtual days last year where they had no instructional material. He said there are also young children that might not have parents at home who are able to help them complete their assignments. 'Who's going to help that kid?' he asked. He said he's received hundreds of emails about the bill. Moore said the state wants to improve its poor academic ranking, and more face-to-face instruction will help. McCane said virtual school days should have structure and not be a packet sent home. But she said virtual school days should be an option in the event of bad weather or excessive teacher absences. Districts would lose the flexibility to utilize that option moving forward. Rep. Cynthia Roe, R-Lindsay, said her grandson had a virtual day two weeks ago and completed his work in 45 minutes. This bill fixes that issue. The measure passed the state House by a 53-32 vote. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma House panel advances bills impacting virtual school days, tutoring programs
Jenks High School students attend an advanced chemistry class at the Jenks Public Schools Math and Science Center on Nov. 13. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — Senate bills limiting virtual school days and expanding school tutoring are a crucial step closer to becoming law after passing the first House committee stage on Monday. A House subcommittee focused on education funding approved a lengthy slate of bills in its final meeting of the 2025 legislative session. The bundle of bills now advances to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee for consideration. The panel advanced one of the Senate's priority education bills, Senate Bill 758. The legislation would limit public schools to two virtual learning days per academic year, if the state superintendent approves the district's online instruction plan or if the governor issues a state of emergency in the district. The bill originated from Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, and the Senate's top lawmaker, President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle. The House's No. 2 Republican leader, Speaker Pro Tem Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, presented SB 758 to the subcommittee. 'If we're serious about actually educating our kids, they need to be in chairs with qualified professionals to help them understand what they're learning, and that's the only way they're going to learn and grow,' Moore said while debating in favor of the bill. The subcommittee's two Democrats, Rep. Michelle McCane and Rep. John Waldron, both of Tulsa, voted against the measure. McCane said some guardrails on online school days are appropriate but found the limitations in SB 758 too narrow. Waldron said the Legislature should address Oklahoma's teacher shortage first. The bill passed 7-4, with dissenting votes from two GOP members — Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, and Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada. Neither spoke against the bill. The subcommittee advanced another bill that could extend students' time in classrooms. SB 409 would require districts to add a school day for every increase of $25 million the Legislature adds to the education funding formula, which is the chief driver of state appropriations to public schools. The panel's chairperson, Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, said the bill would ensure students benefit from future funding increases. The bill's senate author, Education Committee leader Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, said at the beginning of the legislative session that he filed the bill with the hope of boosting education funding by $125 million, thereby adding another five days to the school year. Another bill from Moore would dedicate funds for students who need extra help in math. SB 215, called the Oklahoma Math Achievement and Proficiency Act, would require students in second through fifth grade to take three math screening tests each school year. Children testing above their grade level would have the option to take an advanced math program. Schools would have to develop a math intervention plan, involving remediation and tutoring, within 30 days of a student scoring below grade level. The bill would cost between $10.2 million and $13.2 million, according to a fiscal impact estimate from House staff. Improving math skills in Oklahoma's future workforce is worth the investment, Moore said. National testing found 31% of Oklahoma fourth graders scored proficiently in math and 23% in reading. By eighth grade, levels dropped further to 17% proficiency in math and 20% in reading. The subcommittee approved the bill with an 8-2 vote. McCane and Waldron cast the only two votes against the legislation after voicing concerns of adding to teachers' workload and affording the bill in a tight-budget year. The two Democrats also were the only to oppose a new K-8 high-dosage tutoring program outlined in SB 245. The bill, which passed unanimously in the Senate, advanced from the House subcommittee 8-2. The legislation from Sen. Dusty Deevers and Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, both Republicans from Elgin, is expected to cost $7.18 million. The bill would pay teachers or hired contractors $1,600 for each cohort of students they tutor per semester in reading or math. Tutors could earn $1,000 for every grade-level increase that each student improves. Waldron and McCane questioned whether the tutoring sessions would match the quality and methods of instruction provided during school hours. Hasenbeck said the program would complement Moore's math achievement bill. 'This bill meets the kids where they are and teaches them the skills they need to have,' she said during Monday's meeting. Two bills earned unanimous support from the subcommittee. SB 140 would extend the application window for the Oklahoma's Promise Scholarship to Dec. 31 of a high school student's senior year. Students must apply by the end of 11th grade under current law. There is no fiscal impact estimate for the bill. SB 235 would offer matching funds to districts that give financial aid to employees working toward a college degree in education. These initiatives, known as Grow Your Own Teacher Programs, help aspiring teachers graduate from college and achieve a teaching certification. The expected fiscal impact from the bill is $5.2 million, said its House author, Rep. Dell Kerbs, R-Shawnee. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill that would significantly limit virtual learning days for Oklahoma students advances
A bill that would prohibit Oklahoma school districts and charter schools from counting virtual instruction days toward the 180-day or 1,080-hour school-year requirement moved forward in a House subcommittee on Monday despite bipartisan opposition. Supporters have cast Senate Bill 758 as a way to ensure students have more in-person learning, which they believe will lead to improved academic outcomes. Opponents counter that decisions about how to divvy up instructional time should best be left to local school boards. The bill passed 7-4 in the House Appropriations and Budget education subcommittee, with Republicans Toni Hasenbeck, of Elgin, and Ronny Johns, of Ada, joining Democrats John Waldron, of Tulsa, and Michelle McCane, of Tulsa, in opposing the bill. The measure is sponsored by House Speaker Pro Tempore Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, and Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, the chair of the subcommittee. More: State education board meeting suddenly postponed after member asks about violation State Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, is the bill's original author. She's making a second attempt on the bill this year after it failed to make it through the legislative process in 2024. The current version of the bill passed 33-14 in the Senate — with some far-right senators joining Democrats in opposition — after squeaking through the Senate Education Committee by a 7-5 vote. 'The main goal behind this is to get kids into classrooms,' Moore said, later adding, 'We either are serious about moving forward in the state or we're not.' The bill proposes that starting with the 2026-27 school year, districts and charter schools would be permitted to close and provide virtual instruction for just two days, or 12 hours, per school year, and only if the state schools superintendent approves a plan adopted by a local school board, the governor issues a state of emergency affecting school operations and the school district's board authorizes the use of virtual instruction. 'Parents expect schools to be open and fully operational throughout the academic year. While technology can serve as a resource in emergencies, it should never replace the daily structure and social interaction that come with traditional classroom instruction,' Thompson said when the bill passed the Senate. Some rural schools offer four-day in-person learning, with a fifth day either without classes or with virtual learning, which has become a common tool for districts large and small since the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, Hasenbeck said 'five or six' districts she represents have used the four-day school model for years and that one of those districts — which she didn't name — 'is way outperforming other schools in my district.' Waldron and McCane both brought up concerns about whether the bill would usurp the decision-making process of local school boards. Waldron also said the bill could have the unintended consequence of chasing teachers away from their profession during the middle of a major teacher shortage in Oklahoma. 'Let's address the teacher shortage first and address all other problems after that,' Waldron said. Outside of the meeting, an advocate for rural schools said if the bill becomes law, it would eliminate one of the few ways rural schools have of recruiting teachers. Erika Buzzard Wright, the director of the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition, said schools using four-day weeks is no different from a business letting employees work four 10-hour days as opposed to five eight-hour days. 'They are complexly upending communities that support this and are doing well with this,' Wright said. 'Not every community fits into the same box. A four-day district works very well for our rural districts, and many of them have been doing this for decades. The vast majority of these districts are recruiting in hard-to-recruit areas and they're also competing with Texas schools that can go four days a week and offer more money.' Senate Bill 758 advances to the full House Appropriations and Budget Committee. If approved there, it would move to the House floor. Gov. Kevin Stitt already has indicated he's a fan of the bill. In a post on X on Friday, he said, 'As bills reach my desk, we have to prioritize common sense. I'm excited to see SB 758 head to the House. This bill ensures virtual instruction days don't count toward the 180-day school year, except in specific cases. Kids learn better in the classroom — it's just common sense.' This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma bill to limit virtual learning days advances
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers approve bill limiting use of Virtual School days
OKLAHOMA CITY – On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Senate Education Committee approved Senate Bill 758 advancing the elimination of virtual school days with the exception of emergency. Authors of the bill, Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, and Senator Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, say, the bill proposes students undergo in-person instruction with the ability to exercise emergency virtual days. Supt. Walters seeks AG clarification on Trump's executive order on federal education money 'Virtual learning has its place, but in limited circumstances,' Sen. Thompson said. 'We have seen that in-person instruction is the most effective way to educate our students. Senate Bill 758 strikes a balance by allowing emergency virtual days when absolutely necessary while holding districts accountable for ensuring students are engaged and meeting learning requirements.' Senate Bill 758, will allow school districts and charter schools to designate emergency virtual days under the following circumstances: inclement weather teacher or staff shortages due to illness building maintenance issues Pro Tem Paxton reacted to the bill's passing out of committee, saying, 'Oklahoma students perform best and learn best when they are in the classroom, receiving direct instruction from their teachers,' Pro Tem Paxton said. 'Senate Bill 758 establishes clear guidelines for when virtual instruction is appropriate while reinforcing our commitment to in-person education. This ensures our students receive the best education possible. Virtual learning has been disastrous, and more classroom instruction will help us improve education outcomes.' Additionally, the bill will require school audits to verify compliance. Lawmakers say the bill would require the State Department of Education to publish an annual report detailing emergency virtual day usage by June 30, beginning in 2026. Consideration of Senate Bill 758 now moves to the Senate Floor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
