OKC Public Schools

[SouthSide]

While I wish them the best, they have been drafting improvement plans since I attended OKC public schools in the 70s & 80s without much success.

[Plutonic Panda]

Oklahoma City School District will spend more than $50,000 on apitude tests for thousands of high school sophomores and juniors | News OK

[Plutonic Panda]

Superintendent finds ?critical issues? facing OKC schools | Oklahoma City - OKC - KOCO.com

[Plutonic Panda]

Changes in store for OKC School Board meetings | News OK

[Plutonic Panda]

Rob McKinley Resigns As COO Of OKCPS - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[ljbab728]

If anyone thinks the OKCPS district has problems just be glad were aren't in these kind of problems.

State board votes to take over Little Rock School District | NewsOK.com

The Arkansas Board of Education voted Wednesday to take control of Little Rock schools less than six months after a federal judge granted more independence to the historically embattled district and ended a quarter-century of payments to boost integration.
The education board voted to immediately remove the seven-member Little Rock School District board. The superintendent, Dexter Suggs, will remain on an interim basis and report to the state Department of Education commissioner. State education officials also voted to create an advisory committee of parents, students, business leaders and other community members.

[ljbab728]

Another plus coming.

http://www.oklahoman.com/article/538...rter%20Schools

Oklahoma City Public Schools leadership has agreed to double the size of a successful southside charter school program in an attempt to reduce overcrowding at other schools.

Santa Fe South Schools would absorb more than 1,000 students from surrounding schools under the proposal, which Oklahoma City Superintendent Rob Neu said he has asked the school board to approve.
Santa Fe South Superintendent Chris Brewster said the plan would “significantly increase” enrollment at the charter school, which has six locations and serves roughly 1,200 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade.
Santa Fe South High School received a B-plus on the state’s latest report card, missing an A by one point. Nearly 90 percent of students who attend the school are Hispanic. Santa Fe South Middle School received a C-minus on its latest grade card, according to statistics provided by the Oklahoma City district.

[Plutonic Panda]

OKCPS Concerned Over Change In Funding - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[SouthSide]

What I don't understand is after all the money spent to improve the appearance of the schools, they have chosen to ring the schools with telephone poles with lights on them. Jefferson Middle School looks like a prison yard. They have created an eyesore in the neighborhood.

[Architect2010]

What I don't understand is after all the money spent to improve the appearance of the schools, they have chosen to ring the schools with telephone poles with lights on them. Jefferson Middle School looks like a prison yard. They have created an eyesore in the neighborhood.

They've been doing that for a while... even prior to renovations at some schools like Southeast. Which I can personally attest to. I would imagine it is to keep the campuses well lit and to deter vandalism to school property and the investments made. Sure they aren't the prettiest, but they do their job.

Also, Jefferson does not look like a prison yard to me. Then again I'm one of the people who doesn't mind telephone/electricity poles everywhere. I don't really consider them out of the context of their built environment. Who knows, I'm a Southsider too so I'll just have to swing by Blackwelder and see for myself.

[ou48A]

This problem is not unique to just this OKC school on the link, its virtually district wide.

Teachers, support staff and principles are not safe or effective at teaching because of new rules that don’t stop discipline issues with kids. The new OKC superintendent Nue will not remove nearly enough students with ongoing or serious discipline issues. His new policy’s makes it become a highly disruptive learning environment where the vast majority of kids are being punished for life, with lower learning opportunity’s, all for the sake of trying to save one or 2 messed up students in a class room that in some cases are well beyond the abilities of a normal school to save.

By many personal accounts the new OKC superintendent is considered a disaster. I’m told that he hasn’t moved his family to the OKC area (in a very tight money environment) the OKC district is paying for him to fly home to the Seattle area on Fridays and that he doesn’t return until Monday mornings… So it appears that he is a part time CEO. …

IMO Rob Neu should be fired ASAP. The school board members should be held fully accountable for what they let happen.

In Oklahoma City, Roosevelt Middle School teachers say lack of student discipline could mean departure | News OK

[ou48A]

As many as eight of 11 high schools in the Oklahoma City district could have new principals when school starts in August, in what some are calling an unprecedented shake-up.

Oklahoma City school district experiences high number of turnover among high school principals | News OK

[dankrutka]

I don't know enough to evaluate Neu (although I've liked what I've heard from him), but what is your suggestion for OKCPS' over-suspension problem? Something has to change if you're suspending black males at the highest rate in the nation (isn't that the stat?).

[ou48A]

I don't know enough to evaluate Neu (although I've liked what I've heard from him), but what is your suggestion for OKCPS' over-suspension problem? Something has to change if you're suspending black males at the highest rate in the nation (isn't that the stat?).

What I can tell you that there are many older black teachers in the district who know the damage that making a race issue out of this does…and that’s what Nue has done…. Black teachers suspend black kids at very high rates for cause too. They hate what the culture has done to the youth....
Most older black teachers know that when people try making anything a race issue, they make the problem much worse and totally inflame the situation. They hate the people who race bate for statistics. They know students are being suspended for cause and not race. Most know that it’s their culture that is broken.

Virtually no one that I know of who has daily involvement in the OKC schools thinks Nue’s solutions will be anything but a complete disaster.

My solution would be to isolate the serious discipline issues in schools that are operated like Seaworth but the district must be willing to fund and greatly expand these types of schools!

[dankrutka]

So... your way to address OKCPS' highest suspension of black students in the nation problem is to blame the kid's broken culture? Is youth black culture different in OKC than in other parts of the country? Addressing statistically proven racial problems in the district is not race-baiting. Yeah, not buying your explanation.

[ou48A]

So... your way to address OKCPS' highest suspension of black students in the nation problem is to blame the kid's broken culture? Is youth black culture different in OKC than in other parts of the country? Addressing statistically proven racial problems in the district is not race-baiting. Yeah, not buying your explanation.

You’re twisting my words…. so this will be my last response to you!

Kids who break the rules and laws are and should be punished equally regardless of race…
You cannot stop punishing bad behavior regardless of who is doing it. Anything else only serves to enable the poor behavior that often grows worse with age when it goes unchecked.

Nobody deserves special privileges ….When the majority of students in the district are minority’s the majority of discipline problems will be with minorities.
Increasing anyone including the minorities who can are going to move out to the suburbs or send their kids to privet schools which will only hinder the redevelopment of the inter core of OKC.....

[dankrutka]

You’re twisting my words…. so this will be my last response to you!

Kids who break the rules and laws are and should be punished equally regardless of race…
You cannot stop punishing bad behavior regardless of who is doing it. Anything else only serves to enable the poor behavior that often grows worse with age when it goes unchecked.

Nobody deserves special privileges ….When the majority of students in the district are minority’s the majority of discipline problems will be with minorities.
Increasing anyone including the minorities who can are going to move out to the suburbs or send their kids to privet schools which will only hinder the redevelopment of the inter core of OKC.....

Whenever your suspension rates are way out of wack then you have to reassess what you're doing. You can't just say breaking rules is bad. Is far more complex than that? Are the rules just or at least prudent? Is the learning environment supportive? Are the students' and their communities involved and respected in the school?

I did not try to twist your words. Sorry if it seemed that way.

[ljbab728]

Teresa Rose with the OKC Chamber discussing the Oklahoma City Schools compact.

Teresa Rose of OKC Chamber talks partership with schools

[ljbab728]

Some positive news for a change.

OKC district's changes add up to big gains on math scores | NewsOK.com

[Canoe]

The new school grades are up at the state website.

[Plutonic Panda]

Oklahoma City public schools adopt new code of conduct | KFOR.com

[Plutonic Panda]

Update for the OKC Public school regarding the recent budget cuts.

Budget cuts will cost Oklahoma City Public Schools about $1.5 million in state aid and that amount could grow to $4 million in the coming weeks, district officials warned Monday night.

Oklahoma's largest school district learned earlier in the day it will receive a mid-year payment of $105,490,673 instead of $107,059,553, a difference of $1,568,880, according to figures provided by the state Education Department.

The department has yet to determine the amount of cuts to mid-year funding for health benefits and school activities, but Chief Financial Officer Jean Bostwick told school board members she is projecting an additional loss of about $1.4 million.

"What's different and catastrophic about the situation this year is ... there are no federal funds to make up the difference in state funding here," Bostwick said.

Last week, the state Board of Education approved a $46.7 million funding cut for the fiscal year ending June 30, including a $25 million reduction in funding that goes to schools.

- Oklahoma City Public Schools hit hard by mid-year budget cuts | News OK

[ou48A]

Oklahoma City public schools adopt new code of conduct | KFOR.com

Since this past fall crime is now rampant in virtually all Oklahoma City Public Schools…
If they don’t quickly get crime under control well before spring break in Oklahoma City Public Schools will lose vast numbers of their staff following this school year.

The new superintendent of OKCPS has very low discipline standards and as a result a crime wave is now well under way……

The local media is way under reporting on the crime story in OKCPS

[Jersey Boss]

Just curious as to the basis of "crime is now rampant"? Have you seen police reports or some other documentation? Is it all crime, property crimes, violent crimes or what? Is it higher in all schools or only in certain wards? Thanks.

[checkthat]

Since this past fall crime is now rampant in virtually all Oklahoma City Public Schools…
If they don’t quickly get crime under control well before spring break in Oklahoma City Public Schools will lose vast numbers of their staff following this school year.

The new superintendent of OKCPS has very low discipline standards and as a result a crime wave is now well under way……

The local media is way under reporting on the crime story in OKCPS

Good call:

Five arrested following OKC school fight that went viral on Facebook | Oklahoma City - OKC - KOCO.com