Oklahoma State School Boards Association

ADVOCACY
RESOURCES

Advocacy is:

shaping public policy through outreach, relationships, research and grassroots support.

In order to be an effective legislator, elected officials rely on constituent input. Ongoing communication is key for public representatives to know and understand how voters feel about particular issues.

Find and contact your legislators here.

Oklahoma House of Representative Directories

Oklahoma Senate Directories

2022 Redistricting

As a school board member, your responsibility in communicating with members of the legislature is important, but so is communicating with your community.

This toolkit seeks not only to provide tips on effective advocacy at the state capitol building but also in your hometowns with community members, business owners, city council, faith leaders and community volunteers.

OSSBA 2022-23 TARGET LEGISLATIVE GOALS

State

  • The Oklahoma State School Boards Association supports the local board’s authority in retaining autonomy over local matters including consolidation and exercising the authority of their roles and responsibilities as defined in the School Laws of Oklahoma. 
  • Oppose the use of vouchers masquerading as tax credits and/or incentives as a method of funding non-public education. 
  • Reinvest in our public schools through a long-term funding plan to bring state per-student expenditures to the regional average, equipping schools with the tools and resources to improve student achievement and produce college and career-ready students. 
  • Amend the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act to allow public bodies to enter into executive session for the purpose of self-evaluation of the public body. 
  • Standardize the date school board members would begin a new term following annual elections so that all new terms for school board members would begin following the April general election date. 
  • Examine ways to reduce the teacher shortage crisis, including but not limited to the pathways to teacher certification. 
  • Maintain the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology as an independent state agency supporting all facets of Oklahoma’s career and technical education programs.  

Federal

  • Ensure the United States Department of Education rules and regulations retain flexibility and local control provided for under the Every Student Succeeds Act.
  • Protect federal funding for education.
  • Advocate for funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) at 40% of special education costs.

The OSSBA Legislative Goals make the OSSBA’s Legislative Agenda for the upcoming year and also set the OSSBA policy. These goals are voted on during our annual summer conference at Delegate Assembly by school board members. These particular goals were adopted on August 27, 2022. These goals are formed using submissions made by school board members to the Government Relations Committee of the OSSBA, who then present them at Delegate Assembly for adoption. These goals serve as a reference for you as a school board member to know what OSSBA stands for, as well as serves as a roadmap for your OSSBA staff in their work every day for school boards at the OSSBA.

Download a PDF of OSSBA’s Target Legislative Goals

2022 Legislative Review

A recap of new legislation impacting Oklahoma public education.

Advocacy Feedback Form

After contacting a legislator, please complete this form to provide information important to OSSBA's ongoing advocacy efforts.
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