OSSBA’s new member portal has features designed to improve the experience for school board members and administrative employees of member school districts. While much of the member portal will look familiar and operates similar to the existing portal, we’ve also made improvements based on feedback received since we first launched the member portal two years […]

By Kim Bishop, OSSBA Staff Attorney In the last few years, there has been a growing trend of individuals making private donations to public school districts and teachers. It is common for school foundations and PTAs to raise money for schools, mainly for extras such as school trips or playground equipment. Private donations are now being made to public school districts and teachers for day-to-day operational expenses. The internet has further enabled this trend by making it easy to donate to public schools and teachers.  Social […]

By Jessica Sherrill, Director of OPSUCA and Staff Attorney  Can a support employee who is contracted for 150 days be terminated for cause without a hearing?  Yes, a support employee who has worked less than a year, or 172 days, can be terminated without any due process. In fact, school law doesn’t require the school to provide any reason for termination. The support […]

By Shawn Hime “Education is the key to building a better Oklahoma.” That recent comment from Phil Albert, a Claremore business owner, a University of Oklahoma regent and a member of the Step Up Oklahoma coalition, was more than just a statement of fact. It was a much-needed message of hope for educators, families and […]

The week of Oct. 11, districts will receive information about student performance on state-mandated tests taken last spring. As district and school leaders begin analyzing that information, it’s important board members be aware of how these test scores differ from information reported in prior years. The scores that will be released soon aren’t comparable to those […]

Employment Law Q & A By Jessica Sherrill, Director of OPSUCA and Staff Attorney Can a support employee who is contracted for 150 days be terminated for cause without a hearing? Yes, a support employee who has worked less than a year, or 172 days, can be terminated without any due process. In fact, school […]

Don’t Give Out Paydays like They’re Candy By Jessica Sherrill, Director of OPSUCA and Staff Attorney We give out Payday candy bars at the OPSUCA booth in the Exhibit Hall of the Annual OSSBA-CCOSA Conference! This will be my 10th conference as a member of the OSSBA legal team and the Director of OPSUCA, and […]

  OSSBA issued a trio of legislative alerts today on several key bills that are in committee next week. You can read more about each bill and find contact information for the respective committees in the emails below: Reading Sufficiency Act (third-grade reading bill/retention) and mandatory grading policies: Read the alert Proposed changes to ad […]

By Christy Watson My 9-year-old son spent the first day of his fall break getting braces. My husband and I considered whether we should wait until he’s a bit older but opted for what we agreed offers the best long-term outcome. Hopefully, this dental intervention will prevent some future issues that might be more painful […]

On Thursday, the state Board of Education will consider approving 107 emergency teaching certificates. If approved, Oklahoma will have more than 1,000 people teaching with emergency certificates for the second straight year. A few things to consider: Nearly half of the 926 emergency certificates approved to date are for early childhood and elementary education. The […]