Statement from OSSBA Executive Director Shawn Hime regarding education funding and teacher pay: “Our hope is legislators will unite and act swiftly on a plan that will encourage Oklahoma’s hard-working teachers and keep them in the classroom. Every day that passes without a solution for long-term education funding and competitive teacher pay exacerbates an already […]

Statement from Shawn Hime, executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, on HB1033xx vote Today’s disappointing vote rolled out the welcome mat for Texas, Kansas and Arkansas to lure away even more of Oklahoma’s talented teachers. Some lawmakers continue to play partisan politics while students and teachers continue to suffer. That’s unacceptable; they’ve suffered enough. […]

Five Oklahoma school board members have been named to the Oklahoma State School Boards Association’s 2018 All-State School Board for their outstanding service on their local school boards and to the state. A sixth board member was selected as the OSSBA Distinguished Service Award honoree. The winners are: Les Pettitt, a member of the Bethany […]

Oklahoma is falling further behind neighboring states and the nation when it comes to education investment, according to new federal data released Tuesday.   Despite a slight increase in per-student current spending in Oklahoma, the new report from the National Center for Education Statistics reveals the gap between per-student spending in Oklahoma compared to the regional average has widened by $115 million. Oklahoma would need […]

Statement from Shawn Hime, executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association: “The governor’s action today was typical of the cheap political theater we continue to see at the state Capitol and shamefully ignores the difficult reality facing Oklahoma schools.   Calling for school consolidation is simply a distraction designed to score political points. Oklahoma has a serious […]

Statement from Oklahoma State School Boards Association Executive Director Shawn Hime on the Special Legislative Session: “Make no mistake: The legislature’s inability to pass a forward-thinking budget is bad for Oklahoma’s children. Thousands of Oklahoma students are being taught by underqualified, underprepared teachers in overcrowded classrooms. Gov. Fallin asked lawmakers to fund a teacher pay […]

Oklahoma State School Boards Association Executive Director Shawn Hime issued the following statement on HB1054x: “Once again, political gamesmanship and partisan politics have won the day at the expense of Oklahoma children and families. Holding out for a perfect plan when a strong compromise is on the table is incredibly short-sighted. I urge state leaders […]

  Brandon Carey, an Oklahoma native with deep experience in education law, will join the Oklahoma State School Boards Association legal team in January, OSSBA Executive Director Shawn Hime announced Monday. Since 2013, Carey has served as general counsel for Oklahoma City Public Schools. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Central […]

Twenty Oklahoma educators have been selected for the inaugural class of the Emerging Leaders Academy, a new leadership development program for aspiring superintendents. The academy, a joint effort of the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration and the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, is designed to strengthen Oklahoma’s education leadership pipeline. Participants will attend multiple […]

OSSBA Executive Director Shawn Hime issued the following statement on today’s bipartisan budget resolution and the ongoing budget negotiations: “The Senate’s passage of a bipartisan budget resolution calling for more diversified revenue sources and challenging House members to pass a budget plan represents meaningful progress. I’m optimistic this will help break the budget impasse. Painful budget […]