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Oklahoma online portal leads to influx of complaints to state education officials

Varun Gaba
Unsplash
Varun Gaba

A new reporting system launched in late October allows Oklahomans to report problems at schools. The new system has led to an increase in complaints, according to the State Department of Education.

The new portal system,Awareity, allows anyone to report an issue in schools on a wide range of options — like curriculum and instruction to fraud and embezzlement.

The portal also allows people to select the county and location of the issue they are reporting.

It comes amid a push by politicians like the newly elected, incoming State Superintendent of Public InstructionRyan Walters, who has called for parents to raise the alarm about potential House Bill 1775 violations – also known as Oklahoma’s so-called critical race theory ban.

The State Department of Education said since the portal went live on October 26, there have been a total of 24 reports received.

Eight of those reports involved bullying, and another seven involved issues with professional standards or educator conduct. Other reports that were filed include issues with safety and security, child nutrition, civil rights and more.

Data provided by the Oklahoma State Department of Education shows the number of reports issued to the new portal, Awareity.
Data provided by the Oklahoma State Department of Education shows the number of reports issued to the new portal, Awareity.

The portal allows people to report anonymously, but so far 16 of the total reports have been filed by parents or guardians.

The Awareity site says that “community input is highly valued” to make important decisions for schools.

This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.

Kateleigh Mills joined KOSU in March 2018, following her undergraduate degree completion from the University of Central Oklahoma in December 2017.
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