Beth Wallis
Reporter for StateImpact OklahomaBeth Wallis holds a journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma. Originally from Tulsa, she also graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor's degree in music education and a master's degree in conducting performance. She was a band director at a public school for five years.
Beth is an alumnus of the Carnegie-Knight News21 Fellowship and NPR Next Generation Radio. She's been recognized for her work by the Hearst Awards, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Collegiate Press and the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association. She was awarded Best Podcast from the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists for her series "At the Seams," which explores Norman's relationships with political division, police funding and its own racial history.
Beth enjoys hiking, playing with her four dogs and discovering new favorite musical artists.
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Thursday’s State Board of Education meeting saw the passage of a permanent rule change on student gender designations, the suspension of several educators’ teaching certificates and the appearance of a controversial conservative media figure.
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Gov. Kevin Stitt named Nellie Tayloe Sanders as the state’s new Secretary of Education Wednesday.
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The Department of Education overpaid at least $290,000 in teacher bonuses and is working to claw back the money mere months after it was distributed. Nine teachers have been issued demands for repayment.
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State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced in a news release Tuesday he was appointing Chaya Raichik to the department’s Library Media Advisory Committee. Raichik is behind the far-right X (formerly Twitter) account, LibsofTikTok.
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The first Monday in February marks the beginning of the Oklahoma legislative session. And Oklahoma lawmakers are gearing up to consider thousands of bills. Our reporters will be there to cover them. Here’s what they’ll be watching for leading up to the convening of the 2024 legislature.
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Superintendent Ryan Walters announced Wednesday the State Department of Education is likely ending long-standing relationships with major statewide education organizations.
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Plaintiffs in one of the lawsuits against the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School will get another chance to disqualify the judge assigned to the case.
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Rep. Jim Olsen (R-Roland) filed a bill last week that would mandate hanging the Ten Commandments in Oklahoma’s public school classrooms.
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No district in Oklahoma is under the State Board of Education’s microscope quite like Tulsa Public Schools. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis and OPMX’s Max Bryan have this update on how TPS’ state-mandated improvement plan is going so far and the work that lies ahead.
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State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced new administrative rules targeting DEI in K-12 schools at Thursday’s December Board of Education meeting.