State Superintendent Ryan Walters Demands More From Tulsa Schools
Thursday’s State Board of Education meeting saw more progress reports from Tulsa Public Schools and denying student requests to change gender markers.
Tulsa Public Schools interim Superintendent Ebony Johnson presented a lengthy report to the board, outlining comprehensive processes being implemented to improve reading outcomes.
Johnson referenced projections based on several models that say the district is on track to have 700 more students proficient by the end of the year, but their target is higher. State Superintendent Ryan Walters wanted more.
"We want bigger, right? We want much more than that, and again, I appreciate you saying that. So what happens then when you look at that number and say, alright, well, we want, you know, 4,000 to be there, or whatever the number may be," Walters said.
The board also denied requests from Cushing and Moore Public Schools to alter gender designations on prior school records for certain students — something it voted in September to require its authorization for.
Lawmakers Reject Gaming Compacts For Two Small Oklahoma Tribes
Oklahoma lawmakers are rejecting a pair of compacts that would have allowed two tribal nations to offer gaming outside of their boundaries.
Oklahoma Voice reports leaders of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and the Kialegee Tribal Town say they’re disappointed.
They had negotiated compacts with Gov. Kevin Stitt to open casinos in Guthrie and eastern Oklahoma County.
However, the Legislature’s 10-member Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations rejected the idea.
Lawmakers say they’re concerned about the tribal nations opening operations roughly 100 miles away from their headquarters.
There is ongoing litigation over the potential future of the casinos. So, there is a possibility they could still open in the future.
Ardmore Michelin Plant To Wind Down Tire Production Operations
A major employer in South Central Oklahoma will be shutting down its tire production operations in the next two years. Michelin announced it will be “winding down” its operations at the plant by the end of 2025.
About 1,400 people will be losing their jobs because of the winddown. That doesn't include contractors or other businesses that will also be impacted by the loss of production.
The Ardmore tire factory has been a major employer in the region for decades, opening its doors in 1970.
Michelin says in a news release that the Ardmore plant isn’t equipped to evolve with market demands for tires. The company will be moving production to other passenger-tire plants across the continent.
The winddown will be complete by the end of 2025. Some rubber-mixing operations are expected to continue.
EPA Justice Grants
The EPA is distributing $128 million worth of environmental justice grants to fund projects in the Chickasaw Nation and Oklahoma City.
The Chickasaw Nation will receive an Environmental Justice Government-to-Government grant to develop a community science stream monitoring program on the tribe’s treaty land.
The Chickasaw Nation wants this long-term project to help people engage with water issues where they live. The community-gathered data will inform solutions for watershed improvement projects within the Nation.
Another grant will go to OKC-based non-profit Open Design Collaborative as part of a second EPA Environmental Justice program. That project will rehabilitate a public outdoor space in OKC’s historically Black JFK neighborhood on the east side of town. The new space, Culture Park, will incorporate native plants and air monitoring to improve air quality for nearby residents.
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