Proposed Rule ‘Detrimental’ To State’s All-Virtual Alternative Education School
The State Board of Education is considering proposed rules that would require in-person attendance for alternative education schools.
That would impact the state’s only all-virtual alternative education school.
Insight School of Oklahoma serves about 1,100 students across the state through a virtual platform.
But if a new administrative rule is approved, that may not be the case for much longer.
That’s because the rule would require its students to show up in-person for class for at least 4 hours everyday.
Jennifer Wilkinson is Insight’s Head of School, and says the flexibility of the all-virtual school is especially important for alternative education students, many of whom have circumstances like jobs or parenting that interfere with physically coming to school.
“It would take away a flexibility that a number of our students, in our school do count on to be able to fulfill their obligations in their community, their work and with their families, as well as continuing to work towards their high school diploma,” Wilkinson said.
Public comments on the new rule can be emailed to the state department, and a public hearing will be held Wednesday afternoon at the Oliver Hodge building in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma Representative Joins Health Caucus
Oklahoma City Democratic Rep. Ellyn Hefner is joining a nonpartisan health caucus spanning six states to draft policy related to affordability, access and the health care workforce.
State Representative Hefner’s first in-person meeting with the caucus was at a conference last week, and she says legislators and public health agencies discussed policy for people in communities without access to health services.
Members of the caucus will run a bill with nuances to fit each state it represents. That includes Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
Hefner says she’s excited to work more with Heartland Forward, the nonprofit behind the effort.
The group will help the states involved with research so they can see what’s possible in their communities.
Oklahoma is the first state to see policy from the caucus, with an initial bill deadline of December 8th.
Longtime Norman Community Thanksgiving Dinner Needs Turkey Donations
Food and Shelter will host its annual community Thanksgiving dinner in Norman next week.
Food and Shelter is an outreach organization aimed at helping those in need of food and housing.
Its traditional Thanksgiving meal started about 40 years ago and has grown every year since.
The group says it needs at least 100 turkeys to feed the Norman community.
Food and Shelter Director April Doshier says this year, the expected attendance is at least 1,200 people.
“It’s a really festive environment where people who don’t know each other when they get there leave as friends. We would just love for anybody who needs a meal this Thanksgiving to come and join us,” Doshier said.
The community meal will be held on Thanksgiving Day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Norman High School.
All community members are invited to the event.
Record November Heat
The state experienced record heat last week.
The Oklahoma Mesonet reported a 95 degree reading in Hollis, Oklahoma on Nov. 7.
State Climatologist Gary McManus says they looked through the record books for a hotter day in early November.
“Back in 1937, we had a station at Coalgate, Oklahoma, get 95 degrees. That was the only other time it's happened in November or December," McManus said.
McManus says that occurred on the first of November of that year.
The 95 degree temperature in Hollis on Nov. 7 is the latest that high of a temperature has been recorded in the state dating back to the 1880s.
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