Sex abuse lawsuit against Oklahoma school to continue

"A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit alleging officials at an Oklahoma school did nothing to stop sexual attacks against a middle school student," the Associated Press reports.

Mounds student said she had sex with coach 'about 100 times'

"A former Mounds High School Girls basketball coach has posted bond after being charged in connection with inappropriate relationships with two students," the News on 6 reports. "Brett Brooksher was booked Tuesday on charges of second-degree rape and sexual battery. Court documents say one of Brooksher's former players said she had sex with him about 100 times starting when she was a junior."

Scholarship organizations are changing lives

Andrew Rice runs a unique school serving students who are battling to overcome addiction. Oklahoma's tax-credit scholarship program helps students like this—and many more.

Mapping drive-times from private schools in Oklahoma

"More than three-quarters of Oklahoma families could drive their K–12 students to a private school in 20 minutes or less," according to researchers at EdChoice.

Former Cleveland school employee pleads guilty to second-degree rape

The News on 6 has the story.

Teacher raps venerable civil-rights organization

"The National Rifle Association has manufactured a world where schools must ask 'when' and not 'if'" school shootings will occur, writes Mid-Del social-studies teacher Aaron Baker.

The difference between roads and education

"Parks, roads, even policing, don’t come close to the intensely and fundamentally personal—fundamentally human—purpose of education," Neal McCluskey writes. "To assert that letting taxpaying families choose their schools is akin to letting them build private thoroughfares or parks with public dollars at best trivializes education, at worst threatens basic freedom. Indeed, far from calling for government control, the nature of education cries out for letting all people choose."

Andrew Spiropoulos and I touched on this same subject here.

Oklahoma voters support educational choice

According to a new statewide survey commissioned by OCPA and conducted by Cor Strategies (502 likely Oklahoma voters; the margin of error is plus/minus 4.37 percent):

• Oklahoma voters support educational choice. Among Republicans, the support is overwhelming.
• When asked what type of school they would select for their own children, roughly half of Oklahomans say they would choose a traditional public school. 
• A plurality of Oklahomans says public schools lack accountability.

Click on the links above to learn more. Trent England and I discussed the survey results today on The Trent England Show. (Be sure to catch the show every weekday at lunchtime on OCPA’s Facebook and YouTube channels. If you miss it live, Trent's archive is here or listen to the podcast on Soundcloud or iTunes.)

Sexual battery, assault charges filed against Jones High School teacher

KFOR has the story.

Overview of the history and status of teachers' unions

Very informative slide deck from Bellwether Education Partners here.

Children's and teens' suicides related to the school calendar

As tragic as school shootings are, writes Boston College psychology professor Dr. Peter Gray, they are dwarfed by another school-related tragedy: suicide. 

"The evidence is now overwhelming that our coercive system of schooling plays a large role in these deaths," he writes. Moreover, "actual suicides and emergency mental health admissions are just the tip of the iceberg of the distress that school produces in young people."

Homeschooling surges as parents seek escape from shootings, violence

"Violence and bullying are a driving force," Valerie Richardson reports for the Washington Times, "but school shootings tip the balance for many."

Former principal of Harrah elementary school charged with felony child abuse

The Oklahoman has the story.