Special education teacher accused of dragging, choking, punching students

"A former Oklahoma teacher is facing two misdemeanor charges after witnesses say she physically injured her special education students," Florida station WFTV reports.

Getting serious about school safety

"It’s time to set aside political agendas and get serious about school safety," says Heritage Foundation president Kay Coles James.

Ugly letters from parents force Ada coach to leave

"After leading the Ada High baseball team to one of its most successful seasons in recent history, head coach Austin Jarvis announced his resignation Friday morning," The Ada News reports.

Jarvis took over a Cougar baseball program that had managed just 14 wins combined over its past two seasons. ... However, after being eliminated in regional play the following day, Jarvis returned to the Ada High baseball facility and found a couple of nasty, anonymous letters from parents taped to the locker room door. ...

“This is basically what it said. ‘You’re obviously a good coach, but you’re not a good fit for Ada and you need to find somewhere else to go. It also said, ‘Your kids have brought down the school and are bad influences and have negatively affected the team and school.’ Both my daughter and my son were named. That was our welcome home after the regional tournament,” he recalled.

“They also attacked my faith and my Christianity and basically accused me of not being a Christian. From that and some other emails sent along those same lines, we decided maybe we should take that advice and find somewhere else to go.”

Jarvis said he and his wife, Jamie, made the gut-wrenching decision to leave Ada City Schools—and the baseball program—Thursday evening.

“My wife’s comment to me last night was, ‘We just left a school we were really happy with in Victory Christian and when we left, the parents were hugging us and crying and not wanting us to leave. Then we come here and people are posting letters telling us to get out of town after a good season,’” Jarvis said. “We don’t need to put up with that. It’s just the best thing for our family at this point to move on and go somewhere where the community supports us and wants us here.”

Jarvis said he and his coaching staff had problems with parents at different times this spring, and the letters were not an isolated incident.

“(Finding the notes) wasn’t a surprise. It was kind of the icing on the cake,” he said. “We had some issues all throughout the season. Mostly playing-time things where parents don’t see reality.” ...

Jarvis said one of the most hurtful things about the entire situation was bringing his children into the situation.

“It’s sad that these are parents. If they would just stay out of it, it would be much better for everybody. Me as a coach, I can handle it. I don’t think it’s justified or warranted, but I can handle it,” he said. “But to attack my kids is crossing a line. They’re no different than their kids. They’re still kids. To attack them by name is just not right, just plain and simple.”

Lawton, Altus students get private-school scholarships

KSWO has the story.

Student shoved in locker by teacher, Tulsa mother says

"This has been one of my biggest fears since I have put her in public schools," the News on 6 quotes the mother as saying. "It's like my biggest fear has come back to haunt me."

Police investigating allegations of misconduct at Broken Arrow school

The News on 6 has the story.

Teacher 'advocacy' time

"The Oklahoma City School Board voted unanimously this week to close schools on Nov. 6, Election Day, to allow teachers and staff the chance to 'engage in continued advocacy,'" The Oklahoman's editorial board notes today.

Yukon Public Schools is doing the same thing, and no doubt other districts will as well. Apparently, taking advantage of absentee voting, or the early voting days available prior to Election Day (including, this year, Saturday Nov. 3), or getting to the polls on Election Day at 7 a.m., before the school day begins, or voting after school that day (polls are open until 7 p.m.)—as Oklahomans of all professions will do—is asking too much of school employees. Instead, boards are deciding it's better to inconvenience parents on that day and extend the school calendar by a day so educators can “advocate.” It's a head-scratching development.

Will Oklahoma school spending improve results?

The Oklahoman's editorial board doesn't seem convinced that it will.

Edmond teacher assistant accused of being high on meth at elementary school

"An Edmond schoolteacher assistant was arrested Tuesday afternoon after she appeared to be high on meth at her work," News 9 reports.

OKC elementary school teacher arrested for allegedly violating fellow teacher in school hall

"A Martin Luther King Elementary School teacher was arrested and charged with sexual battery against a fellow female teacher Wednesday," KFOR reports.

Virtual classroom just the ticket for Norman student

Excellent story by Joy Hampton in The Norman Transcript.

To be treated as professionals, teachers must act as professionals

No, the teacher strikes do not help students, write William J. Bennett and Karen Nussle. https://t.co/9FySqMFKsZ #ewopinion pic.twitter.com/mdmaQwPuwp

— Education Week (@educationweek) May 16, 2018

Oklahoma AG says school districts may offer Old and New Testament courses