Norman elementary teacher accused of assaulting special-needs student in class

 KOCO has the story.

At Norman schools, ‘inclusion’ may trump student safety

Ray Carter has the story.

Mother sues Norman Public Schools over viral bullying incident

The Oklahoman has the story.

Norman student with autism bullied, video goes viral

 News 9 has the story.

Norman Public Schools spends $22,750 on equity consultants

The group Parents Defending Education has the details.

Norman public school parents upset over social media posts

The posts show books like 'Art of Drag,' 'Trans Teen Survival Guide,' ... and other books focusing on Black voices," News 9 reports.

Norman schools: Equity means some groups get more

Norman public school teachers are instructed they should "teach about sexism, poverty, racism, ableism, transphobia, and heterosexism."

While teachers' kids get special treatment, other Oklahoma parents are out of luck

In some Oklahoma school districts (Oklahoma City, Norman, and Owasso, for example), "teachers and other staff are allowed to bring their children to physical school sites and the district provides adult supervision of those pupils' on-site 'distance' learning," Ray Carter reports. 

The special treatment given to the children of school staff has not gone unnoticed by other parents. But the perception of special treatment may be the least of the problems created by the program. Benjamin Lepak, a legal fellow at the 1889 Institute who previously provided counsel to 24 elected officials across three counties while working for a district attorney, said such arrangements appear to violate the Oklahoma Constitution.

It's small wonder that Oklahoma voters, by a margin of two to one, say that if schools don’t open in the fall, parents should be able to take their tax dollars and go to another school.

Norman student stuck fellow students with a needle

"Several middle school students were allegedly stabbed with a needle by a student at school during lunch," KFOR reports.

"I was furious. My child's safety obviously is not a priority to the school," Mary Canfield told News 4. That's how Canfield feels after what allegedly happened to her 11-year-old daughter at school on Monday. She said she got a call from the Whittier Middle School principal, who told her that her daughter and others had been stabbed with a needle by another student during lunch.

"I wanted to know why I was notified so late. She told me that they had cleaned my daughter up and sent her back to class. I found out it had happened hours prior," Canfield said. Canfield said she and her husband rushed to the school to get their daughter and took her to the ER. "The school said it was a sewing needle, but the ER was saying that it was a hypodermic needle," Travis Canfield told News 4. He claims doctors told them their daughter will have to be tested for HIV once every six months for four years.

"We're not sure if all the kids came forward that were stabbed, and the other parents need to know they need to get the kids tested just in case," Travis said.

'A piece of his innocence was taken away' in a Norman Public Schools classroom

"Dozens of parents spoke out against technology use in Norman Public Schools during a Board of Education meeting Monday," The Oklahoman reports.

About 100 parents packed the board’s meeting room at the district administration building. Parents spoke for nearly an hour and a half during public comment, complaining of the district’s technology initiative.

In 2018, Norman schools began providing a MacBook Air computer to every secondary student and iPads to elementary schools. Students with school-issued laptops are allowed to bring their computer home.

Families criticized the district for embracing the devices without creating comprehensive technology policies. Several parents also expressed worry over a drastic increase in their children’s daily screen time, as well as risks of exposure to inappropriate internet content. ...

Drew and Amy Nichols, who have three sons enrolled in Norman schools, said the district failed to establish measurable goals for the devices before introducing them into classrooms. “So far, my son’s grades have gone down, but my property taxes here in Norman have gone up,” Drew Nichols said. “I thought we were getting storm shelters. Instead we got hit with this storm of technology.”

Their 11-year-old son witnessed another student display pornographic images on a computer screen while in class, Amy Nichols said. “A piece of his innocence was taken from him that day with no warning, no explanation, and no malicious intent,” she said. “My son was 11 years old when he was first exposed to pornography. It happened on a school device while he sat in a sixth-grade classroom.”

Mark Deaver, owner of Norman Computers, said he and his staff created a video for the Norman City Council, showing how the school district’s internet filters could be bypassed with “common knowledge that any 10-year-old would have.”

“It’s gotten to the point where a number of my customers will simply take away the school laptop,” Deaver said.

Lawsuit alleges Norman officials ‘fostered an environment of hazing and assault’

"A civil lawsuit has been filed in Garvin County, Oklahoma alleging three former Norman North High School wrestlers, former coaches, and Norman Public School officials 'fostered an environment of hazing and assault within its wrestling program,'" Caleb Slinkard reports.

Norman teacher: 'To be white is to be racist, period.'

KFOR has the story.

Public-school-contempt watch: Point of no return!

"Every argument against choice made by the education establishment reveals the contempt that establishment has for its own product," David Boaz once wrote. "School boards, superintendents, and teacher unions are convinced that no one would attend public schools if they had the choice. Like Fidel Castro and former postmaster general Anthony Frank, they have a keen sense of the consumer demand for their product and are fighting a rearguard action to protect their monopoly."

Oklahoma City superintendent Rob Neu recently declared that "the greatest threat to Oklahoma public education" is elected officials who would enact Education Savings Account (ESA) legislation. Not to be outdone, Tulsa superintendent Keith Ballard said ESAs would have "a disastrous effect on public schools. In Tulsa Public Schools alone, the first 500 kids alone that go to a private school are going to take $1 million out of Tulsa Public and move it over to private schools." And that's just the first 500! One wonders how many kids he thinks would flee if given the chance.

Even more pessimistic is Norman superintendent Joe Siano. He says ESA legislation "will harm our public schools beyond the point of no return." 

[UPDATES: Duncan superintendent Tom Deighan says supporters of taxpayer-funded school choice want to "dismantle all public schools." The Enid newspaper says Gov. Stitt and Supt. Walters are "working toward dismantling" the public education system. One tax-and-spend activist group suggests that the State Board of Education itself may soon include individuals who seek to "dismantle public schools." Tulsa teacher-union boss Shawna Mott-Wright says school-choice champion Ryan Walters "is basically going to murder public education." The McAlester paper says Oklahoma "should not privatize education and leave public schools to die." Former El Reno superintendent Craig McVay says if pro-school-choice candidates Kevin Stitt and Ryan Walters are elected, "some rural public schools will be forced to close their doors for good." The group Oklahoma’s Children Our Future said Gov. Kevin Stitt is “a danger to rural public schools” and that Ryan Walters’ education plan is to “shut our schools down, kill our small towns, and force great teachers to quit.” OU economist Cynthia Rogers says OCPA is out to "dismantle" public schools. Former Stillwater teacher Alberto Morejon said the thought of tax dollars following the child is "scary" because "if fully implemented, it would result in public schools completely closing." Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition founder Erika Wright says school choice could "decimate our schools," warning darkly that rural schools could "close shop." Democratic state superintendent candidate Jena Nelson says "many of our rural schools would probably have to close down because of these vouchers." State Rep. Mickey Dollens says school choice will have “dire consequences for rural Oklahoma and their community schools.” Bixby superintendent Rob Miller, who ruefully acknowledges that many public-school students today simply have to "endure the learning experience," says ESAs would deal a "mortal blow" to public education and do "irreparable harm to our nation." Mary Mélon, president of the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools, says ESA legislation would have "dire consequences for OKCPS." Oklahoma City teacher Melissa Smith asserts that vouchers would siphon money from public schools—which "will destroy public schools."]

"The most vindictive resentment may be expected from the pedagogic profession for any suggestion that they should be dislodged from their dictatorial position," Isabel Paterson understood more than 70 years ago. "Nevertheless, the question to put to any teacher moved to such indignation, is: Do you think nobody would willingly entrust his children to you to pay you for teaching them? Why do you have to extort your fees and collect your pupils by compulsion?"

Dog bites man: Tax consumer opposes tax cuts

File this one under "taking your money and using it to lobby for more of your money."

Norman school superintendent Joe Siano, who is paid $173,950 annually to oversee a mediocre school district on the federal need-improvement list, says Oklahoma's 5.25 percent income tax is "already low" and shouldn't be reduced further.