Kingfisher football culture 'has led children to attempt and commit suicide'

Nolan Clay has the latest.

‘Wicked, despicable, and reprehensible’: Kingfisher hazing lawsuit intensifies

KFOR has the story.

Former Wellston substitute teacher facing charges after alleged relationship with student

FOX 25 has the story.

Okmulgee school bus fight caught on camera

KTUL has the story.

Little Axe teacher suspended for allegedly possessing drug paraphernalia in classroom

News 9 has the story.

Police investigate stabbing of 13-year-old girl on TPS bus

KTUL has the story.

Child abuse and neglect among homeschoolers?

"Opponents of homeschooling associate it with unchecked and unreported abuse and neglect of children, often arguing for more regulation of or an outright ban of home education," Brian D. Ray and M. Danish Shakeel write in the Journal of School Choice.

Do homeschool students experience more maltreatment than those in schools and, if so, is it happening in or outside the home? Empirical evidence to answer this question is lacking, data collection during schooling age poses several constraints, and school-age children may under-report incidences due to fear. To address this gap in information and literature, we draw nationally representative data from 1,253 previously homeschooled and conventionally schooled (public and private schools) adults to anonymously report about their abuse and neglect experiences during school age. Cross-sectional findings suggest that school sector is a non-issue after considering the role played by demographics (e.g., family structure, years in foster care, large family size, and household poverty) in the maltreatment of children. The incidences of abuse and neglect for homeschool children are statistically significant only at community or some type of school, and the occurrence rates there are double or more than at family where the rate is not significant. Results suggest that policymakers should consider the larger role of demographics in framing policies to protect children from abuse and neglect.

Oklahoma state rep says state superintendent shared 'pretty graphic material' with lawmakers

"An Oklahoma state representative said the state’s superintendent shared pornographic materials with state lawmakers on Thursday, claiming the content was found in Oklahoma schools," The Hill reports. "State Rep. Mark McBride (R), one of several lawmakers who received the email from Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters, told The Hill that it included 'pretty graphic material. If that’s going on in Oklahoma schools, yes, we need to address it."

School choice and accountability

"No system of schooling is perfect," former teacher Michael Q. McShane writes. 

It is a tall order to educate hundreds of thousands or millions of students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse needs. There will always be some number of schools that underperform. You cannot micromanage that away.

Ultimately parents are closest to their children, know their children better than anyone else, and have the strongest incentives to get the best possible education for them. That doesn’t mean that they are perfect. That just means that they’re better. Safeguards must be put in place as a fall-back (and things like regular audits are part of existing education savings account programs in other states and should be part of any program going forward), but they should be designed to support and work with parents and give them the best information they need to make informed decisions.

That is how we hold schools truly accountable.

LGBTQ2S+ activists try to circumvent Oklahoma law

Oklahoma's colleges of education and the state’s largest teachers union "are in the vanguard of promoting transgenderism to children, even in the lower grades," Steve Byas writes.

‘Stalking and grooming’: Ex-McLoud High School teacher facing felony charges

KFOR has the story.

OEA advises teachers to hide information from parents

"In recent years, Oklahoma lawmakers have voted to restrict access to school bathrooms based on sex, and have voted to prevent males from competing in girls’ sports as transgender females," Ray Carter reports. 

But even with those laws on the books, a guidebook provided by the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) to its members advises teachers to do the opposite. That same guidance also advises teachers on ways to keep parents in the dark if a child expresses interest in a transgender identity, apparently even in situations where the child is in pre-K and/or has intellectual disabilities.

Edmond principal hit with strip search lawsuit

"A principal in Edmond Public Schools faces a lawsuit after allegations of an unlawful strip search," KFOR reports.