OEA

The Fried Okra team convenes to discuss the $625 million education budget deal announced last Tuesday after weeks of deliberations between the House and Senate. The deal includes a $3,000 - $6,000 pay raise for certified educators depending on years of service and three weeks of maternity leave. Ellen, Katherine, and Ivy react to the historic investment, why it's a great step in making public educ...

We are two weeks from the end of session (barring a special session) and the House, Senate, and Governor's office are still mediating an education deal that could add $600 million to the education budget. Also, a week after calling teacher associations "terrorist organizations," Superintendent Walters is in hot water again after a longtime SDE grant writer claimed Walters "lied to lawmakers" and h...

"It was a doozy of a week" is Ellen's understatement of the pod, as we wrap-up a week that began with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction referring to education associations comprised of Oklahoma educators as "terrorist organizations." We also saw the legislature agree to pass one standalone aspect of the education budget. Was it teacher or support staff salaries? (Spoiler alert: No, it...

Katherine is in DC to celebrate Union's Rebecka Peterson, friend of the pod, being named National Teacher of the Year! So Fried Okra used this opportunity for you all to get to know your OEA legislative team a little better. Ivy, Ellen, and Tyler tell their unique stories on their way to becoming an OEA legislative and political organizer. The trio also breaks down the education news from the week...

After last week's negotiation by press release, the Oklahoma State House and Senate are now having in-person conversations surrounding a compromise between the two sides' education plans. There was also major national news regarding an Oklahoma church seeking virtual charter status and a change at Secretary of Education. Ivy Riggs returns to break it all down. National Board Certified Teachers in...

It was a week of press releases as the Oklahoma Senate and House continue their stalemate on education funding bills and the State Superintendent grapples with the ruling by Attorney General Drummond that the State Department of Education does not get to create its own laws. The incomparable Ivy Riggs returns to break it down and give you the scoop of what's going on behind the scenes.

With so much tumult and confusion around the Capitol this week, there's only person who can break it all down for your education news. Ivy Riggs returns to provide a peek behind the curtain of competing education proposals in the legislature, a State Superintendent spreading vicious content without proof or accountability, and what it all means for the bigger picture of a potentially historic inve...

After an "inaccurate, cruel, and politically motivated" state board of education meeting on Thursday and deadline week at the Capitol, it is time to check in with OEA's legislative expert Ivy Riggs. Your first years as an educator can be especially difficult, so the OEA created the New Educators of Oklahoma Network (NEON) to help those newest to the classroom network and feel supported. Melani For...

As an OEA member, you are automatically allowed special benefits through NEAMB.com on everything from insurance (life, home, car, even pet!) to student loan forgiveness to discounts on travel and online shopping at over 3,000 sites. Please check it out to ensure you are making the most of your OEA membership. We also share the story of Terri Story, Mustang Creek Elementary's library media speciali...

This week we are joined by Rep. Mark Vancuren (R-Owasso), a 32-year biology teacher and basketball coach before running for office in the 2018 wave of educators.  The House Common Education Committee Vice-Chair speaks about multiple education bills he authored, including the HB 1423 Education Employee Assistance Program that would provide mental health and counseling for any education employee.  K...

Isabelle Esau is a junior Elementary Education major at UCO and president of the Oklahoma Aspiring Educators Association (OAEA). She joins OEA Aspiring Ed Coordinator Josh Frazier to talk about the return of "Outreach to Teach," a yearly OAEA program that collects donations to improve an Oklahoma public school. On Friday, March 3, they will paint, clean, and beautify Coolidge Elementary in Enid —...

The Oklahoma House Republican Caucus unveiled their education plan, which differentiated from agendas laid out by the Governor and State Superintendent. It included a $2,500 pay raise for all teachers, a substantial investment into the general education fund, but also included tax credits for private and home schooling. While there is still a long way to go, and the legislation can still change dr...

In an eventful week for education news in Oklahoma, we break down the Governor's State of the State from Monday, as well as a poll conducted by the Tarrance Group released by the Oklahoma Education Coalition on Tuesday that showed 74% of Oklahomans oppose giving tax dollars to private schools.

Dr. Nicole Been, University of Oklahoma Associate Athletic Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, joins the pod to discuss how DEI  strategies and initiatives help everyone reach their highest potential.

Former teacher, principal, and friend of the pod, Rep. Melissa Provenzano, returns to Fried Okra to preview the legislative session, including education bills she has authored and the importance of listening to what actual Oklahoma educators say they need. (25:20) If you thought a budget proposal would be uneventful, think again. Ivy Riggs returns to break down what happened with the State Superin...

It's deadline week for bills at the Capitol with over 3,000 total bills submitted. Sen. Adam Pugh (R-Edmond), chair of the Senate Education Committee, also rolled out 13 proposed bills comprising his education plan. During a press conference, Sen. Pugh laid out a vision that included teacher pay raises, maternity leave, and increased funding. Ivy Riggs returns to break down why there are plenty of...

This week we are excited to be joined by Woodward teacher Jolynn Love and Superintendent Kyle Reynolds from Woodward Public Schools. They share their success stories from getting students involved in "Teach Oklahoma" that allows them to explore a future in teaching at education programs in colleges across the state. Find out how to get your district involved here. Ivy Riggs also returns to the pod...

Fried Okra kicks off the new year with Oklahoma's newest teacher of the year, Tulsa Union's Rebecka Peterson. Rebecka shares her inspiring story as an immigrant who lived all over the globe to being a beacon of hope as a math teacher for her students in Tulsa by finding the good in each day. She will travel to all 77 counties in Oklahoma interviewing teachers who are making a difference and sharin...

In our last episode of 2022, we speak with two members of the OEA Trauma Cadre, which was created to provide free strategies-rich, trauma-informed presentations to Oklahoma educators. While many Oklahoma educators have attended professional development on the theory of trauma exposure and how it impacts children, OEA’s cadre presentations focus on in-the moment and curricular strategies. Emerging...

Recently, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that Senate Bill 658, a bill that prohibited local school boards from instituting a mask policy unless the governor declared a state of emergency, was unconstitutional and impermissible.  The decision was a win for local control of public schools and one that may not have happened without the voices of two Stillwater parents, including an OEA member. Stil...

While the vast majority of OEA Fund for Children and Public Education endorsed candidates prevailed, there were devastating results at the top of the ballot. Ivy Riggs reflects on how educators are feeling and what it all means for the future of public education in Oklahoma.

On the last Fried Okra before an extremely close and consequential 2022 general election, we encourage you to not only vote, but engage everyone in your sphere of influence to get out and vote. We also speak with candidate for Oklahoma Senate District 2, Jennifer Esau. A proven advocate for Oklahoma students and teachers, Jennifer Esau has been an educator at Claremore Public Schools for more than...

2020 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, candidate for State Superintendent, and friend of Fried Okra, Jena Nelson, returns to the podcast. She discusses how an educator at her school (1996 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, Stephen Smallwood) changed her life and motivated the 17-year educator to fulfill the legacy of her mentor by continuing to give every child a chance at something better.  She also share...

Oklahoma Parent Teacher Association President Lori Wathen joins the pod to discuss the support parents across the state have for their educators, regardless of the narratives some may push, and the important GOTV efforts the PTA is doing to encourage parents to vote for pro-public education candidates. OEA Vice President Cari Elledge also stops by to break down the OEA's member-driven budget proce...

Gabrielle Jacobi joined the Oklahoma Policy Institute as its Child Well-Being Policy Analyst / KIDS COUNT Coordinator in March 2021 after more than two years as a Program Coordinator at the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness. KIDS COUNT provides legislators, public officials and child advocates with reliable data, policy recommendations and tools to advance policies that benefit children. G...