OEA

State Superintendent, Gubernatorial Candidate, and friend of Fried Okra, Joy Hofmeister, returns to highlight the Dolly Parton Imagination Library initiative in Oklahoma, why she prioritized pay raises for educators in the education budget sent to the legislature, and her vision of a future where Oklahoman fully invests in public education. We are also joined again by Tyler Outlaw, who breaks down...

A recent report showed positive gains across Oklahoma in state testing, as we continue to climb out of the pandemic. Deputy Superintendent of Assessment, Accountability, Data Systems, and Research at the State Department of Education, Dr. Bryan Koerner, breaks down the numbers and the positive outcomes from the perseverance and hard work of the state's students and educators. Parents and school le...

It was a busy week in legislative news, as the state board of education approved Superintendent Joy Hofmeister's proposed budget that would include a $5,000 raise for teachers and $66 million in additional funds for school districts for counselors and support staff. Ivy Riggs joins the show to break it all down. We are also joined by Vicki Behenna, candidate for Oklahoma County District Attorney....

Veteran, teacher, and State Rep. Logan Phillips (R-Mounds) was not re-elected after his district was gerrymandered, but that doesn’t mean his advocacy for public education is done. He discusses the importance of federal funding in Oklahoma, broadband access, and his revealing new data-driven study just released on the dangers vouchers pose to Oklahoma communities by siphoning precious resources fr...

Chair of the Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee, Misty Bradley, discusses how her upbringing in rural Oklahoma gave her a lifelong appreciation for public schools and how becoming a mother encouraged her to get involved. Visit okplac.org for more information. We are also joined by former history teacher and current OEA election guru Tyler Outlaw on not just making sure you are registered...

For Labor Day Weekend, Fried Okra is excited to be joined by Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborne, who was captivating speaking about educators as a workforce and what Oklahoma must do to fix a critical labor shortage. (Spoiler alert: Pay educators more and treat them with more respect!)

Legislative expert Ivy Riggs returns to the pod to discuss the fallout from last Tuesday's primary runoff results, what it means for public education, and why our advocacy for pro-public education candidates must grow louder. We also bring back friend of Fried Okra, Andy Moore, CEO of Let's Fix This OK, to talk through Oklahoma's abysmal numbers in voter participation, what we can do to get more p...

Dr. April Grace joins the podcast to share why she's running for state superintendent, her solutions to the issues facing public education, and how disheartening it can be when people tear away at the fiber of what it means to be an educator.

In our last episode for this legislative session, we recap the wild season at the Capitol, where #oklaed stands going into next year, and a look-ahead to the imperative June primaries. We also speak with Jason Harris from the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center about opportunities for educators to visit museums this summer to discover field trip and curriculum opportunities. Fried Okra will be on a sho...

In a year with huge numbers available for the state budget, it was disappointing to see the lack of urgency to support public education in resources, pay, and respect. We wrap up how so many missed the bigger picture and the few who attempted to address real issues like the teacher shortage.

First, the Oklahoma legislature calls for a special session. Now, the governor wants in on the action by calling a special session of his own. We break down what it all means on what should have been Sine Die at the Capitol.

On this week's episode, we break down why a "flat" budget for education fell flat, how it seems like a super majority of his own party doesn't even trust the governor to distribute funds and has called for a special session, plus we connect the dots on out-of-state billionaires paying the secretary of education well over six figures to lobby for voucher schemes.

It is an honor to bring you our 100th episode of the public education podcast for Oklahomans! Thank you for being a part of the Fried Okra family and we hope to be with you for hundreds more. This episode, we recap the joy of returning to an in-person Delegate Assembly last week, where OEA members join together in camaraderie and sharing input and ideas from all over the state.  We also discuss th...

As the Oklahoma legislative session completes deadline week, we recap it all. From the highs of defeating SB 1647 in a marathon late-night vote to the lows of political retaliation against those educators whose voices defeated the monstrous voucher bill to everything in between. If it's #oklaed related from this year's legislative session, we break it down.

Two bills, SB 638 and SB 1579, target the voices of educators with surgical precision. Ivy Riggs explains where these targeted attacks on education associations originate and wonders why state leaders are not using their time and energy to focus on real problems like the teacher shortage. Then we are excited to be joined by Katy Leffel, Director of the Oklahoma School Foundations Network at the Ok...

We are thrilled to be joined by Jessica Eschbach, the 2021 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year from Norman, about her year representing teachers throughout the state and her perspective on the work Oklahoma educators do every single day. Legislative maestro Ivy Riggs also returns to breakdown where things stand with committee and filing deadlines. We also discuss how so many bills seem to target only edu...

Each week during session, one of OEA's legislative and political organizers joins the pod to break down what's happening at the Oklahoma Capitol. This Friday, we'd like to introduce you to our newest legislative and political organizer, Tyler Outlaw! Tyler was a middle school social studies teacher before joining OEA's staff. He talks about going from teaching about the civics process to living it...

On this episode of Fried Okra, legislative guru Ivy Riggs breaks down how a small group of people with a large pool of money can turn their wish lists into copy-and-paste legislation in states across the country. Then we are thrilled to be joined by former educator and OEA member, Rep. Melissa Provenzano, on her journey through the various levels of public education all the way to fighting for pub...

SB 1647, a voucher bill that could have destroyed rural public education, was defeated on the senate floor after a marathon vote late Wednesday night. We discuss the huge victory, the anxiousness of the evening, and how there are so many people to thank for protecting our public schools. Then we are thrilled to be joined by Rep. Tammy West, who authored HB 3374, a bill that would institute a pilot...

After many expected SB 1647 to be heard on the Senate floor this week, the Senators left for the weekend without holding a vote on the massive voucher bill. This delay is almost entirely due to the advocacy of you, OEA members, our partners in the Oklahoma Education Coalition, and all the community members who have used their voices to stand up for public schools. Ivy Riggs reminds us, though, tha...

Legislative expert Ivy Riggs returns to the pod to break down the first "deadline week" at the Capitol. Find out the good, the bad, and the ugly on where education bills stand, including a monster voucher bill making it through committee. Please contact your lawmakers, share your story, and let them know our public dollars need to remain in public schools that serve over 90% of Oklahoma kids! Each...

In Carrie's final show as host, she delivers a heartfelt eulogy for her childhood teacher and an important message for all educators to understand the lasting impact they create. We also speak with Fried Okra's next host moving forward, friend of the show and legislative wizard, Ellen Pogemiller, on the current state of the fight against vouchers at the Capitol.

Following Governor Stitt's divisive State of the State that promoted voucher schemes, and House Speaker McCall's statement that the House will not hear the SB1467 voucher bill, legislative expert Ivy Riggs returns to break down what it all means for educators. Ted Dintersmith is one of America's leaders in innovation, entrepreneurship, and education. He's written books such as What School Could Be...

We are just days away from this year's legislative session, which is sure to require our collective energy as much as any other with another onslaught of efforts to divert public funds to private schools and attempts to divide our communities through public education. OEA is also pushing ahead with positive bills — like a much needed pay raise for education support professionals. The dynamic duo o...

The Oklahoma Education Association prides itself on being comprised of educators elected by their fellow members across the state. Adrienne Hall, chair of OEA elections committee, a volunteer position, joins the pod ahead of candidate filing this election season beginning in February. Our local legislative expert, Ivy Riggs, returns to Fried Okra to discuss a recent OEA member survey on the curren...