A-F Grading - Exchanging One Educational Overreach for Another

Moving into 2017 it looks as though our Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) will not attempt to find the "pro-local-control" the Education and Workforce Committee promised of the new ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act - the replacement for No Child Left Behind - in itself a replacement for the reauthorizations of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act by every preceding president).

According to the press release from the OSDE:

OSDE unveils new, stronger school report card system required by federal, state laws

I feel a bit like Dana Carvey doing the Church Lady on Saturday Night Live "Well isn't THAT special"?

Task Force Membership Reads Like A Who's Who of Common Core/ACT Big Government Public Education Lovers

We're told in the opening paragraph of the press release that a 95-member task force representing a broad cross-section of individuals has studied this issue and approved of the new A-F school report card. Because that number sounds so large, I'm going to refer to it as the Make Education HUGE Again (MEHA) task force. Here is a smattering of your representation on the MEHA.

BREAKING NEWS: Oklahoma Representative Kevin Calvey Requests Resignation from Superintendent Hofmeister

Earlier today, I received a letter released to the press by Representative Kevin Calvey (R-82) requesting State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Joy Hofmeister, resign. Here is the text of the letter (which apparently made the Washington Times):

OKLAHOMA CITY – Conservative lawmaker Kevin Calvey, R-Oklahoma City, today called upon State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister, R-Tulsa, to resign in the wake of felony charges against her.

“Joy Hofmeister’s own words make it clear that it is best for the children of Oklahoma that she resign,” said Calvey, referring to emails referenced in the indictment filed by District Attorney David Prater, D-Oklahoma City, against Hofmeister and representatives of the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA) school administrators’ lobby and the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) teachers’ union, among others.