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State Superintendent Seeks Community Input In Strategic Education Plan

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Parents, teachers and students talk with State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister Monday night at an education town hall forum.

State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister is asking Oklahomans for input as she creates a strategic education plan for Oklahoma schools.

The new Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, ultimately rolls back the federal government’s footprint in state education policy. However, the law requires each state to submit a plan for academic goals and school accountability in order to receive federal funding.

In Oklahoma City on Monday night, she heard from educators like Chris Brewster, the superintendent at Santa Fe South High School. Brewster says he wants the A through F report card to measure the gains a student makes, and not just whether they meet a benchmark.

"Our teachers are killing themselves. They’re working late. They’re pouring themselves in to their work and they’re being told they’re a failure. And that is absolutely untrue."

She also heard from students, like Logan Ramos, a ninth grader at Norman High School. He says he’d like to see fewer tests in the future.

"Tests don’t measure kids on academia. Tests measure kids on taking tests."

Hofmeister says that is already part of the strategic plan.

Hofmeister will be seeking input at the Metropolitan Baptist Church, 1228 W. Apache Street, in Tulsa tonight.

Emily Wendler was KOSU's education reporter from 2015 to 2019.
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