SB 93 by Smalley: Raises Concerns Regarding Religious Liberty and Parental Rights

(Update 1/14: I received an immediate reply from Senator Smalley. He forwarded the email he was sending in response to the email and some background and thoughts. I have not received answers to my questions. As soon as I get them, I will post in red.)

I recently received a legislative alert from HSLDA regarding SB93 filed by Oklahoma Senator Jason Smalley. This bill addresses changes to current law regarding children IN DHS custody or ENTERING DHS custody. 

Unfortunately, in their email alert, HSLDA doesn't provide a link to the bill (A BIG NO-NO) and only provides a brief, overall assessment of what the changes made by Smalley to the bill will accomplish. They then tell Oklahomans to contact Senator Smalley (they do provide his contact information) using a prefabricated letter.

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).

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):

Questions: Drain the swamp? Betsy DeVos? Where do parents come in?

Dear President-Elect Trump,

It's November 24th, and though I run a small farm and am up early every day anyway, I'm up this morning - not readying myself to make Thanksgiving dinner - but writing to you about my frustration over your pick for US Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos.

We Don't Need Your Corporatist Or Progressive Education - The MIDDLE'S Here To Play!

Joy Pullmann at the Federalist wrote a GREAT piece today on why Michelle Rhee should NOT be named as theSecretary of Education. I loved it so much, I'm doubling down on it. 

No, neither Rhee nor anyone else of her 'ilk' should be appointed as head of DOE. 

In case you don't know - or are somehow new to education policy (or heck - just governance in the United States) - there is no middle ground. NONE. Yes, there is supposed to be a gradient of governance that tends to rest somewhere near the middle of the ideological spectrum (ideally) in EVERY area over our lives the government has usurped, yet - particularly in education - what you really have is this: