1 week Ago By Adria Goins/KFOR
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A bill limiting the amount of virtual days Oklahoma school districts can use during the school year advanced through a House subcommittee on Monday.Senate Bill 758, authored by Senator Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, passed through the Senate side earlier in session and now it has made its way through a House Appropriations and Budget Education subcommittee.House Pro Tempore Anthony Moore, R-Clinton has backed the measure for the House.
"The main goal behind this is to get kids in classrooms to only do virtual days when it's actually needed," said Moore.He said some districts have taken advantage of the virtual learning option."There are school districts that had 43 days or more virtual days last year,” said Moore.
“That is not a way to increase the education of our students. This is not a way to increase the outcomes in our state."The bill would not ban virtual days and only allow the option for emergency situations like bad weather, illness, teacher shortage issues, or building problems.
It would allow two remote learning days as part of the school year, or 180 days.Bill could help food truck owners operate anywhere in OklahomaThe State Department of Education would publish an annual report that detailed which districts used emergency virtual days and when the days were used.Lawmakers questioning the bill said it oversteps local control.
"I think we need the guardrails, but I feel like this might be too limited in scope for what schools are able to do," said Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa, a former teacher.Rep.
John Waldron, D-Tulsa, said lawmakers should be focused on the more prevalent problems in Oklahoma schools."We've got to address the teacher shortage problem first, fix all other problems after that," said Waldron.The measure overwhelmingly passed through the House subcommittee.
"If we're serious about actually educating our kids, they need to be in chairs with qualified professionals to help them understand what they're learning," said Moore. It will now move forward where it could be considered in the full Appropriations and Budget Education committee..
