Jennifer Palmer
@jpalmerOKC
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Education reporter @OklahomaWatch . Cut my teeth at @rgsun . She/her. Tips welcome: jpalmer at oklahomawatch dot org or jennifer palmer okc at proton dot me
Norman, OK
Joined May 2009
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Pinned Tweet
Testimony in the Epic Charter Schools hearing this week is reminding me of all the articles I've written over the years. Want to walk down memory lane with me? A 🧵
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@TulsaSchools
State troopers just arrested a mom whose child was speaking during public comment.
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The Oklahoma Supreme Court today ruled in favor of Edmond Public Schools, affirming local boards' authority to choose library books based on their community's standards. It's a unanimous decision.
#oklaed
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1/
@OklahomaWatch
's first collaboration with
@readfrontier
published today, investigating
@GovStitt
's $8 million Digital Wallet program, which was intended to provide educational items to students in the pandemic. Want to know what
@reesejgorman
@cliftonhowze
and I found?
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$40,000. That's how much
@EpicCharter
first estimated it would cost me for a records request. So we're suing.
These records belong to the public, and like
@streuli
said, "we intend to make sure the public knows what's in them.
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Coming Monday,
@OklahomaWatch
teamed up with
@readfrontier
to bring you an important story about what happened to millions of federal relief dollars meant to help Oklahoma students in the pandemic.
#oklaed
@reesejgorman
@cliftonhowze
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Public records show the Education Department wants to hire a firm to book and manage Superintendent Walters’ national media appearances. Critics say that’s not their job.
#oklaed
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NEW, from me and
@wsuares
:
@RyanWaltersSupt
's national media blitz is paid with public dollars. The
@oksde
hired DC publicist
@MaryVought
to line up interviews.
We got emails that show exactly what they're pitching. 👀
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A group of parents has asked a judge to block the state-sanctioned religious charter school, St. Isidore. The legal challenge was filed in Oklahoma County court this morning.
#oklaed
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Over 80 employees have left Oklahoma State Department of Education during Walters’ tenure, records show via
@Oklahoma_Voice
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Two years ago, I received an anonymous tip about OSSM, the top-ranked high school in Oklahoma. Women are afraid to come forward with complaints of harassment, it read, because they know men are protected here.
That story published today. A 🧵
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Revoking a teaching certificate has typically been reserved for predators/child abusers and other very serious violations. This teacher provided students a QR code to access banned library books.
Also she was not fired. She resigned.
Sexualizing our classrooms will not be tolerated. These are not Oklahoma values and this teacher must lose her teaching certificate.
@joy4ok
do your job.
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So
@RyanWaltersSupt
can rally from 11-1 but can’t pop into a committee mtg. at 1:30 in the same building and answer
@RepMarkMcBride
‘s questions?!?!
.
@RepMarkMcBride
says his assistant received an email this morning from
@RyanWaltersSupt
assitant informing them he will not be able to make the House Appropriations and Budget Education Subcommittee meeting today.
#OkLeg
Background from
@bennettbrink
:
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In
@GovStitt
's State of the State today, he said the Oklahoma is funding tens of thousands of "ghost students". What are "ghost students" you ask? A thread. 1/6
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Public drama unfolding between
@oksde
and
@sec_walters
, who is apparently refusing to sign off on a contract with a Tulsa-based nonprofit that provides early childhood education because he mistakenly thinks the contract is with
@TulsaSchools
#oklaed
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Everyone who knows me knows I highly value journalistic integrity. Here’s our response to the public accusations made by
@RyanWaltersSupt
today.
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An Oklahoma lawmaker wants to prohibit educators from using corporal punishment on students with disabilities.
#okleg
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I just want to say I've been overwhelmed by all the support for this story and I'm encouraged by all the people who believe the public deserves the
#truth
.
@Epiccharters
didn't want you to see this story, so please share.
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Oklahoma Supreme Court rules school districts, not governor, should decide mask mandates via
@theoklahoman_
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We’ve been hearing this for over a year but did not report it because we couldn’t meet our standards for anonymous sources (this story & NonDoc’s would not meet that bar either.)
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Finalizing our story on the just released federal audit of Oklahoma's GEER funds. Stay tuned...
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Thread: Judge Mai has issued a temporary injunction blocking Oklahoma’s law prohibiting mask mandates in schools but it won’t go into effect until next week. In her ruling she said the only issue was that public schools were included and private schools were not.
#oklaed
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A state audit of federal funds from FY21 just dropped.
The state spent $14b in federal funds and auditors found $29.3 million of that questionable — meaning it didn't align with the grant objectives. That's $$ the state may have to repay.
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@TulsaSchools
Clarifying the previous post: mom was handcuffed. I don’t know if she was arrested.
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State test data came out yesterday, and one point in
@RyanWaltersSupt
's press release is only 19% of 8th graders scored "proficient" in reading.
Some interpret this as "not reading on grade level."
Want to know how the state defines proficiency in 8th grade? This 👇
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This tweet is not going over well 😬😬
The first reaction should not be to shut schools down. It is the last resort. Parents are tired and children suffer when administrators act out of fear and not in the best interests of their kids and their future. (1/2)
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Epic Charter Schools co-founders never reported millions on tax returns, auditor testifies via
@tulsaworld
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Six thousand classroom teachers didn’t return this school year, even as the state implemented the largest teacher salary increase since 2018. My latest
#oklaed
story
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Wait, what?
@oksde
provided emails from PragerU but not the agency's responses?!
FOX25 digs into communications between PragerU and Oklahoma Department of Education
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Teacher representation is already opt-in in Oklahoma.
Today, I signed an Executive Order urging the State Board of Education to fully inform teachers of their First Amendment rights.
Teachers should know they have the freedom to opt-in not opt-out of liberal unions.
My full EO here:
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Epic founders facing additional charges, including money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the state.
Their preliminary hearing is delayed until January 22.
#oklaed
via
@tulsaworld
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Still don't understand how the state Board of Education can require something of one specific district based on an accreditation score that improved from last year and is on par with 60+ other districts.
TPS Must focus on real solutions to improve academic outcomes for students while respecting taxpayer dollars. The State Board of Education will not sit around idly while continuing to let TPS continue down the trajectory they were on under the previous leadership.
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A report on Arizona's new universal school voucher program refutes many proponents' claims about these programs.
Since
@GovStitt
and
@ryanmwalters
are pushing for a similar plan in Oklahoma, let's take a look
#okleg
#oklaed
1/
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No employment contract, application or job description … also no resume (I requested that one months ago.)
JUST IN: House Speaker Charles McCall tells me OSDE just responded to this subpoena.
McCall says “the answer is no, there is no employment contract” on record for Matt Langston.
More tonight
@kfor
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A state lawmaker has filed a lawsuit against
@OklahomaOMES
alleging the state has refused to provide him data on GEER expenditures. He filed requests under the Open Records Act in May with
@GovStitt
and
@sec_walters
and never got a response.
#okleg
#oklaed
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Ryan Walters says five 'pornographic' books found in Oklahoma schools. Districts say otherwise via
@tulsaworld
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Ineligibility of newly installed member could invalidate Oklahoma board vote on Catholic school sponsorship via
@tulsaworld
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I’d say the will of the people is actually no based on this 2016 state question.
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I've been peeling back layers of this
@EpicCharter
story since 2016. Today's arrests and charges reveal a lot of new details, too.
What I keep coming back to: the money was meant for kids. Epic kids, but all the other
#oklaed
students, too.
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So
@EpicCharter
's CMO has agreed in court to produce records of its learning fund but only IF it's not publicly released. We're talking $69m in tax payer dollars for the education of public school kids. Oklahomans have a right to examine how their $ was spent.
#transparency
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Nex Benedict’s death is an ‘awakening moment’ for parents of trans kids in Oklahoma via
@19thnews
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Talent drain at Oklahoma State Department of Education: More than 130 staffers have left via
@theoklahoman_
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Had Bobek not been placed on the board at the 11th hour, for this ONE vote (because the board will be dissolved and reconstituted), or had he abstained like the chair asked hime to, this very likely would have gone the other way.
#oklaed
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Coburn's group Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite! has abandoned efforts to refile their veto referendum petition. The tax package went into effect today, and teacher raises are now secure
@OSSBAoklahoma
@okea
#oklaed
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This month’s
@oksde
board meeting is underway. I’m here to watch and listen and tweet items of note. Livestream is on Facebook. Agenda is here:
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AG Drummond awarded for transparency; Ryan Walters given Black Hole Award by FOI Oklahoma via
@theoklahoman_
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NEW: The state reviewed
@GovStitt
‘s Digital Wallet program as part of its CARES Act monitoring. But state officials refuse to release the report. Another
@OklahomaWatch
@readfrontier
collaboration.
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Internal auditor at school land office ousted amid questions about Stitt appointee via
@tulsaworld
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Actually
#oklaed
schools were open for in-person instruction more than most states. Here we are in about the middle (this is 2020-21 via
@BurbioCalendar
.)
Where Oklahoma did stand out –
#1
, actually – was enrollment growth in virtual charters, especially Epic Charter Schools.
Liberal school unions did everything they could to keep schools closed and students out of the classroom.
Our children are paying the price.
New test scores show the learning loss in Oklahoma far exceeds the national average. Unacceptable.
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Oklahoma Attorney General rules State Board of Education can't make rules without legislative direction
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8/ I'm proud of the work we did to bring you this story, "Stitt Gave Families $8 Million For School Supplies in the Pandemic; They Bought Christmas Trees, Gaming Consoles and Hundreds of TVs". Read the investigation here
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My latest story on
@EpicCharter
confirms yet another investigation into the state's largest online charter school, this time by the IRS.
NEW: The IRS has begun digging into
@EpicCharter
’s finances, via
@jpalmerOKC
#oklaed
,
#okleg
,
@EpicCharter
@IRSnews
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OU: OSDE fails to sign contract causing required AP teacher program to be canceled
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This story has reax from Walters & McBride to my recent story for
@OklahomaWatch
and
@StateImpactOK
.
We didn't find evidence the teachers were dishonest btw.
Ryan Walters defends decision to 'claw back teachers' bonuses paid in error via
@theoklahoman_
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Ok, so what about
@EpicCharter
schools then?
Here's more proof that virtual learning for an extended period of time doesn't work.
Our kids are failing at record rates.
Oklahoma students need to be back in the classroom full-time, and we can do it safely.
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Outrageous new story by
@SoonerReporter
. I visited "no man's land" with her and, honestly, it's hard to imagine any legitimate reason the officer left Antwine here.
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This is 100% a win for the public and for transparency. Feeling very grateful for the support of
@OklahomaWatch
esp.
@streuli
and
@rcfp
@KB_Gardner
. Also props to
@EpicCharter
for complying with the law.
Now I'm off to read like 14,000 emails 👀
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U.S. News: OSDE denied access to key data, skewing Oklahoma school rankings
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.
@GovStitt
called the provision "simply unfair." But it's designed to help districts avoid abruptly laying off staff or slashing services when enrollment dips unexpectedly - like in a pandemic. That would be detrimental for students still enrolled in the district. 6/6
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Exciting professional news:
@OklahomaWatch
is one of five projects chosen for a new collaboration with
@frontlinepbs
. It's an awesome opportunity to expand our work on virtual schools to a national audience.
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Lots of questions remain about the Vought Strategies contract, detailed in our story last week, in collaboration with
@wsuares
. Here are few.
Why was there only one bidder? This is the job description. 1/
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Now, all 3 members who voted to approve the Catholic virtual school have split from the board. One is Stitt's secretary of education, one is Stitt's chief of staff, and the third moved to Texas.
#oklaed
via
@tulsaworld
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The federal audit on Oklahoma's Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund was just released. The findings echo our reporting over the past few months.
1/
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I asked Gov. Stitt why the
@ClassWallet
lawsuit had not been served in our interview Sept. 30. He said he didn't know if it had been served.
The AG also refused my request for comment.
ClassWallet can't file its response until it's served.
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Two school districts were downgraded today to accreditation with warning – harsher than the
@oksde
recommendation of accreditation with deficiency – for complaints under HB 1775, which restricts certain teaching on race and gender.
A comparison of the law to the situations. 1/
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Can’t get over this part: $1.4 B short of estimates.
Will be eye opening to see Oklahoma revenue next year as our private school tax credit goes into effect.
Oh would you look at that—70% of expanded Florida
#schoolvouchers
users were already in private school.
Another 18% entering kindergartners.
Only 13% came from public school.
@FLBaloney
@FloridaPolicy
@DianeRavitch
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AAP’s Oklahoma chapter responds to
@GovStitt
‘s new school quarantine policy, stating the study he referenced doesn’t apply b/c of the current COVID surge in Oklahoma. A statewide mask mandate and other mitigation strategies are needed, they say.
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Just weeks after a federal watchdog's report laid blame for a covid relief program's misspending on
@GovStitt
, the state filed a lawsuit against
@ClassWallet
in an attempt to recoup the funds. My latest with
@reesejgorman
@cliftonhowze
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@LeanOutEngineer
@TulsaSchools
She was yelling at Walters and continuing to speak after her allotted time.
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Franklin: to be frank, I didn't hear a leftist attack nor did I hear hatred toward the Catholic church. I want to go on record saying that.
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AG Drummond Sues Over State Sponsored Religious Charter School
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Got the opportunity today at
#ewa23
to ask
@BeckyPringle
, president of
@NEAToday
, about this video by Ryan Walters and the SDE. I asked if she had a response to it and if NEA was doing anything to counteract the video's message. What she said (a quick 🧵)
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The Oklahoma Supreme Court today blocked funding for St. Isidore, a religious charter school. It's unconstitutional and the contract must be rescinded, the decision states.
It's authorizing board had its last meeting yesterday. A new board takes over July 1.
#oklaed
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2/ First, Oklahoma gave Florida tech company
@ClassWallet
a no-bid state contract to implement Digital Wallet plus a $10m program for private school vouchers. Their fee = $650,000.
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And because the agenda indicates
@RyanWaltersSupt
intends to talk about the 10 commandments, just getting this ready.
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Judge denies request by Ryan Walters to dismiss defamation suit filed by ex-Norman teacher via
@theoklahoman_
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Criticism for Ryan Walters intensifies after 3 days of bomb threats at school in retweeted video via
@theoklahoman_
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The latest in the joint investigation by
@OklahomaWatch
and
@readfrontier
:
Billionaire Philanthropists Pushing Charter Schools and School Vouchers Also Fund Oklahoma’s Secretary of Education’s Six-Figure Salary
…
#oklaed
#okgov
#FOI
#transparency
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Not shocked by this at all.
BREAKING: Epic embezzled millions with 'ghost students,' OSBI says
#oklaed
via
@KarateNuria
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Why a Moore student wants a protective order against state Superintendent Ryan Walters via
@theoklahoman_
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The woman in the video is Audra Beasley. She's a disability advocate who has been trying to get adult changing tables in state buildings.
I've confirmed she was arrested on a charge of willfully disrupting state business, booked into the Ok Co jail and released.
@TulsaSchools
State troopers just arrested a mom whose child was speaking during public comment.
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In her resignation letter, she detailed concerns about harassment of female employees, large
#s
of students withdrawn for truancy, big unapproved bonuses and possible violations of the Open Meeting Act.
#oklaed
BREAKING: Epic’s board vice chair resigns, asks for a new investigation into misconduct, via
@jpalmerOKC
@Okla_OAG
@EpicCharter
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The
@OKHouseofReps
this afternoon passed the education spending limits bill 57 to 35. Contains language to prohibit self-promotion PR like the Vought Strategies contract.
#oklaed
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These are the first school districts to face punishment under HB1775, which you'll notice I'm not calling ban on critical race theory because, well, it's not. CRT is an academic theory that racism is structural and perpetuated by the US legal system. See: dictionary. End
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