Oklahoma Board Of Education

Okla. superintendent addresses administrators

Delivering her first State of Education address on Thursday, Oklahoma's new Republican Superintendent Janet Barresi urged public school administrators and teachers to rise to the challenge of budget cuts totaling $100 million this year to public schools.

Barresi, a dentist and charter school organizer elected in November to replace longtime Democratic Superintendent Sandy Garrett, delivered her address to about 2,500 participants at the annual administrative conference at the Cox Convention Center.

"This conference is focused on Oklahoma's answer to a challenging time," Barresi said. "Whenever this state has faced a challenge, it has risen to it. We don't need to wait for more money or more time. This is our time.

"And we're definitely in a time that is both challenging and exciting."

Barresi said this year's conference, dubbed "Innovation 2011," will include fewer presentations from people within the state Department of Education and more sessions with administrators and professionals from around the state.

She also touted a series of new education initiatives she helped pass into law this legislative session, including laws that make it easier for districts to fire teachers, prohibit students from advancing to third grade who can't read proficiently, and requiring all public schools to be graded on an A through F scale based on their performance.

"Not everyone agrees with these reforms. I understand that," Barresi said. "I would urge that those who disagree: Give these reforms a chance. Give them time to work. And my pledge to those who disagree is to continue to engage in a respectful dialogue."

While Barresi delivered her address inside the center, a few dozen teachers lined the street outside to oppose budget cuts recently approved by Barresi and the state Board of Education. Holding signs that read "Barresi is Wrong" and "Save our Schools," several teachers said they were particularly troubled by cuts to professional development programs for teachers.

"She is either grossly incompetent or dangerously threatening to public education," said Elise Robillard, a French teacher and the chair of the World Language Department at Westmoore High School. "Her title is superintendent of public instruction, and she is destroying public instruction as part of a plan, I believe ... of taking education and making it private in Oklahoma.

State Department of Education reduces payroll ... - Oklahoma Watchdog

Data obtained by Oklahoma Watchdog through an Open Records request shows that despite some high-profile hires that have attracted attention because of high salaries, the State Department of Education (SDE) will reduce its payroll by well over $2-million if no other employees are hired this year.  The reductions come from three different areas: voluntary buyouts authorized by the legislature, a transfer of IT personnel to the Office of State Finance and resignations/firings.

Oklahoma Watchdog has obtained a listing of all of those who have left SDE since State Superintendent Janet Barresi took office in January and those who have been hired during that same time.  Salary figures came from the state’s Open Books website .  In most cases, salaries were computed using one month’s payroll figure multiplied by 12 and rounded to the nearest hundred.

According to SDE, 23 employees with salaries totalling approximately $937,100 have accepted VOBOs , 21 IT employees with salaries of approximately $1,052,900 are being transferred to the Office of State Finance and 28 full-time employees with salaries totalling approximately $1,444,300 either resigned, retired or were terminated .  Those 72 departures represent over $3.4-million in salary (several temporary employees were also not rehired after their contracts expired, but those were not included in the calculations).  Offsetting that figure is the hiring of 16 full time employees who represent $937,400 in payroll .*

It would appear that some areas of SDE administration are being pared down.  For example, an Assistant Superintendent of Financial Services making nearly $78,000 and an Executive Director of Fiscal Services making $65,000 have so far only been replaced by a Director of Financial Services making $85,000.  And four employees dealing with communications (Director of Internet Communications making $62,900, Director of Public Affairs making $62,900, Communications Director making $62,900 and Coordinator-Staff Writer, Communications making $35,000) have so far been replaced by only two (Director of Communications making $92,000 and Events Coordinator, Communications making $40,000).

Barresi told the State Board of Education at her first meeting back in January that she intends to restructure SDE and present her plan to the Board.  So far, that has not happened, but Barresi only got the power to hire her own staff back in May .  It’s not yet known if Barresi will present her plan to the Board as it is now constituted or if she will wait until later in the year when a law takes effect allowing Governor Mary Fallin and all future governors to appoint new Board members upon taking office.

The Pacific reporter

Biennial report of the State Auditor of Oklahoma

Brown v. Board of Education, a brief history with documents

Oklahoma reports, Cases determined in the Supreme court of the state of Oklahoma

The Oklahoma law journal