End of the Session Update – More to Do!

Wow, the last few days of the Legislative Session were a frantic, exhausting trip.  The OSTA NewsBlog Editor would have reported on it Friday evening after both houses adjourned sine die, but quite frankly, I needed some time to decompress, go to dinner with friends, and ride 100 km in the Tour de Meers on Saturday.  So with help from Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education (OESE) and The National Center for Science Education (NCSE), I’ll try to piece together an update.

But be warned, we’re not finished and the final chapter has yet to be written!

As  previously reported by OSTA and NCSE, the state board of education unanimously voted to adopt the new standards on March 25, 2014. The new Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science are the product of more than a year of work by a committee of more than sixty members, the state department of education’s director of science education Tiffany Neill told the Oklahoman (March 26, 2014). The standards were widely regarded as a vast improvement on their predecessors, which received  a grade of F in the Fordham Institute’s 2012 study of state science standards.

But when House Joint Resolution 1099 — a routine resolution approving or disapproving proposed permanent rules of Oklahoma state agencies — went to the House Administrative Rules and Government Insight Committee chaired by Representative Gus Blackwell (R – 61), the new standards were attacked. The attacks focused on the use of the Next Generation Science Standards as a resource and on the presentation of climate science in early grade levels. The committee amended HJR 1099 to reject the state department of education’s rules implementing the new standards.

On May 21, 2014, HJR 1099 as amended passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on a 55-31 vote. The bill proceeded to the Senate Rules Committee, which showed no signs of wanting to consider it.

Undeterred, opponents of the standards took their fight to the Senate floor, where, on May 23, 2014, Senator Anthony Sykes (R-District 24) moved to amend  House Joint Resolution 1097 (which was mainly concerned with rules to be implemented by the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority) to include disapproval of the rules implementing the new science standards, saying, “global warming is the main concern.”  (Ed note: The OASS writing committee had gone to great length to remove the bulk of the standards that might be considered related to global climate change.  About all that remains is in elementary grades where the word “climate” is to be  differentiated from “weather”).  The amendment was accepted on a 25-14 vote, and the amended bill was then passed on a 32-9 vote.

HJR 1097, as amended by the Senate, then returned to the House which had not yet acted on the amended legislation. However, the House failed to consider it before the legislature’s sine die adjournment. Thus, the attempt to derail Oklahoma’s new state science standards had been stymied.  Technically, even though each chamber had voted against the standards, they hadn’t done so to the same bill and so the effect is the same as if they had refused to act and the new standards are enacted as rules by default.

OASS  now awaits codified as rules by the Governor whereupon they will become  the standards under which we teach science, select teaching materials, and assess science understandings of children on Oklahoma.  A LOT of people put in a great deal of effort to call, email, and visit with legislators during the session and especially during it’s closing moments.  House and Senate members were inundated with texts, emails, and calls and key legislators were definitely aware that science educators and the greater scientific community were aware of their actions.

But there is a larger stage at play this year, and that is the primary election coming up next month.  Perhaps that was on the mind of Senators Sykes and Brecheen who issued a press release within minutes of the close of the session that included their support for repeal of the Common Core State Standards by way of HB 3399 and documented their efforts to scuttle OASS because of ties with the Next Generation Science Standards.

The release states in part: “Common Core cedes state control over educational standards to the federal government and out-of-state interest groups. This legislation puts Oklahomans back in charge of educating our children. Sen. Brecheen and I were also successful in amending HJR 1097 to repeal the Next Generation Science Standards, which heavily promote global warming alarmism and do not prepare students for work in STEM fields. By advancing these bills to the governor, the Legislature has responded to the concerns of families who feel Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards may not be the best way forward for our schools. It is my hope that the governor will acknowledge those concerns, and sign these bills that restore our authority to establish standards free of federal interference.” Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore

Other than the fact that Common Core is not a federal program, the legislation they amended was HJR 1099 not HJR 1097 which wasn’t heard in the Senate, adoption of NGSS was NEVER submitted to the legislature for approval, there is very little mention of Global Climate Change in OASS although the word climate appears in grade 4, and an overriding feature of OASS is the development of STEM integration and the building of engineering practices as an overarching theme I’d say they have a pretty good handle on education issues.

But if you think the work to preserve quality standards for Oklahoma science students is complete for this year, think again.  Senators Sykes and Brecheen are among the authors of what will be to many educators, a surprise buried within HB 3399, the measure to repeal the Common Core State Standards, AKA the Oklahoma Academic Standards for ELA and math.  Contained on page 22 of the bill is a new law that gives the legislature the ability to accept, reject, or edit any part of any curriculum standards submitted.

SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 11-103.6a-1 of Title 70, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 

A. All subject matter standards and revisions to the standards adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to Section 11-103.6a of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall be subject to legislative review as set forth in this section. The standards shall not be implemented by the State Board of Education until the legislative review process is completed as provided for in this section. 

B. Upon adoption of any subject matter standards, the State Board of Education shall submit the adopted standards to the Speaker of the House of Representatives or a designee and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate or a designee prior to the last thirty (30) days of the legislative session. 

C. By adoption of a joint resolution, the Legislature shall approve the standards, disapprove the standards in whole or in part, amend the standards in whole or in part or disapprove the standards in whole or in part with instructions to the State Board of Education, provided that such joint resolution becomes law in accordance with Section 11 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution. If the joint resolution is vetoed by the Governor in accordance with Section 11 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution and the veto has not been overridden, the standards shall be deemed approved. If the Legislature fails to adopt a joint resolution within thirty (30) legislative days following submission of the standards, the standards shall be deemed approved. 

D. If the subject matter standards are disapproved in whole or are disapproved in whole with instructions as provided for in this section, the State Board of Education may adopt new standards and submit the new standards for legislative review pursuant to this section. The State Board of Education shall continue to implement current standards in place until the new standards have been reviewed by the Legislature and approved as provided for in this section. If the subject matter standards are amended, approved in part or are disapproved in part with instructions, the State Board of Education may revise the standards in accordance with the legislative changes and implement the standards.

The same legislators who produced a press release that is full of inaccuracies, distortions, and false information will, under this proposed new law, be able to pick and choose the standards to be used in schools and freely edit those that remain as they see fit or direct the changes to be made.  One can only imagine the crippling chaos of the back and forth of the process outlined in the proposed new law.  Nevermind that Senator Brecheen is among those legislators who each year introduces legislation to inject religion into science classrooms.

You may or may not be a fan of the Oklahoma Academic Standards for ELA and math or the Common Core State Standards upon which they are based.  You may or may not have any problem with the waste of time and resources  devoted to preparation for OAS implementation over the last three years when the standards are repealed IF the Governor signs HB 3399.  But are you ready for line by line editing of science content standards by people who possess little content or pedagogy understanding of science, or social students, or mathematics, or…?

Governor Fallon needs to hear from you concerning HB 3399. There may not be much time for you to act. She must sign and approve HB 3399 within 15 days of adjournment to make it law or can pocket veto without fear of an override.

You can email her here.