The Oklahoma Education Association is a member-driven organization. There are no million benefactors calling the shots at the top. Instead, it is a collection of educators coming together to do what is best for public education in Oklahoma. When choosing their leaders, each OEA member has the same power as the next. One person, one vote.

Alicia Priest has served as the OEA president for the past six years, serving two three-year terms. Reaching her term limit, OEA members elected a new president last May, Katherine Bishop, a Putnam City elementary special ed educator, building rep, and current OEA vice president.

The Oklahoma Legislature wrapped up their 2021 legislative session this week, so that means our guru on all things happening at the Capitol, Amanda Ewing, returns for a final update and review of the myriad of impacts on education.

Fried Okra also speaks with the executive director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations Oklahoma, Adam Soltani, who discusses the challenges our Muslim students face in school and the importance of fighting for the rights of all. You can find more information and resources at cairoklahoma.com.

Friend of Fried Okra, Amanda Ewing, helps share a final look at the budget, what it means for education, and the profound disappointment in our state expanding voucher schemes that do not benefit the vast majority of Oklahoma families who attend public schools.

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Oklahoma is fortunate to have bipartisan AAPI representation in the legislature. State Representatives Cyndi Munson and Daniel Pae join the pod for a great discussion on AAPI Heritage Month, representation in leadership, standing together against hate, and the importance of teaching history holistically.

Governor Stitt and other state leaders announced a proposed budget deal on Thursday that includes over $3 billion in education funding, a state record. However, the resurrection of vouchers defeated earlier this session and shoe-horning that bad policy into a budget deal is an issue.

Ellen Pogemiller and friend of the show, Paul Shinn, senior policy analyst at the Oklahoma Policy Institute, return to provide an in-depth look at what yesterday's proposed budget deal means for education -- the good, the bad, and the indifferent.

While we do not see the conversations behind closed doors, many state leaders have publicly proclaimed that education should see an increase in the next budget. Amanda Ewing returns to let us know how optimistic we should be and if there's reason to ask the question: "What's the catch?"

Fried Okra is ecstatic to welcome Quraysh Ali Lansana, author of Opal's Greenwood Oasis and Oklahoma native, to discuss why he wrote the book and the importance for the lessons of Black Wallstreet, Greenwood, and the Tulsa Race Massacre to be taught and passed on.

OEA's legislative director, Amanda Ewing, returns to the pod to provide insight on the education bills that have made it to the governor's desk, both signed and vetoed. She also breaks down the budget outlook for education and why the process is so frustrating for Oklahomans looking for transparency.

Fried Okra also has a great conversation with Dr. John Cox, President of the Organization of Rural Elementary Schools in Oklahoma, and Superintendent of Peggs Elementary School, about some of the serious issues facing our rural schools that have only become exacerbated this past year.

SB 634, a bill designed to attack the collective voices of educators, was not heard during deadline week! Ellen Pogemiller returns to thank all those who advocated to their legislators and provide an update on the status of other education bills.

Fried Okra then has an important conversation with Zach Grimm, chair of the OEA LGBT Caucus, and Tessa White, vice president of PFLAG OKC, about some of the hateful rhetoric and discriminatory bills floating around the Capitol this session and how that affects our students and educators.

OEA legislative expert Ivy Riggs returns to Fried Okra after another active week at the Capitol. She explains why there is some good news for our support professionals with SB 807 before sorting through the bog of bad bills burgeoning through the legislature. 

We also celebrate National Librarian's Day by speaking with Ashleigh Dauterman, chair of the Oklahoma School Librarian's Division of the Oklahoma Library Association, about the continued importance of librarians in the modern world of media literacy, why we don't have enough, and even received some book recommendations that kids and adults will both enjoy.

With so many education bills gaining traction that received no support from the education community, including a clear attack on the voice of educators with SB 634, Fried Okra asks legislative guru Ivy Riggs to shed a light on why this is happening and the motivations behind placing a singular target on a woman-dominated profession that has a track-record of holding Oklahoma lawmakers accountable in their commitment to public education.

Alicia and Carrie then have a fascinating conversation with Reverend Shannon Fleck from the Oklahoma Conference of Churches, who discusses "No Hate in the Heartland" and why education is such an important tenant of their work.

In such a tumultuous time at the Capitol, Ivy Riggs returns to the podcast to provide all the context and information you need to understand what is going on with education bills, such as the destructive SB 634, and what you can do to help.

Jennifer Seal, former AP US history and elementary music teacher, current Putnam City Foundation executive director, and chair of the Forces on Education Committee at OEA, discusses the "forces on ed" that are reigning down upon public education in this current session across the state and why we must stay vigilant as watch dogs defending the future of children.