OEA

Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Jena Nelson joins a special edition of Fried Okra to break down the wild week in education from the state board meeting on A-F grading to Governor Stitt releasing a video mentioning OEA.

State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister returns to Fried Okra to give us up-to-the-minute details on where things stand currently across Oklahoma public schools, what qualities make a good school member, and what the outlook is for a new year with a vaccine on the horizon. Stay tuned until the end where we lighten things up with a holiday lightning round!

Known primarily as 'The Voice of the Sooners,' Toby Rowland has recently added children's book author to his resume with his debut book "Unhitch the Wagon: The Story of Boomer and Sooner." Fried Okra had the pleasure of speaking with him about that journey from Oklahoma kid to sports media stardom to becoming a published writer. You can purchase his book online and in stores where books are sold or visit the website unhitchthewagon.com.

Brittany Phillips is the Oklahoma FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America) state advisor. She joins the podcast to discuss how family and consumer science (formerly home economics) plays a vital role in the development of our students.

Oklahoma State School Board Association executive director Dr. Shawn Hime joins the podcast to break down the role of school boards across the state, their importance, and how you can run to make a difference in your community. Visit ossba.com for more information on how or someone you know can run for school board.

Friend of the pod, David Glenn, returns to Fried Okra to discuss benefits our members can take advantage of, especially NEA's Discount Marketplace for the holiday season. Visit neamb.com if you are an OEA member to access these savings!

OEA recently joined the MASK (Masks Are Saving Kids) Coalition recently, spear-headed by Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy CEO Joe Dorman. Dorman joins the pod to break down their campaign to have a statewide mask policy, which included a billboard you may have seen, and the frustration of the state school board's recent vote.

State Senator-Elect JoAnna Dossett, an educator and OEA member, takes time from her Senate orientation to speak with Fried Okra. She discusses how she went from an Owasso teacher with a spark to make change in public education to being sworn in as an elected representative in the Oklahoma Capitol.

OEA's Ellen Pogemiller makes her podcast debut to break down what the election meant for the Oklahoma legislature, how the education caucus was able to add new members, and how successful the Fund for Children and Public Education's candidates were on Tuesday.

Friend of the pod, Andy Moore from Let's Fix This OK, returns to our post-election show to provide a civics lesson and a little less politics for these historically unusual times.

As educators know, state questions in Oklahoma can be a contentious avenue to try and create change within our state. Carrie and Alicia speak with OK Policy's Damion Shade about SQ805 and the empirical data you need to know before casting your vote.

A former Yukon elementary school teacher, middle school principal, and Canadian County current poll inspector, Tresa Smith, explains the election process, its rules and procedures, and why Oklahomans can feel confident in their vote being counted.

"Calm Waters" began as an idea 28 years ago from a nine-year-old boy who had just lost his father. It now fulfills its mission to help suffering from grief and loss. Jordan Park shares how any school or student can seek out Calm Waters' services if they are dealing with death, divorce, incarceration, deportation, foster adoptive care, and/or deployment. Go to calmwaters.org for more information.

Fried Okra also had the pleasure of being joined by longtime Norman educator, and National Teacher Hall of Fame semifinalist, Claudia Swisher, who shares her incredible journey through the profession and why she's not very good at resting during retirement by continuing to advocate for public education. Stay tuned for her Friday prayer at the end!

OEA Legislative and Political Organizer and friend of the show, Ivy Riggs, returns to Fried Okra to break down everything we know so far regarding EPIC's current scandal and what can be done to prevent this kind of abuse of millions of dollars intended to help students in the future.

Lee Ann Smith, director of single family programming at the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, joins the podcast to share some valuable information for educators who are looking to buy a home. OHFA has designed a special down payment program specifically for teachers. Visit ohfadownpayment.org for more details.

There is less than a month until the election. These are crazy times. Which makes us all the more pleased NEA President Becky Pringle was able to join Fried Okra to discuss her vision for the future of public education and the role educators play in shaping it. Enjoy another special video addition of the interview above!