We are two weeks from the end of session (barring a special session) and the House, Senate, and Governor's office are still mediating an education deal that could add $600 million to the education budget. Also, a week after calling teacher associations "terrorist organizations," Superintendent Walters is in hot water again after a longtime SDE grant writer claimed Walters "lied to lawmakers" and has not applied for any new federal grants since she left the department.

Legislative expert Ivy Riggs returns to break it all down.

"It was a doozy of a week" is Ellen's understatement of the pod, as we wrap-up a week that began with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction referring to education associations comprised of Oklahoma educators as "terrorist organizations." We also saw the legislature agree to pass one standalone aspect of the education budget. Was it teacher or support staff salaries? (Spoiler alert: No, it's vouchers).

Erika Wright, an Oklahoma public school parent and founder of the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition joins Ivy Riggs, Katherine Bishop, and Ellen Pogemiller to break it all down.

Katherine is in DC to celebrate Union's Rebecka Peterson, friend of the pod, being named National Teacher of the Year! So Fried Okra used this opportunity for you all to get to know your OEA legislative team a little better. Ivy, Ellen, and Tyler tell their unique stories on their way to becoming an OEA legislative and political organizer. The trio also breaks down the education news from the week at the Capitol, including an update on education budget talks and a positive bipartisan professional development bill that passed.

After last week's negotiation by press release, the Oklahoma State House and Senate are now having in-person conversations surrounding a compromise between the two sides' education plans. There was also major national news regarding an Oklahoma church seeking virtual charter status and a change at Secretary of Education. Ivy Riggs returns to break it all down.

National Board Certified Teachers in Oklahoma used to receive a $5,000 stipend until it was removed several years ago. A NBCT stipend is a positive incentive that rewards dedicated teachers through an equitable system and keeps them in the classroom. Jennifer Gambrell, director of the Office for Educational Quality and Accountability, joins the pod to encourage you to reach out to your Senator and tell them to vote for HB 2558, which would return the $5,000 stipend for NBCT educators.

It was a week of press releases as the Oklahoma Senate and House continue their stalemate on education funding bills and the State Superintendent grapples with the ruling by Attorney General Drummond that the State Department of Education does not get to create its own laws. The incomparable Ivy Riggs returns to break it down and give you the scoop of what's going on behind the scenes.

With so much tumult and confusion around the Capitol this week, there's only person who can break it all down for your education news. Ivy Riggs returns to provide a peek behind the curtain of competing education proposals in the legislature, a State Superintendent spreading vicious content without proof or accountability, and what it all means for the bigger picture of a potentially historic investment in public education and its professionals.

After an "inaccurate, cruel, and politically motivated" state board of education meeting on Thursday and deadline week at the Capitol, it is time to check in with OEA's legislative expert Ivy Riggs.

Your first years as an educator can be especially difficult, so the OEA created the New Educators of Oklahoma Network (NEON) to help those newest to the classroom network and feel supported. Melani Ford, a Mid-Del pre-K teacher, and Kevan Dunkelberg, a Noble drama teacher, are joined by OEA early career coordinator Josh Frazier to talk about the benefits of NEON, the relationships they have made along the way, and their vision for growing the network of future leaders.

As an OEA member, you are automatically allowed special benefits through NEAMB.com on everything from insurance (life, home, car, even pet!) to student loan forgiveness to discounts on travel and online shopping at over 3,000 sites. Please check it out to ensure you are making the most of your OEA membership.

We also share the story of Terri Story, Mustang Creek Elementary's library media specialist, and the school's media assistant Salinda McCubbins, who transform the inside of their library into a magical Polar Express for students as part of their professional mission as educators to cultivate a lifelong love of reading.

This week we are joined by Rep. Mark Vancuren (R-Owasso), a 32-year biology teacher and basketball coach before running for office in the 2018 wave of educators.  The House Common Education Committee Vice-Chair speaks about multiple education bills he authored, including the HB 1423 Education Employee Assistance Program that would provide mental health and counseling for any education employee. 

Katherine and Ellen also recap a robustly successful organizing conference, SB 99, and the Teacher of the Year announcement.

Isabelle Esau is a junior Elementary Education major at UCO and president of the Oklahoma Aspiring Educators Association (OAEA). She joins OEA Aspiring Ed Coordinator Josh Frazier to talk about the return of "Outreach to Teach," a yearly OAEA program that collects donations to improve an Oklahoma public school. On Friday, March 3, they will paint, clean, and beautify Coolidge Elementary in Enid — all while getting to know each other and making an impact in the community.

Ivy Riggs also returns to break down the education bill that passed the house, the apparent defeat of an anti-OEA bill, deeply concerning statements made by the State Superintendent at the Board of Education meeting on Thursday, and the response by House Republicans like Mark McBride who disagree with the Superintendent's rhetoric.