SB 718 Strips Power from State Board of Education

Post date: Feb 8, 2011 4:47:32 AM

The first meeting of newly elected State Superintendent Janet Barresi and the Oklahoma State Board of Education was quite contentious, with the board refusing to approve three of her proposed employees after questions were raised about their qualifications and how they had been giving directives to departmental employees without being appointed by the state board and instead being paid salaries by a private source. This has in turn become a political issue since the newly elected State Superintendent is a Republican while the other six current members of the state board were appointed by former Democratic governor Henry. 

The brouhaha has led Senator John Ford and House Speaker Kris Steele to spearhead Senate Bill 718, which transfers all of the powers of the State Board of Education to the State Superintendent, making the State Board of Education a mere advisory body. The bill was heard on the first day of the legislative session and passed out of the Senate Education Committee on a strict party-line vote.

The bill would transfer to the State Superintendent all of the Board's existing authority over 1/3 of the state budget, the formulation and adoption of state curricula, the accreditation of districts, and the certification and licensure of all administrators, teachers, and any other certified and classified employees. Currently that power is invested in the Board of Education, which consists of the State Superintendent and six others, one from each congressional district, who are appointed to six-year terms by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Concentrating so much power over state schools in one person's hands is quite rare in this country. Only three states operate in that manner: Minnesota and Wisconsin have no state board of education and New Mexico elects an advisory-only panel. 11 states follow Oklahoma's current system of directly electing a superintendent while the governor appoints a state board which is invested with more than advisory authority. 13 states instead have the governor appoint a school board which in turn appoints a superintendent. 9 states have the governor appoint a school board and separately appoint a superintendent. 7 states elect the state board of education which then appoints a superintendent. The 7 remaining states have some variation of the above, all granting real power of some degree to a state board of education.

The bill now goes to the Senate floor for consideration.