TULSA, Okla. — It is back-to-school time for more than 33,000 students in the Tulsa Public School District.
It is a new school year and Tulsa schools are opening their doors. While the state superintendent has been threatening to pull the district's accreditation or enact other penalties, and the Oklahoma State Department of Education board is expected to vote on TPS accreditation on Thursday, August 24, teachers and administrators are focused on welcoming students back after summer vacation.
They are returning to find new facilities and new programs at Tulsa schools.
"Thanks to the investment of Tulsans we have a couple of completely renovated elementary school buildings, new playgrounds, some new kitchens and cafeterias and libraries at all grade levels," said Dr. Deborah Gist, Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent. "So, we are really excited about those things."
Dr. Gist said students, teachers and staff will also be safer. However, the improvements, by design, are behind the scenes.
"We have done physical work, professional development work and everything we need to do to maximize our efforts to keep young people and those who serve them safe in their buildings," Dr. Gist added.
At the elementary school level, TPS also expanded:
- Special programming
- Professional development
- International language programs
"We are the only district with public Montessori programs in the state," Dr. Gist stated. "So, lots of exciting things are happening at the elementary level in Tulsa."
Gist says literacy remains a priority. They're focused on the science of reading by making sure that the district is using the best, up-to-date research on the kind of skills and supports that students need to be strong readers.
In secondary schools, TPS is adding:
- Advanced Placement courses
- College coursework
- Career and tech programs within schools
- Coordinating programs with business community
The additions are in areas that students have expressed a specific interest in, including aerospace, manufacturing and construction.
"We know that our students are hungry for and need these real-life experiences, these job-embedded experiences," the superintendent said.
Like many Oklahoma districts, TPS is struggling to find enough certified teachers. Their recruiting department works to find new talent year-round. As of Monday, August 14. they still needed 56 teachers and 26 bus drivers. The state's growing teacher shortage means administrators are forced to hire subs and provide training and support for emergency-certified teachers.
The need for staff to lead classrooms, assist teachers and administrators, and drive buses coincides with a new technology: artificial intelligence. Tulsa schools are expanding their use this fall. Dr. Gist said her goal is to keep the district "right on the cutting edge of what's happening with literacy instruction, teaching and learning, writing, listening and speaking."
Dr. Gist believes AI will help provide more personalized reading instruction for young children in the elementary grades while students at Hale and Rogers high school develop their tech and cyber skills.
The key is to ensure students are not only using AI to do their work but also learning to present the information, debate the topic and maybe even consider a career in technology. Artificial intelligence is here. Rather than fight it, the superintendent says it's time to use the tool to do better work with controls - and careful consideration.
During commencement exercises last May, Dr. Gist told graduates they are "the first class that will look back at their HS graduation and remember that this was the moment where the general population began to understand the way in which artificial intelligence was going to change everything about the way that we do work in our jobs, at home, in our lives."
"There is a huge responsibility," Dr. Gist added, "Because as people who have paid attention know this is a complex area where there is a lot of important ethical and other decisions that need to be made in order to ensure that it's used productively and safely."
Click here for more information on Tulsa Public Schools bus schedules, uniforms & dress codes, and school start times.
Parents are also encouraged to check to see if their child's enrollment information is up to date
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