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House defeats bill for school districts to publish curriculums online

Matt Trotter
/
KWGS

The author claimed the bill would increase transparency, but opponents said it could be used to antagonize teachers and school boards

A state bill that would have required all public schools in Oklahoma to publish their curriculum materials online was struck down in the House Appropriations and Budget Committee Thursday.

House Bill 2077, sponsored by Republican Chad Caldwell, would have allowed anyone to view all public-school curriculum materials throughout Oklahoma through an online portal. Caldwell argued the bill would create greater transparency among the state’s public school districts.

Before the vote, Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa) pointed out that parents are already allowed to ask to see curriculum materials in person. She also said she was concerned about how the bill would impact school board meetings.

"I'm concerned about these activist groups that are showing up at our school boards and creating chaos that don't have kids in the system — that this is what's going to empower them to create more chaos," Provenzano said.

The bill was defeated by a margin of 24-8, with all Democrats and several Republicans in the committee voting against.

Max Bryan is a news anchor and reporter for KWGS. A Tulsa native, Bryan worked at newspapers throughout Arkansas and in Norman before coming home to "the most underrated city in America." Several of Bryan's news stories have either led to or been cited in changes both in the public and private sectors.