Beth Wallis
Reporter for StateImpact OklahomaBeth Wallis holds a journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma. Originally from Tulsa, she also graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor's degree in music education and a master's degree in conducting performance. She was a band director at a public school for five years.
Beth is an alumnus of the Carnegie-Knight News21 Fellowship and NPR Next Generation Radio. She's been recognized for her work by the Hearst Awards, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Collegiate Press and the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association. She was awarded Best Podcast from the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists for her series "At the Seams," which explores Norman's relationships with political division, police funding and its own racial history.
Beth enjoys hiking, playing with her four dogs and discovering new favorite musical artists.
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StateImpact compiled this guide for navigating the new policies of income-driven federal student loan repayment.
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A state board of education member is stepping down, leaving the embattled board with two vacancies. Gov. Kevin Stitt’s office announced Wednesday Suzanne Reynolds was resigning, effective immediately.
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Oklahoma made taking a college readiness exam mandatory for all students in 2017, though districts may choose to use the ACT or SAT.
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The nation’s first publicly funded religious school got one step closer to becoming a reality Monday after the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved its contract Monday for the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School.
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Depending on income, the state will credit $5,000-7,500 per student at a private school, or $1,000 to homeschooled students.
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According to an email correspondence obtained by StateImpact between TPS and the State Department of Education, the district made the department aware of the contract termination the week before Walters testified otherwise, on Sept. 15.
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Despite its name, PragerU is not a university or academic institution, and it cannot confer degrees or diplomas. It was created in part by conservative radio talk show host Dennis Prager.
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Oklahoma’s new teacher sign-on bonus program championed by State Superintendent Ryan Walters is poised to award 533 teachers with bonuses ranging from $15,000-$50,000 — despite initial concerns about its legality.
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A heat wave at the start of the school year has educators scrambling to keep kids cool and safe.
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Northeast Oklahoma hit an all-time high heat index at a sweltering 127 degrees. In August alone, the Oklahoma Mesonet recorded a heat index of at least 115 degrees 212 times.