TPS Board Unanimously Passes 'Destination Excellence' Plan

Tuesday, the Tulsa Public Schools board unanimously passed the district’s new strategic plan, Destination Excellence.

The plan focuses on how to work with what the district has in order to make it better, including new strategies to help students learn through more modern techniques and how to give teachers more freedom to teach the way they feel will be most effective.

The plan passed during a time when schools all over Oklahoma are dealing with massive budget cuts.

1/13/2016 Related Story: Tulsa Superintendent Announces Spending Cuts After State Slashes Budget

Right now schools across the state are dealing with a $47 million cut to education funding. Next spring there could be another statewide cut totaling $20 million or more.

TPS Superintendent, Dr. Deborah Gist said, “It’s hard to be a teacher right now in Oklahoma. But what we know that we have to do in Tulsa Public Schools is to have our district be the best, most desirable, most prestigious place to teach.”

1/4/2016 Related Story: TPS Unveils New Five-Year Strategic Plan

The district spent hundreds of hours talking to teachers, parents and students about their hopes and dreams for the district.

They believe this plan will give the entire TPS community opportunities to learn new skills and allow teachers the flexibility to think outside the box regarding curriculum.

You can read the full report here.