State Education Reforms have Residual Problems

OKLAHOMA CITY – Many of Oklahoma's school superintendents welcome education reform, although many changes keep them hitting the books and not just buying them.

The last few years have been especially busy with massive reform bills – and the bills that fix them – taking up more of the superintendents' time.

"It is a little bit more of a problem now than any time I can remember," Holdenville Superintendent Andy Young said. "You get ready to implement something, and they change it."

This year's new laws include a ban on smoking at schools, a return to one high school diploma and a requirement that all schools take spring break at the same time.

One new law says students again will receive only one high school diploma whether they take honors classes or not. The bill reverses a law that allowed students to choose which track they wanted to follow to receive a standard or honors diploma.

As of November, smoking will be banned for school employees as well as students between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. and at all times during student programs.

Another law gave new and already employed teachers a $3,000-a-year raise this year.