Education Conference Coming to Sallisaw

Beginning on Monday the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) will hold its annual summer education conference at locations around the state.

The road show format of EngageOK on the Road, with stops in Sallisaw, Broken Arrow, Durant, Edmond, Woodward and Lawton, will minimize travel costs for attendees and deeply reduce OSDE’s costs while bringing professional development to 6,000 participants in a 10-day window.

The conference will begin at 8 a.m. July 20 at Sallisaw Middle School

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister hailed EngageOK on the Road as a cost-effective way for OSDE to support and collaborate with Oklahoma’s education community.

“In light of this year’s budget concerns, I’m thrilled that we’ve found a creative solution for EngageOK that represents a significant savings to attendees and slashes costs to the State Department of Education,” she said. “This conference is a great opportunity for education stakeholders to come together close to home to share ideas and best practices, discuss new legislation and enjoy camaraderie with fellow educators and parents as we prepare for the 2016-17 school year."

Each site will provide updates and guidance on state and federal laws and regulations for special education, English learners (EL), child nutrition, Teacher Leader Effectiveness (TLE), accountability, school improvement and more. Several sessions will be devoted to Oklahoma’s new English language arts and mathematics standards, which will be implemented across all grade levels in the fall. The conference is free, but registration is required.

Hofmeister will deliver the conference keynote address at each site. In addition, at Lunch Without Lunch on July 18, 20, 21, 25, 27, and 28, she will seek stakeholder input on the new federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In an effort to develop a collaborative comprehensive state plan, these brown-bag lunch sessions will focus on academic standards, assessments, accountability, school improvement and teacher quality as they relate to ESSA. All EngageOK attendees are encouraged to bring lunch and participate. 

This year's 12 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year finalists will be announced at the Edmond location on July 25 during the morning general assembly. During the next day’s general session, the Oklahoma Counselor of the Year, financial accounting and Schools of Character awards will be presented in Edmond.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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