Corrections: This story originally incorrectly reported end times for Monroe Demonstration Academy and Carver, Central, Webster, Edison and Rogers middle schools, as well as the number of languages for which students earned Tulsa Public Schools' Seal of Biliteracy. The story has been corrected.
Speaking my language: Tulsa Public Schools recently announced 53 members of the Class of 2021 earned the district’s Seal of Biliteracy, which is awarded to students who are proficient in two or more languages by the time they graduate high school.
Since the district started offering the seal in 2019, students have demonstrated language proficiency in 11 languages. Students in the class of 2021 earned seals in four languages: French, Hmong, Spanish and Zomi.
Saved by the bell: A TPS spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday that the district’s 2021-2022 bell times are set.
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Neighborhood elementary schools will be in session from 7:30 a.m. to 2:35 p.m. The three language-focused magnet elementary schools — Eisenhower International, Henry Zarrow International and Felicitas Mendez International School at Ralph J. Bunche — will be in session from 8:30 a.m. to 3:35 p.m. while the district’s fourth magnet elementary school, Mayo Demonstration, will start at 8 a.m. and end at 3:05 p.m.
Along with Memorial Middle School, TPS’ two junior high campuses, Nathan Hale and East Central, will start classes at 9:15 a.m. and end at 4:20 p.m. Monroe Demonstration Academy and Carver, Central, Webster, Edison and Rogers middle schools will start classes at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:35 p.m. Thoreau Demonstration Academy will end classes at 4:20 p.m. daily, with regular classes starting at 9:15 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays and extended day starting at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The nine traditional brick and mortar high schools will all start at 8:30 a.m. and release at 3:35 p.m.
Start times for the district’s alternative sites range from 7:20 a.m. for Project Accept TRAICE Elementary to 9:15 a.m. for TRAICE Academy Middle and High schools. Release times span from 2:05 p.m. at Street School to 4:20 p.m. for TRAICE Academy Middle and High schools.
Open signups: Registration is open through 5 p.m. on July 26 for TPS’ before and after care programs for the 2021-2022 school year.
The district announced in April that it would use a portion of its federal COVID-19 relief funds to offer free after school care at every elementary campus five days a week.
Citing their later start times, TPS will only provide before school programming at Eisenhower International and Zarrow International.
Due to space limitations, the district will use a lottery system for each campus. Students may only participate in after care at their enrolled school.
New leadership: The Teachers Retirement System of Oklahoma announced Monday that Sarah Green will take over as its new executive director.
Green has served as general counsel for TRS since 2018. She succeeds Tom Spencer, who retired June 30.
With more than 184,000 members and a current value of $21.5 billion, TRS is Oklahoma’s largest public pension system. Established by the Legislature in 1943, the program pays out more than $105 million in benefits to retirees each month.
Board schedule: The boards of education for Bartlesville, Broken Arrow, Catoosa, Owasso and Tulsa all have meetings scheduled for Monday.
Correction: End times were published incorrectly for Monroe Demonstration Academy and Carver, Central, Webster, Edison and Rogers middle schools. The story above has been corrected.