Words from the Executive Director

Leadership Conversations

What Kids Need

Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director deering@ccosa.org

Relationships are at the core of who CCOSA is and what we represent. Since 1975, CCOSA has represented Oklahoma public school administrators who join as individual members to form a strong network that promotes Oklahoma student success. Did you know that in March 1975, the Oklahoma legislature recognized CCOSA as the organization designated to represent school administrators in Oklahoma?

CCOSA has been working on behalf of children for almost 50 years. CCOSA is not some bureaucratic entity; we are a membership organization. You are CCOSA. I know you, and I know your heart for almost 700,000 students we serve. You, our members, keep the focus on what is most important and what we believe in:

1. Children come first.

2. All students have value.

3. Leadership matters.

4. Education changes lives.

5. A robust system of public education preserves democracy.

To promote and support these principles, the OASA Legislative Action Committee was organized in 1982, and CCOSA held its first Legislative Workshop in 1986; I think my friend John Folks was State Superintendent at that time. We have moved forward for public education with collaboration and support with most State Superintendents since then. Our membership has stayed strong and increased because of a focused mission for public education and the success of our students.

The State Superintendent recently released a statement to the media ending all partnerships with CCOSA, claiming that we are “woke and anti-

parent.” My response is linked here. We all know he has a history of making hot political statements, but we believe this statement is also related to the fact that we surveyed our members to get information for legislators on the OSDE’s lack of response and backlog of federal and ESSER claims and applications.

The first federal programs survey, released in November 2023, reflected the frustrations and challenges with OSDE Federal Programs’ processing of federal program applications and claims, and lack of reimbursements. The second survey that ended January 22 reflected improvements in approvals, claim processing, and reimbursements to districts. While some schools are still experiencing issues, many are seeing resolution in these three areas. As I said before, this is not a political issue, but a business issue that needed to be addressed by the OSDE.

You may not know that CCOSA has contracted with the OSDE for many years to train special education directors. The OSDE will be sending out a new RFP this year for another term of the contract. They exercised their 60-day clause to let the contract expire when it was going to expire anyway.

When the State Superintendent makes claims about CCOSA, he is referring to 3,000 Oklahoma school leaders. As school leaders, we sometimes face false and unfair accusations. Instead of lashing back, we continue to keep our focus on our students and schools. We are transparent, and we state the facts.

CCOSA will continue to take the high road. We will respond as our school leaders do, keeping our focus on our mission to provide support for school leaders, and our students and to advocate for public schools. And of course we will continue to urge the State Superintendent to collaborate with us. Kids need adults to work together. Kids are best served when all agencies join forces for the student’s sake.

CCOSA will not lose focus of its mission because of noise from the outside. State Superintendents and political leaders come and go, but CCOSA is still here –for almost 50 years!

Thank you for standing with us, shoulder to shoulder, as we all keep our focus on our core principles: Children Come First and Leadership Matters.

Respectfully and on behalf of the great CCOSA team and Executive Committee Members,

Pam Deering, Ph.D.

CCOSA/OASA Executive Director ■

CCOSA will respond with action:

■ We will continue to provide training and support for first-year special education directors as we have for the past 11 years.

■ We will continue to provide First Year Superintendent Training based upon evidence-based professional standards.

■ We will continue to provide TLE certification training for the Tulsa Model and McREL.

■ We will continue to provide researchbased training for principals.

■ We will continue to provide Quality School Framework training in the areas of school budgeting, virtual education, energy efficiency, and teaching and learning.

■ We will continue to provide statemandated beginning-of-the-schoolyear professional development.

■ We will continue to connect our members through communication networks that allow them to share current information and best practices.

■ We will continue to provide networking opportunities giving guidance in federal programs, student accounting, school budget projections, Indian education, instructional coaching, and any other need requested by you, our members.

■ We will continue to advocate for legislation that benefits public schools and students while standing strong against legislation that hurts public schools and students.

■ We will continue to provide personal benefits for our members.