Jennifer Palmer

Norman

Education Reporter at Oklahoma Watch

Education reporter @OklahomaWatch. Cut my teeth at @rgsun. She/her. Tips welcome: jpalmer at oklahomawatch dot org or jennifer palmer okc at proton dot me

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Articles

Education Watch: Help Us Report on School Lunch Fees

1 month ago | oklahomawatch.org | Jennifer Palmer

This article was originally delivered to subscribers of our Education Watch newsletter. Sign up now to receive Education Watch directly in your inbox. Schools, like nearly all other institutions, have mostly moved toward being cashless, utilizing electronic methods to collect money for school meals. Most districts use an app for that. MySchoolBucks, LINQ Connect, and SchoolCafe are the most common. These services often charge users fees, and as I report on that aspect, I’m asking for your help.
Split Decision Halts Oklahoma’s Plan to Open Religious Charter School

1 month ago | swoknews.com | Jennifer Palmer

Oklahoma’s top court’s ruling to block a state-funded Catholic charter school will stand after the U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked on the issue. The unsigned order, issued Thursday, reads simply: “The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court.” A 4-4 split was possible because Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case. kAm%96 D49@@=[ $E] xD:5@C6 @7 $6G:==6 r2E9@=:4 ':CEF2= $49@@=[ ?2>65 27E6C E96 A2EC@?
Split Decision Halts Oklahoma’s Plan to Open Religious Charter School

1 month ago | oklahomawatch.org | Jennifer Palmer

Oklahoma’s top court’s ruling to block a state-funded Catholic charter school will stand after the U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked on the issue. The unsigned order, issued Thursday, reads simply: “The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court.” A 4-4 split was possible because Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case.
Oklahoma Public School Enrollment: What the Latest Data Tells Us

1 month ago | oklahomawatch.org | Jennifer Palmer

Oklahoma public schools have weathered significant challenges to keeping student numbers up. The coronavirus pandemic. Private school vouchers. Shifting demographics. Districts such as Tuskahoma are working to counteract those headwinds. Expansion of the state’s open transfer law spurred Superintendent Jonathan Freeman to add more activities to engage students. “We’re so rural, there’s just not a lot here,” Freeman said.
Divided Court Hears Oklahoma Religious Charter School Case

1 month ago | oklahomawatch.org | Jennifer Palmer

Oklahoma was in the national spotlight Wednesday as the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case over the state’s desire to create the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school. The justices seemed split along predictable ideological lines, with Republican-appointed justices sympathetic to the school and Democratic-appointed ones skeptical.
Walters’ New Hires Steeped in Politics, Not Education

2 months ago | okgazette.com | Jennifer Palmer

Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, who some pollsters predict is eyeing a run for governor in 2026, now has a team on the state’s payroll who have built their resumes managing political campaigns. One recent hire is Matt Mohler, a political strategist from Florida. Another is Chad Gallagher, who founded a consulting company and is a longtime advisor to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
Walters’ New Hires Steeped in Politics, Not Education

2 months ago | oklahomawatch.org | Jennifer Palmer

Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, who some pollsters predict is eyeing a run for governor in 2026, now has a team on the state’s payroll who have built their resumes managing political campaigns. One recent hire is Matt Mohler, a political strategist from Florida. Another is Chad Gallagher, who founded a consulting company and is a longtime advisor to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
Walters Awarded Staff Nearly $600,000 in Bonuses

Mar 26, 2025 | oklahomawatch.org | Jennifer Palmer

Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters awarded nearly $600,000 in end-of-year bonuses to Department of Education staff in 2024. Most employees received an amount equal to 2.5% of their annual salary, an average of $1,700. A few received significantly higher amounts, payroll data shows. They include the department’s chief academic officer, Walters’ executive assistant, the director of social studies and the open records coordinator.
Education Watch: Sports families squeezed by stay-to-play

Mar 13, 2025 | oklahomawatch.org | Jennifer Palmer

This article was originally delivered to subscribers of our Education Watch newsletter. Sign up now to receive Education Watch directly in your inbox. Competitive youth sports are already expensive, costing families thousands of dollars a year. Travel is the most expensive part. And these days, most tournaments use what’s known as stay-to-play. The tournaments direct teams to certain hotels and require rooms to be booked. Teams face steep fees or disqualification if they don’t comply.
Forced Housing, Hidden Kickbacks: How Stay-to-Play Squeezes Sports Parents

Mar 13, 2025 | oklahomawatch.org | Jennifer Palmer

The deal is taking place all over the country, in volleyball and softball and hockey and soccer: Travel to our tournament and, unless you stay in one of our partner hotels, your kid doesn’t play. They know parents are already shelling out big bucks for their child’s sport. But if you want to find a cheaper hotel, drive your RV, stay with family or use hotel points, forget it. It’s against the rules. That’s because hidden in the hotel bill are kickbacks to the tournament.