By AP
Tulsa, OK – Okla. school chief says takeover will be opposed
TULSA, Okla. (AP) The Tulsa public school superintendent says the district will vigorously oppose any attempt by the state to take over one of the district's schools.
Keith Ballard responded after Rep. Jeannie McDaniel said during a special school board meeting Friday that she had heard Tulsa's Hale High School was being targeted by the state school superintendent's office.
The Tulsa World reports the Education Department's application for a federal No Child Left Behind Act waiver includes a "state turnaround" model that could affect 18 low-performing Tulsa Public Schools.
The application states the Board of Education and Janet Barresi could assume control of the lowest-performing 5 percent of all public schools, and take those sites' state formula and competitive funding.
Barresi's spokesman Damon Gardenhire says reports about Hale High School are premature.