Last Updated on September 20, 2017, 9:53 PM | Published: September 20, 2017
Oklahoma City Public Schools confirms that 42 schools will be affected by forced teacher transfers to achieve what the district calls “rebalancing.”
According to district spokesperson Beth Harrison, rebalancing is done to even out the ratios of teachers to students in each school.
Transfers will take effect Oct. 23, the day students return from Fall Break.
Superintendent Aurora Lora warned Friday that the district would have to make “tough choices” about rebalancing.
The latest count of schools affected was provided by Harrison when Free Press sent questions asking how many teachers would be affected by the planned transfers and if any would have to go on the full-time substitute list.
She did not provide numbers of teachers, but did provide the numbers of schools affected and how.
Elementary and secondary
Among the 32 elementary schools affected by the rebalancing, 20 will lose teachers with 12 gaining one or more teachers.
Among the 10 secondary schools, five will lose teachers and five will gain at least one.
“On Monday, district leaders met with each affected principal to finalize a rebalancing plan for schools where current enrollment numbers dictate a shift in staffing,” Harrison wrote. “Teachers who will be administratively transferred are currently being notified.”
The district negotiated agreement with its teachers sets the process for how administratively initiated transfers for rebalancing will occur.
Seniority determines which teachers are forced to transfer to balance the ratios of teachers to students.
After a teacher is identified for transfer, they have several days to look at vacancies and give their top three preferences in their certification area.
As to whether any would have to go on the permanent substitute list, Harrison said that information would not be available “until final placements have been made” since teachers who are being affected were still being notified at the end of the workday Wednesday.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
