Tulsa Public Schools
With the district a frequent target of criticism from Gov. Kevin Stitt for not offering in-person instruction due to high local rates of COVID-19 infection, representatives from Tulsa Public Schools administration, faculty and support staff issued a joint statement Thursday calling for educators to be placed higher in the state s vaccine priority structure. All across the country, states have prioritized teachers and other school team members for the COVID-19 vaccine. We simply believe Oklahoma should do the same, which is why we continue to advocate for teachers, and our team, to be a higher priority in our state, reads the statement, issued jointly by TPS Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist, Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association President Shawna Mott-Wright, and American Federation of Teachers Local 6049 President Nancy Leonard.
Healthier Oklahoma Coalition
Children aged 5 to 17 make up a higher proportion of new COVID-19 infections in Oklahoma than at any time in the pandemic so far, a phenomenon one expert says is worth monitoring. It looks like about 14% of the positive cases are happening in school age children, and that s the highest it s ever been, said Dr. David Kendrick, founder and CEO of MyHealth Access Network and professor of medical informatics at the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, on a Tuesday press conference held virtually by the Healthier Oklahoma Coalition.