State Textbook Committee - Member QualificationsTwo members from each Congressional District are appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Senate. One member is a lay citizen that does not have a teaching certificate, and has at least one child in the public schools of Oklahoma. A majority of the twelve certified members appointed shall be classroom teachers. Terms are for three (3) years and members may not succeed themselves. At no time shall more than one member be an employee of the same school district. Each certified member must have at least five (5) years of teaching or supervisory experience and be actively employed in the public schools of Oklahoma at the time of appointment. The terms of four members expire each year and the new members shall be certified in one of the curriculum areas in which the textbooks will be adopted that ensuing fiscal year. Beginning April 1, 2021 the State Superintendent of Public Instruction shall serve as Chair of the Committee and vote only when there is a tie vote in the membership of the Committee. The State Department of Education shall provide administrative services, including a secretary, to the Committee. The Committee elects a vice-chairperson from its membership to serve for the year." Unlike many states, the Oklahoma State Department of Education, by law, has a very limited role in the textbook adoption process. The State Department of Education assists the State Textbook Committee in scheduling and securing facilities for meetings, facilitates an interactive forum between the publishers and the State Textbook Committee, and provides guidance to schools about the process for purchasing instructional materials.
Important Outside Links
Contacts:
Oklahoma State Textbook Committee Instructional Materials: (405) 521-3456 |