March 2025
In this issue:
 Earlier this month the Oklahoma State Department of Education announced the finalists for the 2025 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year. The finalists were first selected as teachers of the year at their respective schools before advancing through a district-level nomination process. Ten finalists were chosen from around the state, and two of the finalists are English teachers: Shelly Austin from Cushing High School and Lauren Draper from Tuttle Middle School. The Oklahoma Teacher of the Year will be announced at the Teacher of the Year gala in June.
 "I view teaching as a platform to nurture and equip the next generation as they embark on life's roller coaster. Our job is to get to know our students and then meet them where they are. When we show that we truly care about them, they will care more about what we have to say. It is then that they will allow us to come alongside as their perseverance is fortified. The best part of this job is cheering them on as they make it to the end of the ride." ~Shelly Austin
 "Teaching is a calling. It is not just a job but a deeply personal and meaningful career. I chose this career in the third grade; however, I knew the path to becoming a teacher looks different for everyone. As a career educator, I have a duty to my colleagues and those new to the profession to be a resource and a positive influence. I am a lifelong learner who relies on my colleagues to collaborate with me while, at the same time, I strive to pour into those around me who need the help and guidance I was once shown. We must invest in public education and our profession because public education improves when we unit and advocate collectively." ~Lauren Draper
Jay Snider of Cyril, Oklahoma, was appointed by Governor Stitt to serve a two-year term as Oklahoma State Poet Laureate in 2023. Snider was appointed to a second two-year term in the honorary position beginning in 2025.
An award-winning cowboy poet and recording artist who has appeared at national and regional events, Snider is widely recognized in the Oklahoma cowboy poetry community.
“It is an extreme honor to have been considered for the appointment of Oklahoma Poet Laureate,” said Snider. “The great state of Oklahoma has a rich history, and much of our heritage has been passed down through generations as oral history and through the writings of great authors. Through the Oklahoma Poet Laureate position, I can continue to promote all types of poetry and storytelling in the great state of Oklahoma.”
 In 2006, Snider earned Cowboy Poetry Recording of the Year from the Academy of Western Artists for his CD, Of Horses and Men. In 2008, he was recognized as Cowboy Poet of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists. His latest album, The Old Tried and True, is a compilation of his favorite poems written by cowboy poets of the past.
Contact Jay Snider
Interested in bringing Oklahoma State Poet Laureate Jay Snider to your school? To inquire about availability and to schedule an event, please contact Jay directly at:
Jay Snider
(580) 574-7017
rsnider@tds.net
Item review is the process that allows Oklahoma stakeholders to make expert judgments about newly written assessment items before they are field-tested on an OSTP/CCRA assessment.
Dates: June 16-20, 2025 from 8:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m.
Deadline to apply: April 18, 2025
Stipend provided.
This workshop is an in-person meeting hosted in the OKC metro area.
Application: 2025 Item Review Workshop
Questions? Contact Deb Wade, Project Manager, ELA Assessment.
The 2025 Advanced Placement® Summer Institute is offered to new and experienced AP® and Pre-AP® teachers. This AP training offers a wide variety of courses over the course of four weeks. Teachers attending the NSU Advanced Placement Summer Institute will conclude their experience with renewed enthusiasm and be equipped with new ideas and resource materials to use in their classrooms.
This program is in partnership with the State Department of Education for Oklahoma Teachers. Two in-person and two online courses in English are being offered:
- Week 1, in-person, June 9-12: English Literature and Composition
- Week 2, in-person, June 23-26: English Language and Composition
- Week 3, online, July 14-17: English Language and Composition
- Week 4, online, July 21-24: English Literature and Composition
Visit the Northeastern State University webpage to learn more and register.
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Registration is open for the 2025 Belfer National Conference for Holocaust Education, taking place June 23-25.
At this free, virtual professional learning conference, educators will explore the latest practices in accurate, meaningful teaching about the Holocaust with museum historians and educators.
Find sessions that demonstrate ways to integrate Holocaust history into both ELA and social studies instruction.
Register Now: http://www.ushmm.org/2025BelferLeaders
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 On Friday, February 28, Jason Stephenson, Project Manager of Secondary ELA, presented a breakout session "Pathways to Writing" at the 2025 Oklahoma Literacy Association spring conference in Stillwater at Oklahoma State University.
During this session, participants explored the Expression and Communication matrix from the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 3.0, which debuted in 2024. Educators discussed multimodal literacies, drafting with dictation on a smart phone, sentence frames, mentor texts, and timely feedback.
View the slideshow and handout.
Poetry Out Loud is a free poetry recitation contest for high-school students (grades 9-12) in both public and private schools. Poetry Out Loud encourages students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation.
On March 4 the statewide contest was held at the University of Central Oklahoma. Elisha Dalmeida, senior at Jenks High School, was named the 2025 Oklahoma Poetry Out Loud Champion! She performed the poems "And If I Did, What Then?" by George Gascoigne and "Perhaps the World Ends Here?" by Joy Harjo. Elisha will represent Oklahoma at the National Poetry Out Loud contest in Washington, D.C. in May.
Kriti Gopi from Union High School was the runner-up. Rounding out the top 5 were Sarah Wheatley of Bethany High School, Aiyana Singh of Lawton Academy of Arts & Sciences, and Laney Perrine of Lawton High School.
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With this award, Oklahoma honors the Native American leader Sequoyah for his unique achievement in creating the Cherokee syllabary. Sequoyah chose eighty-five symbols to represent all spoken sounds of the Cherokee language. In so doing, he created a way to preserve his people's language and culture.
The 2026 Sequoyah Masterlists, including those for grades 6-8 and 9-12, were revealed in mid February. Promotional materials, including annotated materials, will be available soon from the Oklahoma Library Association.
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The intermediate list is for students in grades 6-8.
 The high school list is for students in grades 9-12.
America’s Field Trip is a nationwide student contest sponsored by America250, the official nonpartisan entity charged by Congress with planning the nation’s Semiquincentennial in 2026, also known as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the
Declaration of Independence.
America’s Field Trip invites students in grades 3–12 to be part of this historic milestone by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them—with the chance to earn a once-in-a-lifetime field trip experience at an iconic American landmark or cultural site, including the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, National Archives Museum, Kennedy Space Center, and Yellowstone National Park — just to name a few.
Download a flyer.
Visit America250.org/FieldTrip/Rules for Official Rules.
 Submission Deadline: April 16, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. ET
Eligibility: Any student in grades 3–12 who is a legal resident of any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the U.S. territories is eligible to enter. First- and second-prize awardees from the America’s Field Trip pilot contest, which ended on May 17, 2024, are not eligible to enter or win.
Requirements: Students at each grade level may create artwork, including physical artwork, that is submitted through a high-res photo, digital drawing, or an essay.
Judging Criteria: A panel of current and former educators will evaluate submissions based on Clarity of Idea (25%), Student Voice (50%), and Presentation (25%).
Prizes: 25 first-place awardees from each grade level category and their designated chaperone will receive travel and lodging accommodations for a three-day, two-night trip to a select historical or cultural site. 25 second-place awardees from each grade level category will each receive a $500 cash award. Award recipients will be announced in May 2025, and field trips will take place in July and August 2025.
Writing Prompt
Inspired by the America's Field Trip contest, answer the prompt "What does America mean to you?" Brainstorm for five minutes, and then write for at least five minutes. You can write in prose, poetry, or even create a multimodal piece.
Reading Quote
 Photo by Johannes Plenio
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