BACK TO SCHOOL: HERE'S WHAT'S CHANGING FOR OKLAHOMA STUDENTS THIS YEAR
OKLAHOMA — Alright y'all, it's almost time for our kiddos to officially head back to school. And we already know that some of y'all are impatiently counting down the days until you get the house to yourselves again, while some others are over here stocking up on tissues and wondering how the summer flew by so fast.
Cue the ugly crying and somebody pass us the tissues, please. Anyway...
While everyone and their grandmas are making trips to Walmart and Target to grab notebooks, pencils, backpacks, and everything else that somehow ends up in the cart, there are also a few new changes taking effect this upcoming school year that us parents should know about.
Most of this new legislation will affect public school districts across Oklahoma, so we figured we'd save y'all the headache of digging through pages of legal mumbo jumbo and just give you the plain English version instead.
So, in typical TUC fashion, we went ahead and did the homework for y'all. Here's the plain English breakdown:
More Recess for Elementary Students: Elementary students will now get at least 40 minutes of recess every school day. We have a feeling this is one change the kids probably won't be complaining about.
Changes to the Strong Readers Act: The Strong Readers Act has been updated to better help students who are struggling with reading. The goal is to provide teachers with additional training and more resources so they can identify children who need extra help much earlier instead of waiting until they're already falling behind. The hope is that by catching those struggles sooner, more students will be reading at grade level by the time they reach third grade.
Rain's Law: Another important change is the implementation of Rain's Law. Beginning this school year, middle school and high school students will receive age-appropriate education on fentanyl prevention, mental health awareness, and suicide prevention. This is one we truly believe is needed. Mental health struggles among young people continue to grow, and fentanyl has devastated families across Oklahoma. These aren't always easy conversations to have, but they're important ones. If this education helps even one student recognize the warning signs, ask for help, or make a decision that saves a life, then it's absolutely worth it.
New AI Policies: And last but not least, schools will now be required to establish policies regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Parents will also have new rights, including being notified about certain AI-related uses in their child's education and, in some situations, having the option to opt their child out. And as we all know, technology isn't going anywhere, so having these clear guidelines in place and making sure we stay informed just makes sense to us.
So, there you have it. Those are some of the biggest changes we can expect as our kids head back for the 2026–2027 school year. We know there's a lot to keep up with this time of year, so we wanted to break it down into plain English and hopefully make things just a little easier.
We hope everyone has a safe, successful, and amazing school year!
