For first time in many years, state board suspends teacher certificates for breaking contracts

After a discussion with Glenpool Superintendent Curtis Layton behind closed doors at Thursday’s meeting, the state board voted without commentary to suspend the state-issued teacher certificates of two teachers for “breach of contract” with the suburban Tulsa school district.

The vote was 4-0, with two state board members absent.

Layton told the Tulsa World it was his understanding that both teachers left Glenpool to teach at Epic Charter Schools, but he said he had no idea that Glenpool’s request to the state board was rare.

“I only know it’s the first time I’ve had this happen to me since I’ve been superintendent — teachers under contract leaving for another public school in the middle of the year,” he said.

Oklahoma statute has long included a provision to allow school districts to take such action to deter disruptions for students created by mid-year defections to other public schools.

But no other district is believed to have gone to those lengths in at least a decade.

Oklahoma Statutes, Title 70-6-101 states that until a teacher “has been thus discharged or released, the teacher shall not have authority to enter into a contract with any other board of education in Oklahoma for the same time covered by the original contract,” and if they do, a school board can submit a request to the state Board of Education for the teacher’s certificate to be “suspended for the remainder of the term for which the contract was made.”

Dan Isett, spokesman for the Oklahoma State Department of Education, checked with staff and said that to the best of anyone’s recollection, Glenpool is the first school district to go to those lengths “in at least 10 years — if not longer.”

Layton said both teachers gave advanced notice and then left the district during the semester break. He received unanimous approval from the Glenpool school board on Dec. 11 to submit the certificate suspension request to the state.

“My reasoning was we were trying to protect the district. We understand teachers are going to leave, but it’s so hard to get teachers in the middle of the year,” Layton said. “We want folks to understand we will honor our contracts and we hope they will, too.”

One teacher, Erin Overton, taught special education students, and the other, Kacy Katibeh, was a school counselor.

“We’ve not filled either vacancy yet. Right now, we’re having to spread the load. We’ve had to shift our schedules around to meet those student needs,” Layton said. “In this climate, we’ve just got to protect the district and hold onto our teachers who are under contract. It would be tough to find replacements if it wasn’t special education or counseling — but those are tough.”

Epic responded to the Tulsa World’s inquiry by saying the two affected teachers will not be able to serve in certified positions for the time being, but it said no Epic students will be impacted.

“They are still able to serve in non-certified positions, and when their certificates are reinstated following the end of the school year they will again become eligible for positions requiring a teaching certificate,” said Rob Crissinger, an Epic spokesman. “Certified teachers are highly in demand in Oklahoma, and there are several alternative pathways to certification that anyone with a college degree and a desire to help students can pursue.

“Epic encourages anyone interested to join us and other Oklahoma public schools in the important work of preparing and equipping students for bright futures.”

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