Representative Amanda Swope

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Hi, I’m Amanda Swope and I represent the people of Oklahoma’s 71st District.

representative

News & Announcements

Dec 6, 2024
Recent Posts

Hefner, Swope in Center for Advancement of Leadership Skills Class of 2024

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Ellyn Hefner, D-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, were both part of the Center for Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS) Class of 2024. CALS is a leadership advancement program that brings together Southern state officials from all branches of government in a non-partisan environment to hone leadership skills in order to better serve the public. Hefner, House District 87, has served on the Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS) advisory committee, which provides input on DDS policy proposed by the Department of Human Services. Most of her advocacy is held in the disability realm, where she served as an ambassador for ABLE accounts with the State Treasurer's office. "The CALS program provided a unique opportunity to build relationships with legislators from Southern states while learning to lead with confidence, advocate for my community, and strengthen bipartisan partnerships,” said Hefner. “It has truly deepened my commitment to fostering growth and improving outcomes for Oklahomans." Swope, House District 71, has served on multiple diversity, equity, and inclusion committees, and police advisory councils as well as volunteering with organizations like the Community Service Council, Junior League of Tulsa, Tulsa Young Professionals, Junior Achievement, Little Blue House, the Terence Crutcher Foundation, Tulsa Spotlight Theatre, and Tulsa Historical Society & Museum. “CALS was a great opportunity to interact with legislators from other states and to learn practical skills to perfect our roles as leaders,” said Swope. “It provided strategies to improve qualities like communication, collaboration, and decisiveness that are essential to the work we do in the legislature.” -END-

Oct 3, 2024
Recent Posts

Swope conducts interim study on child-centered homeschooling practices

OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, House Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, conducted an interim study on child-centered homeschooling practices to support at-home educators and families. “I think everyone walked away with an understanding that discussing ways to provide safeguards for children is a necessary common sense next step,” said Swope. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to determine the best path forward to provide coherent culpability and protections for all students.” The Coalition for Responsible Home Education Government Relations Director Samantha Field presented at the study. Field explained Oklahoma’s current homeschool policy and discussed ways in which it can be vulnerable to exploitation, such as Oklahoma being one of only 11 states to not have a universal enrollment policy. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy CEO Joe Dorman also presented at the study and provided solutions to ensure children are educated and safe in homeschool settings. Dorman spoke about how children who do not attend public school and are not seen regularly by mandatory reporters are more at risk to not be helped in adverse home experiences. Homeschooling can also increase the risk of isolation, which is a risk factor for abuse. Director of Research and Strategic Impact for Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice David Blatt also presented during the study to discuss rates of chronic absenteeism and homeschooling. Individuals with lived homeschooling experience closed out the study. -END-

Jun 4, 2024

Provenzano, Swope raise concern for public education following OSDE rules sent to Governor’s desk

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, and Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, expressed deep concern today for Oklahoma public schools after HJR 1061 and HJR 1059 were not heard this session, despite both being eligible to be heard on the House floor. HJR 1061 and HJR 1059 pertain to approving or disapproving the rules proposed by various state agencies. Of particular concern are rules proposed by the Oklahoma State Department of Education, which seeks to tie high stakes testing to accreditation. “These resolutions going unheard is a waste of the work of an entire committee and the state agencies who put them together,” Provenzano said. “In not putting them to a vote in either chamber, we have circumvented the responsibility of the legislature and given the Governor sole discretion on approval of all proposed rules across state agencies.  “Accreditation reports demonstrate the practical functionality of a school, such as completing fire drills or ensuring English classes are being taught by teachers certified to do so. In tying accreditation to high-stakes testing, we weaponize it and put schools at further unnecessary risk. The Oklahoma Legislature received numerous requests to hear these rules on the floor, particularly from rural Oklahoma, and not hearing them shirks the responsibility of the Oklahoma Legislature.” The accreditation process is being targeted on multiple levels, with bills passing off House and Senate floors that will lower graduation rates via loose transfer policy, and another that will trigger the chronic absenteeism calculation by allowing students to miss a large amount of class time for religious instruction off site. Both bills, if signed into law, will negatively impact the grade a school gets on the A-F report card—through no fault of its own. During an Administrative Rules Committee meeting, Provenzano was joined by Swope in introducing 10 amendments to the rules resolution. All 10 amendments were declined with party line votes. “These rules aim to change the sole purpose of the State Department of Education while creating law at the agency level through the administrative rules process,” Swope said. “They allow for accreditation deficiencies to be applied for atypical criteria while giving SDE unrestrained power in areas that aren’t authorized. To neglect to have resolutions heard on the floor allows the Governor an opportunity for a makeshift executive order and neglects our legislative responsibility to provide a check and balance on this process. This negligence comes as a result of countless disagreements surrounding SDE rules and proposed amendments from both sides of the aisle. It ignores the broad concerns of the legislature and leaves other agency rules approved by the committee hanging in the balance.” Oklahoma House Democrats have issued several calls since last summer for a bipartisan committee to investigate the spending and policy execution of the State Superintendent, the most recent being on May 29, 2024, when they filed HR 1052 to form this committee. These calls for accountability come after reports from former OSDE employees claiming they have been unable to perform their job properly under the State Superintendent, alleged mishandling of federal dollars from OSDE, and continued refusal to cooperate with Oklahoma lawmakers of all parties. -END-