Updates from the Oklahoma City Council meeting, Dec. 11, 2012

Reporter Michael Kimball live tweeted from the Oklahoma City Council meeting Tuesday morning. Read about agenda items and discussions below.

BY MICHAEL KIMBALL mkimball@opubco.com | Modified: December 11, 2012 at 8:27 am | Published: December 11, 2012 Comment on this article

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Reporter Michael Kimball live tweeted from the Oklahoma City Council meeting Tuesday morning. Read about agenda items and discussions below.

@OKC_Beat 8:28 a.m. Public service announcement before we get today's live tweeting started: This is my second-to-last #OKC Council meeting at @TheOklahoman.

@OKC_Beat 8:29 a.m. .@ZekeCampfield will be replacing me on this beat, and you should give him a follow.

@OKC_Beat 8:30 a.m. I'm leaving the paper Dec. 20 for an opportunity unrelated to journalism in Texas. Can't be said how much I've enjoyed my time here.

@OKC_Beat 8:30 a.m. And also in Oklahoma and OKC, although we will still have deep ties here. And Thunder tickets.

@OKC_Beat 8:32 a.m. After that time, this account will have a new name and will be just my personal Twitter account. No more #OKC tweets, or at least as my job.

@OKC_Beat 8:33 a.m. Probably some Sooners and Thunder though. Anyway, enough of that. Time to get started.

@OKC_Beat 8:33 a.m. Today's #OKC Council meeting is getting started! Thanks for joining me for some live tweeting.

@OKC_Beat 8:34 a.m. You can watch on Cox channel 20 and see an agenda or watch live video with links here: okc.gov/AgendaPub/meet…

@OKC_Beat 8:41 a.m. RT @NewsOK: Follow Michael Kimball, @OKC_Beat, for live updates from the Oklahoma City Council meeting this morning. newsok.com/live-updates-f…

@OKC_Beat 8:44 a.m. We are in the routine early parts of the meeting, and it's another relatively light agenda.

@OKC_Beat 8:45 a.m. But one item early on is a presentation from state schools Superintendent Janet Barresi. That could be interesting.

@OKC_Beat 8:46 a.m. Barresi is just about to speak. She was busy last night as well, as you can see in this @carriejacobs story: newsok.com/oklahoma-super…

@OKC_Beat 8:46 a.m. Barresi: #OKC is my city, a resident since I was 9.

@OKC_Beat 8:46 a.m. RT @Tiffanyg89: Ch-ch-changes. @NewsOK is switching to Facebook commenting. newsok.com/article/3736421

@OKC_Beat 8:47 a.m. Barresi: We need 4 objectives to accomplish reform. Starts with successful teacher in every classroom, principal in every building.

@OKC_Beat 8:48 a.m. Barresi: Also, rigorous standards and curriculum.

@OKC_Beat 8:48 a.m. Barresi: Digital learning is critical as well. Engages students, lets them access other courses.

@OKC_Beat 8:48 a.m. Barresi: The fourth is accountability and transparency.

@OKC_Beat 8:51 a.m. So far this is really just kind of a speech about stuff we already know about, explaining the school grade card system etc.

@OKC_Beat 8:52 a.m. There have been some deepening ties between the city and the OKC school district (and others), I'll look for signs of more in Barresi's talk

@OKC_Beat 8:56 a.m. Skip Kelly asking if schools had a chance to try things out before being thrown into grade card system.

@OKC_Beat 8:58 a.m. Barresi: The metrics they're graded on now are the same they were judged on earlier.

@OKC_Beat 9:00 a.m. Skip Kelly was also in the photo on that story I linked to earlier. So I bet he's been waiting to say something for a while.

@OKC_Beat 9:01 a.m. Kelly now is saying that these kinds of programs essentially pass hard judgment on schools that don't have a chance to succeed w/ them.

@OKC_Beat 9:04 a.m. Barresi is responding about her own passion for education and reform. But again, not a whole lot new on either side today.

@ZekeCampfield 9:17 a.m. Barresi: A-F School grading system clears up the swarm of confusion surrounding Academic Performance Index scores #OKC

@OKC_Beat 9:19 a.m. Ed Shadid is now talking about the ways schools can be involved in public health campaigns.

@OKC_Beat 9:27 a.m. About wrapped up with Barresi's presentation. I would have tweeted more, but again, really it wasn't anything new.

@OKC_Beat 9:33 a.m. Now we've got a brief item about Opening Night, the New Year's Eve celebration in #OKC. Can't believe 2013 is almost here.

@OKC_Beat 9:33 a.m. 27th year of Opening Night. Wow. Time flies.

@ZekeCampfield 9:42 a.m. Speaking of Opening Night ... No @flaminglips #FreakOut this year! A five year tradition comes to an end. #OKC

@OKC_Beat 9:45 a.m. Not a lot of tweets today, right? Well, right now we're talking about bus benches.

@OKC_Beat 10:20 a.m. Still on bus stop benches. Essentially, they want to build some better shelters at well-used stations.

@OKC_Beat 10:20 a.m. RT @cafeboeuf: @OKC_Beat The COTPA contract for advertising/providing benches? Amongst City staff, it's a hot issue. #sadbuttrue

@KristyYager 10:24 a.m. At the city council meeting with @OKC_Beat, @ZekeCampfield and @cliftonhowze. KFOR and KWTV just bailed. Can't really blame them.

@OKC_Beat 10:36 a.m. We're finally through the zoning issues and on the tail end of the meeting. Not a lot of newsy stuff during this holiday season.

@OKC_Beat 10:47 a.m. Now some words on fishing at city parks. It's that kind of Tuesday.

@OKC_Beat 10:49 a.m. RT @SilasAllen1: From the Tulsa World: Gov. Mary Fallin orders Cabinet to find examples of govt. transparency bit.ly/XNuKoG via @ ...

@OKC_Beat 10:57 a.m. Well guys, geez, that's it for the council meeting today. Not a newsy day. But thanks for joining.