Articles
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Education
Free Market Friday: Emergency?
We continue to see news stories about emergency certifications for teachers who didn’t take the traditional certification route to get a teaching license. But are we getting the full story?Jonathan Small | August 3, 2018
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Budget & Tax, Education
Official says some assessors shortchange schools, counties
Oklahoma teachers spent much of the spring at the state Capitol requesting increased school budgets. But even as they won massive statewide tax increases, many of their own home county assessors were likely failing to collect millions of dollars in local property taxes for education.Mike Brake | July 20, 2018
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Education, Law & Principles
Politicized schools threaten education
The First Amendment protects all Americans from government officials prodding us to support their pet special interests. But, some Oklahoma school officials seem to reject this idea.Jonathan Small | July 20, 2018
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Education
Bixby teachers union conducted ‘strategic’ voter targeting at district facility
Bixby Public Schools allowed a teachers’ union to conduct political activities targeting a “strategic list” of voters in the run-up to the June 26 primary election.Stacy Martin | July 10, 2018
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Education
529s now for K-12 too
The Oklahoma Legislature hiked taxes for government-run schools this year without demanding any reforms. Meanwhile, the Trump tax bill expanded the use of college savings plans, known as 529 accounts, to include tuition for private schools at the K-12 level.Jonathan Small | July 6, 2018
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Education
School safety concerns help fuel homeschool, virtual school growth
Proponents of educational options in Oklahoma say that many parents who choose to withdraw their children from traditional public schools cite safety concerns as high on the list of reasons.Mike Brake | June 28, 2018
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Education, Good Government
Gann seeks interim study on CLO distributions
While teachers descended upon the state Capitol this spring seeking more money for schools, one state agency specifically created to support those same schools was sitting on assets worth $2.4 billion.Mike Brake | June 20, 2018
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Education
How beneficial is pre-K?
Many consider Oklahoma a national leader in pre-K education, but how beneficial are pre-K programs? A careful review of the research reveals that the better the studies are in scientific quality, the less likely they are to find benefits.Greg Forster, Ph.D. | June 15, 2018
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Education
For education, fathers matter
There’s a problem affecting education and hurting students. The uncomfortable truth is that changes in family structure have impeded educational progress. It’s time we start talking about it.Jonathan Small | June 15, 2018
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Education
Popular Henry program improving lives
Eight years ago today, Democratic Gov. Brad Henry signed into law a bill creating a scholarship program for special-needs students. What do Oklahomans think of the program?Jonathan Small | June 8, 2018