Articles
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Education
At many Oklahoma schools, very few students are proficient readers
In the Oklahoma City and Tulsa school districts, the vast majority of third-graders are not proficient in reading. Even in districts such as Edmond, Deer Creek, Broken Arrow, and Bixby, most students are failing to achieve proficiency.Ray Carter | November 13, 2025
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Education, Law & Principles
School-produced illiteracy crisis gets Oklahoma lawmakers’ attention
Oklahoma’s fourth-grade reading levels are among the worst in the nation. It appears our state lawmakers are beginning to take notice.Jonathan Small | November 10, 2025
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Education
Lawmakers hear claims OSSAA applies rules unevenly, denying students fair play
State lawmakers heard emotional testimony accusing the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) of applying its eligibility rules inconsistently and unfairly, depriving students of the chance to play high-school sports. OSSAA officials defended their process.Ray Carter | November 5, 2025
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Education
States with little or no school choice are pushing homeschool regulation
Despite claims that school-choice programs would lead to government control over homeschoolers, Oklahoma’s experience shows otherwise. Meanwhile, aggressive homeschool regulations are being proposed in New Jersey, which doesn’t have private-school choice.Ray Carter | October 30, 2025
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Education
Oklahoma should build on 2024 draft social-studies standards, not return to the flawed 2019 model
As new State Superintendent Lindel Fields restarts Oklahoma’s social studies standards review, policymakers and citizens should ensure the process preserves the solid foundation of the December 2024 Draft Standards—not the flawed 2019 model infused with Critical Race Theory and action civics.David Randall, Ph.D. | October 29, 2025
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Education, Good Government
Experts urge Oklahoma to reinstate third-grade reading law
Oklahoma’s fourth-grade reading scores have collapsed to near the bottom nationally. In a recent legislative study, literacy leaders urged state lawmakers to reinstate Oklahoma’s once-successful third-grade reading law, which required early intervention and retention when necessary.Ray Carter | October 22, 2025
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Education
If Oklahoma’s public schools are ‘accountable,’ why are all these high-school graduates illiterate?
“One in four young adults across the U.S. is functionally illiterate—yet more than half earned high school diplomas,” says a new report. It’s time for the Oklahoma Legislature to put an end to social promotion in our state’s unaccountable public schools.Brandon Dutcher | October 17, 2025
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Education
New test results expose deep reading crisis in Oklahoma classrooms
Newly released 2025 state test results show a staggering 73 percent of Oklahoma third-graders are not proficient in reading—a finding that mirrors national NAEP data. Despite record school funding in Oklahoma, student performance has steadily declined.Ray Carter | October 7, 2025
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Education, Law & Principles
Whistleblower: To target Owasso schools, Biden administration defied court order
Whistleblower testimony reveals that the Biden administration defied a federal court injunction in order to pursue a “gender identity” discrimination complaint against Owasso Public Schools following the suicide of 16-year-old student Dagny “Nex” Benedict.Ray Carter | October 6, 2025
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Education, Good Government
Stitt calls for making state superintendent an appointee
Gov. Kevin Stitt has appointed longtime CareerTech educator Lindel Fields as Oklahoma’s new state superintendent, following Ryan Walters’ resignation. Stitt also called on lawmakers to let voters decide whether future superintendents should be governor-appointed rather than elected.Ray Carter | October 2, 2025