Articles
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Education
Oklahoma public school funding soars, but less money reaches classrooms
State Superintendent Lindel Fields told lawmakers this week that Oklahoma’s per-pupil funding is up about 50 percent over the past decade and that average teacher pay, adjusted for cost of living, is $69,046. He said more school days could help lift student performance.Ray Carter | January 27, 2026
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Education
Literacy improvement a major focus of Oklahoma leaders
Oklahoma lawmakers are making early literacy a top priority this session, filing a slate of bills aimed at reversing the state’s decline in reading outcomes. Led by House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, legislators want to revive and strengthen proven, science-based reading reforms.Ray Carter | January 16, 2026
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Education
Mississippi’s results speak for themselves: Retention policies work
Oklahoma lawmakers are preparing to make early reading a centerpiece of the upcoming legislative session with the READS Act, which includes a revived third-grade retention policy. As the “Mississippi Miracle” demonstrates, retention polices work.Tyler Williamson | January 12, 2026
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Education
‘Life-changing’: Oklahoma working-class families shift to private schools
Oklahoma’s school-choice tax credit is transforming education for thousands of families, including those living paycheck-to-paycheck. Parents say the program has opened doors they never imagined.Ray Carter | January 12, 2026
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Budget & Tax, Education
Oklahoma school spending and staffing up, but ACT scores fall
Oklahoma’s public schools are spending more than ever and hiring faster than enrollment grows, yet ACT scores have dropped to a new low.Ray Carter | January 6, 2026
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Education, Law & Principles
New Oklahoma law closes loophole allowing abusive school employees to hop districts
A new Oklahoma law aims to end the practice known as “passing the trash,” in which school employees accused of abusing students resign and quietly move to another district without their misconduct being disclosed.Ray Carter | December 22, 2025
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Budget & Tax, Education
Lawmakers seek to address Oklahoma’s reading crisis
After a decade of steep declines in student reading performance, two Oklahoma lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at restoring literacy as a core focus of K-12 education.Ray Carter | December 19, 2025
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Education
Momentum builds to revive Mississippi-style reading reform in Oklahoma
The State Chamber is urging lawmakers to revive the Mississippi-style early literacy law that once helped Oklahoma make major gains but was later gutted, triggering a steep decline in reading outcomes.Jonathan Small | December 1, 2025
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Education
Experts: Oklahoma can restore reading gains without massive new spending
Without massive spending increases, Mississippi soared into the nation’s top 10 in reading. Oklahoma, meanwhile, watched its reading scores collapse even as school revenue climbed to record highs.Ray Carter | November 24, 2025
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Education
Charter schools outperform OKCPS despite similar poverty levels
Newly released state test results show that Oklahoma City–area charter schools are outperforming the traditional Oklahoma City Public Schools district by a wide margin, with charter students testing proficient at more than twice the rate of their district peers.Ray Carter | November 20, 2025