Articles
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Education
Shortage of applicants, not teachers, plagues Oklahoma schools
When lawmakers passed historic tax increases in part for teacher pay raises in 2018, it was argued that schools’ reliance on emergency-certified teachers demonstrated the need for those actions.Ray Carter | December 30, 2019
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Education
Reading ESAs will put Oklahoma parents in charge
Florida has been a leading K-12 innovator for years, so it is no surprise that it became the first state to offer education savings accounts (ESA) to children enrolled in public schools.Patrick Gibbons | December 30, 2019
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Education
Who governs Oklahoma’s public school system?
The fundamental problem with public education is the lack of accountability. The best school accountability is parental choice, but reforms to the system’s governance structure can also help.Greg Forster, Ph.D. | December 27, 2019
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Education
Oklahoma education agency promotes progressive activism masquerading as civics
Generation Citizen makes the casual observer think it’s nonpartisan: “Through student-driven projects, youth learn how to effect policy change by engaging with local government and leaders to solve community problems.” In truth, Generation Citizen smuggles propaganda and vocational training for progressive activism into K-12 schools and calls it “action civics.”David Randall, Ph.D. | December 26, 2019
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Judicial Reform
Critics denounce secrecy of Oklahoma judicial nominating process
Following a judicial bribery scandal in the 1960s, Oklahoma adopted a “Missouri plan” system in which an outside commission selects judicial nominees and the governor is barred from considering any other applicants.Ray Carter | December 26, 2019
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Education
Schools disagree on definition of ‘significant medical condition’
Under Oklahoma’s school grading system, a measure of “chronic absenteeism” is one of the factors included in the calculation of schools’ A-F grades on state report cards. However, exceptions are allowed for students with significant qualifying medical conditions that result in long absences.Ray Carter | December 23, 2019
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Budget & Tax
State government to have ‘flat’ budget next year
The State Board of Equalization has certified that the governor and lawmakers will have only $9 million more to spend in the 2020 legislative session than in 2019. That represents an increase of just one-tenth of 1 percent.Ray Carter | December 23, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Compulsive gamblers can self-ban; expert calls the idea ‘almost worthless’
Les Bernal, national director of Stop Predatory Gambling, cites studies that show that half of the profits from commercial gambling come from addicted gamblers.Mike Brake | December 20, 2019
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Education
Tulsa Public Schools accused of breaking state law
The State Board of Education voted Thursday to send a charter-school application back to the Tulsa Public Schools district and urged the district to vote on the application within 30 days. That action was taken after charter supporters said Tulsa officials have violated state law and the district’s own policies.Ray Carter | December 20, 2019
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Budget & Tax
Oklahoma budget timeline explained
Last year Oklahoma had a budget surplus of $355 million. In the three previous years, Oklahoma experienced revenue shortfalls prompting across-the-board spending cuts and a special legislative session.Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | December 19, 2019