Articles
-
Education
Oklahoma’s ESSA plan
Oklahoma has submitted its mandatory education plan to the federal government. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the federal government must approve the state’s plan as a condition of federal funding.Greg Forster, Ph.D. | December 8, 2017
-
Education
Helping kids, saving money
Thanks to actions of the Legislature and Gov. Mary Fallin, a program is helping the most vulnerable and saving taxpayers money. The Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship program, enacted in 2011, gives individuals and businesses a tax credit for contributions made to scholarship-granting organizations that help kids afford a K-12 school option that better meets their needs.Jonathan Small | December 8, 2017
-
Law & Principles
SQ 640 protects taxpayers
If you want to regulate speech, you belittle the First Amendment. If you want to confiscate guns, you vilify the Second Amendment.Jonathan Small | December 1, 2017
-
Education
Oklahoma’s non-teaching staffing surge
Between 1992 and 2014, Oklahoma’s public schools did in fact receive more money: They increased their spending by 26 percent per student in real terms (adjusted for inflation). Yet over that same time period, average teacher salaries increased by only four percent—and class sizes got bigger.Benjamin Scafidi | November 28, 2017
-
Budget & Tax, Good Government
The mission creep
The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust is guilty of frivolous spending. TSET promotes smoke-free bars and nightclubs and buys billboard space for "water recipes."Jonathan Small | November 17, 2017
-
Budget & Tax
Many films receiving Oklahoma tax rebate produce no box office receipts
A declared goal for the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program is to enhance the image of the state to a nationwide audience. According to the Incentive Evaluation Commission Film Enhancement Rebate Program Draft Report, “the effect on Oklahoma’s image nationwide is unclear, but likely limited.”Jay Chilton | November 15, 2017
-
Budget & Tax
TSET paid more than $3 million in eight years to hospital lobbying organization
The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) has given millions of dollars to fund smoking cessation and health-improvement-related charitable organizations since its creation in 2000.Jay Chilton | November 13, 2017
-
Budget & Tax
No, it’s not personal
No part of government is too important for hard questions, tough oversight, real accountability, and strict limits on its power.Jonathan Small | November 10, 2017
-
Education
Private-school choice boosts college enrollment, graduation
The best test of any school choice program is this simple one: Does it help kids learn more?Mike Brake | November 7, 2017
-
Education
Teacher absenteeism is a problem in Oklahoma’s public schools
In Oklahoma, the chronic teacher absenteeism rate for charter schools is around 5 percent. In traditional public schools, it’s 20 percent.J.E. McReynolds | November 7, 2017