Articles
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Education
Sober high school makes the case for school choice
For the parents of thousands of Oklahoma high school seniors, graduation 2016 was a time for pride and satisfaction. But for the six graduates of a special private school in Oklahoma City, that ceremony was literally a symbol of life triumphing over death from drug or alcohol addiction.Mike Brake | July 22, 2016
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Good Government
Free Market Friday: Timely leadership
The tragic deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, and then the horrific ambush murders of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, drew the usual statements from President Barack Obama. Yes, it was awful, he allowed, but then he engaged in divisive rhetoric about gun control and race.Jonathan Small | July 22, 2016
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Education
OKCPS Approves KIPP Charter College Prep School Expansion
OKLAHOMA CITY – Proponents of school choice earned a qualified victory on July 18 when a compromise plan offered by newly-hired superintendent Aurora Lora was accepted to expand the KIPP Reach College Preparatory School in Oklahoma City.Jay Chilton | July 21, 2016
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Education
How to keep rural schools open
Every budget crunch brings another call for consolidation of Oklahoma school districts and the pushback from rural residents and their legislators. We can expect more of the same in next year’s legislative session. It is difficult for those in urban areas, especially when they look at the high per-pupil expenditures necessary to keep some rural schools open, to understand the ire that is raised in rural communities by the “consolidation” movement.Steve Anderson | July 19, 2016
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Education
Free Market Friday: Desperate for thorough journalism
I’m old enough to remember when the “watchdog press” prided itself on keeping an eye on government. So where are the watchdogs when it comes to reporting on the government’s education systems?Jonathan Small | July 15, 2016
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Education, Law & Principles
OCPA Impact Challenges Gist of Boren Penny Tax, SQ 779 Supporters Respond
OKLAHOMA CITY – OCPA Impact, an advocacy organization associated with the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, filed a challenge to the gist of State Question 779, commonly known as the Boren Penny Tax.Jay Chilton | July 8, 2016
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Higher Education
Free Market Friday: Lower-cost college
American consumers have come to expect lower cost and higher quality (think of that miraculous-yet-affordable supercomputer you’re carrying around in your pocket). This week the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, the 1889 Institute, and former Gov. Frank Keating kicked off a conversation meant to bring the lower cost/higher quality dynamic to one place it is conspicuously lacking – higher education.Jonathan Small | July 1, 2016
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Education
SQ 779 Supporter Laments Not Having Money to Send Kids to Private School
OKLAHOMA CITY – When supporters of State Question 779 gathered at the state Capitol on June 24 to promote passage of the ballot initiative, commonly known as the Boren penny tax, one parent lamented her financial inability to send her children and grandchildren to private school.Jay Chilton | July 1, 2016
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Culture & the Family
Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan
The Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan came about as a result of the settlement of a class action lawsuit in 2012.Ed Lake | June 28, 2016
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Culture & the Family
Improvements in Child Welfare System Encouraging
Oklahoma has made a substantial and wise investment over the past four years in improving its child welfare services. I have the privilege of leading the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the opportunity to see and hear stories every day that demonstrate why we do this work with such passion. This work isn’t just about following sound and effective policies and practices; it’s about people—children, families, foster parents, and case workers.Ed Lake | June 28, 2016