Articles
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Budget & Tax, Education
Educators voice support for school-choice bill
Legislation expanding an existing tax-credit program to encourage more donations to public schools and scholarship-granting organizations is drawing opposition from establishment “education” groups. But the bill is quietly receiving support from many Oklahomans who work on the front lines in schools who have seen the real-world challenges facing children and those who serve them.Ray Carter | March 9, 2021
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Education
Conflicts of interest alleged in Tulsa schools
Top officials in the Tulsa Public Schools system have been accused of conflicts of interest and financial self-dealing by local citizens who have filed formal grievances with the district.Ray Carter | March 8, 2021
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Budget & Tax, Education
Tax hikes, pay raises, fail to stem Oklahoma teacher shortage
This week members of the Oklahoma Senate effectively admitted that the teacher pay raise plan has failed.Ray Carter | March 5, 2021
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Education
Measure to protect teachers’ free-speech rights advances
Oklahoma schools would be required to get explicit authorization from teachers every year before withholding union dues under legislation that has passed the Oklahoma Senate.Ray Carter | March 5, 2021
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Budget & Tax, Education
Budget surplus provides opportunity for tax reform
The current surplus for Oklahoma’s budget provides an excellent foundation for real tax reform in Oklahoma that will brighten Oklahoma’s long-term future.Curtis Shelton | March 3, 2021
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Education
School board group pushes closures despite COVID plunge
The Oklahoma State School Boards Association continues to tout guidance calling for school closures in at least 14 counties despite an 80 percent decrease in positive cases since early January.Ray Carter | March 3, 2021
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Budget & Tax, Education
Open transfer wins strong Senate support
Legislation increasing the opportunity for children to transfer from one public school to another won easy approval in the Oklahoma Senate.Ray Carter | March 2, 2021
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Education
Amid COVID shutdown, almost half of Tulsa students flunking
A midyear report recently released by Tulsa Public Schools shows nearly every other student in Tulsa schools was recently flunking at least one class.Ray Carter | March 2, 2021
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Education, Criminal Justice
School choice: The best criminal justice reform
We hear a lot about the “school-to-prison pipeline.” School choice is literally the only policy with a proven track record of doing something about it. It’s time for criminal-justice reformers to put up or shut up.Greg Forster, Ph.D. | February 26, 2021
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Education, Law & Principles
Open transfer bill gains House approval
Legislation that would increase open-transfer opportunities among public-school districts gained easy approval in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, overcoming opponents’ arguments that lawmakers should instead raise taxes and increase school district spending.Ray Carter | February 25, 2021