EDITORIAL
Education is among the most important of the issues facing our state and our elected officials. Our current Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction has repeatedly politicked education issues from his office, reaching out to national right-wing media and the president’s office, as he attempts to gain national attention. During his term, he has neglected his real job — the education of our children and the welfare of our schools. A survey by Wallethub has ranked Oklahoma as 50th in the nation in education.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is running for governor and he recently unveiled a plan to tackle the teacher shortage, boost reader proficiency, restore local control, and put parents first. This is what a real education plan looks like.
Drummond said, “While the current administration wages war on teachers and hides from our failing rankings, I’m focused on fixing the problem. We should be supporting teachers not attacking them. This plan puts parents first, restores respect for educators, and delivers real results for Oklahoma families.”
The following, according to the Drummond campaign, is Drummond’s schools agenda: “Support Our Educators: Recruit and keep the best teachers with the Oklahoma Teacher Corps, competitive pay, and streamlined certification.
“Champion Reading Proficiency: Lead the nation in third-grade reading by 2028 and end failed teaching methods like ‘three cueing.’
“Honor Local Control: Empower locally elected school boards, end unfunded mandates, and give communities freedom to innovate.
“Opportunity for All: Expand career tech access, dual-credit programs, early childhood education, and high-quality school choice options statewide.
“Openness and Real Accountability: Improve school performance dashboards, integrate education data, safeguard taxpayer dollars, and fully fund School Resource Officers while strengthening school safety laws.
“Leverage Innovation: Invest in technology, infrastructure, and community- based after-school programs that expand learning opportunities.
“Stand with Parents: Publish curriculum materials, conduct annual parent voice surveys, and protect Oklahoma classrooms from divisive political agendas.”
These are the issues our state and our legislators should be focusing on.
We stand with Drummond and we will look at supporting any political candidate who will place education at the top of their priorities.
