Last week, with just days remaining in the Legislative session, House Speaker T.W. Shannon made a surprising announcement. He said that he would put forward a measure to repeal Common Core standards in Oklahoma schools. 

Oklahoma lawmakers voted to adopt the Common Core education standards in 2010. For the last three years, Oklahoma schools have spent millions of dollars and thousands of person-hours transitioning to Common Core learning standards. The scope of what’s already been done is enormous.

Teachers have participated in numerous trainings and conferences to prepare for Common Core. The Oklahoma Education Association assembled dozens of classroom teachers from across the state to conduct trainings on the CC goals for literacy and math, as well devoting their 2012 Professional Development Conference to the new standards. Teachers and administrators participated in CC trainings offered at OSU by the K-12 Teachers Alliance and by the K-20 Center at OU. The state Department of Education has spent millions to embed Reac3h Coaches in schools across the state to assist with the transition.

continue reading No, Common Core is not a ‘federal takeover’ of schools

In The Know is a daily synopsis of Oklahoma policy-related news and blogs. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.

Today you should know that President Barack Obama plans to visit Oklahoma on Sunday to meet with those affected by Monday’s EF5 tornado. With everyone who had reported missing accounted for, the death toll has been revised down to 24. Insurance Commissioner John Doak said that the damage could top $1 billion, and the insurance industry is preparing for a deluge of claims. 

The New York Times profiled residents of Moore who plan to stay in the town despite the treat of tornadoes. David Blatt’s Journal Record column honors the courage of teachers who put their lives on the line to protect children. Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne praised Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole for putting pragmatism above ideology in the wake of natural disasters.

On the OK Policy Blog, we discuss how April’s state revenue boost was likely a one-time increase due to federal tax changes. In the Huffington Post, Rep. Doug Cox criticizes Oklahoma legislators for using the final days of session to pass laws blocking women’s access to preventive health care. The Tulsa World writes that Governor Fallin’s decision not to accept federal dollars to extend Medicaid is already leading to job losses in Oklahoma.

The Number of the Day is the percentage drop in state appropriations for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management since FY 2009. In today’s Policy Note, Atlantic Cities maps out the differences in teen birth rates across the U.S.

continue reading In The Know: Obama to visit Oklahoma on Sunday; tornado damage could top $1 billion

Last week’s announcement of April General Revenue (GR) collections seemed to signal great news for the state.  Revenues were up almost $90 million, or 14.7 percent, from the same month a year ago and exceeded the estimate by 15.1 percent. After lagging behind prior year collections for much of the year, April’s surge pulled total year-to-date GR collections ahead of last year by 0.9 percent. State Finance and Revenue Secretary Preston Doerflinger heralded April’s GR report as an indicator that, “The economy is  kicking in and revenues are right on pace… It instills confidence to have a steadfast economy like ours in times like this.”

April’s revenue growth was due almost entirely to a spike in income tax collections, which rose $70.6 million, or 19.8 percent compared to April 2012.  For the year, income tax collections are now $183.2 million, or 9.4 percent, above FY 2012.  But rather than reflecting real strength in the state economy,  April’s income tax collections may instead have been a temporary and one-time response by taxpayers to recent changes in federal tax policy.

continue reading April Fools? Strong revenue growth may reflect one-time tax changes

In The Know is a daily synopsis of Oklahoma policy-related news and blogs. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.

Today you should know that Oklahoma lawmakers plan to appropriate $45 million from the Rainy Day fund to help pay for tornado recovery efforts. President Obama vowed to marshal the resources of the federal government to help Oklahoma storm victims, but Senator Coburn said funds for disaster relief should be matched with more federal budget cuts. The Wall Street Journal shared the stories of people inside the Plaza Towers Elementary School during the tornado.

With officials acknowledging that two elementary schools destroyed by the tornado had no safe rooms, Rep. Joe Dorman is pressing for a $500 million bond issue to build them. The New York Times examined the costs and political culture that have contributed to a lack of safe rooms in Oklahoma. Atlantic Cities explained how Oklahoma’s clay soil makes it difficult to build underground shelters. The New York Times spoke with scientists about how climate change might impact tornadoes.

continue reading In The Know: Lawmakers plan $45 million appropriation from Rainy Day fund for tornado relief

The John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation will host its fourth annual national Symposium on The Value of Reconciliation in Tulsa on May 29-31, 2013.  The Symposium will explore current academic research and community projects that address the general theme of reconciliation in America, with a special focus on the its generative value—its economic and social dimensions. Scholars, students, and community activists will find this in-depth exploration compelling and energizing. 

The public is encouraged to attend the two free events on Thursday, May 30 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel: The Town Hall Forum and the Keynote Address. The Town Hall Forum from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. features a conversation on the value of reconciliation between close friends and eminent theologians: Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. and Rev. Dr. Donald W. Shriver. The Keynote Address at 5:30 p.m. will be presented by Peter Edelman, L.L.B., attorney, policy maker, law professor at Georgetown University Law Center and author of So Rich So Poor: Why It’s So Hard To End Poverty in America.

Featured speakers include:

• David Blatt, Ph.D., Director of the Oklahoma Policy Institute,  “Closing the Opportunity Gap – Building an Equity Agenda.”

•  Roberto R. Ramirez, Branch Chief, Ethnicity and Ancestry Statistics Branch, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau,   “The Value of Reconciliation Going Forward: Demographic Trends Through 2050.”

• Etan Thomas, retired NBA basketball player, writer, and social activist,  “An Activist Athlete Speaks About Opportunity, Equity & Race.”

Oklahoma Policy Institute’s Kate Richey, will be leading a workshop on the subject of “Building Equity: Strategies for Closing the Opportunity Gap.” 

Click here for the full Symposium agenda including the full list of speakers and topics, and click here if you would like to register for the event. The registration cost for the event is:

• Full Registration                          $225.00
• Full Registration Student Rate      $100.00
• Single Day Registration                $125.00
• Reception Only May 30^th              $50.00
• Presenters Fee                            $200.00

In The Know is a daily synopsis of Oklahoma policy-related news and blogs. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.

Today you should know that an EF4 tornado killed at least 51 people Monday as it roared through Moore and south Oklahoma City. Rescue workers were frantically searching into the night for missing children at the devastated Plaza Towers Elementary School in the Moore School District. The White House has approved Oklahoma’s request for disaster assistance in five Oklahoma counties. NewsOK has a list of ways to help tornado victims.

Insurance Commissioner John Doak estimated that estimated 100 to 150 insured home losses and “many, many more uninsured” from the Shawnee tornado. House Speaker TW Shannon is refusing to preserve Insure Oklahoma coverage for 9,000 Oklahomans earning less than the poverty level, because he believes government shouldn’t provide health insurance. A group of state education officials including Oklahoma Superintendent Barresi is pushing back against a call for a moratorium on using standardized tests for evaluating students or teachers until states have completely implemented Common Core standards.

A House panel approved a measure to fund completion of the American Indian Cultural Center out of use tax revenue. The New York Times reports that an aquifer ranging from Nebraska to the Texas panhandle is running dry due to intensive farming and won’t be refilled for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. A new report by the Brookings Institutions shows that growing poverty in Oklahoma suburbs mirrors a national trend. The Number of the Day is . In today’s Policy Note, Atlantic Cities explains how suburban poverty is less visible and more insidious than urban poverty.

continue reading In The Know: Oklahoma devastated by second round of twisters

With just one week left until the legislature’s scheduled adjournment, Governor Mary Fallin has called on legislators to approve last-minute changes to the Insure Oklahoma program. These questions and answers explain what is being proposed and the vital issues that are at stake:

Question #1: What is Governor Fallin’s proposal?

The Governor proposes to provide health insurance coverage to some 9,000 people with state-only dollars by redirecting close to $50 million that are currently being spent to match federal Medicaid dollars for the Insure Oklahoma program.

Question #2: What is Insure Oklahoma?

Insure Oklahoma is a public-private health insurance program created in 2005 under a Medicaid 1115 waiver to provide coverage for low-income adults. The state’s share of funding for Insure Oklahoma comes from a portion of the tobacco tax revenues approved by Oklahoma voters in 2004, and is matched with federal Medicaid funds. In FY 2011, the program received $46.0 million in state funds. Insure Oklahoma has two components:

continue reading Key questions and answers on last-minute Insure Oklahoma proposal

In The Know is a daily synopsis of Oklahoma policy-related news and blogs. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. You can sign up here to receive In The Know by e-mail.

Today you should know that House Speaker T.W. Shannon and Governor Fallin were the top recipients of nearly $200,000 in campaign dollars and gifts given by the private prison industry since 2004. Governor Fallin asked the legislator to transform Insure Oklahoma into a smaller program using $50 million additional state-only dollars to avoid making changes requested by the federal government. Oklahoma Policy Institute released a statement that the governor’s proposal sacrifices taxpayers and the uninsured.

The Athens Banner-Herald has a Q&A with an administrator for the federally-run insurance exchange for Oklahoma, which will be operated out of Dallas. Oklahoma GOP legislative leaders are split on several issues they intend to take on in the final week of session: an override Gov. Fallin’s veto of a pension bill, common core standards, and funding for the American Indian Cultural Center and Tulsa Pop Museum. The Comanche schools superintendent writes that state budget cuts are pushing educators into early retirement. The okeducationtruths blog has an in-depth look at this year’s education budget.

State Superintendent Janet Barresi denied any involvement in the hiring of a testing company whose technical problems disrupted online tests for more than 9,000 students last month. The State Department of Education is investigating Jenks Public Schools to see if its parent-led movement to opt students out of tests was instigated or encouraged by district employees. The Tulsa City-County Library has cut more than $800,000 from its proposed operating budget due to the SQ 766 property tax cuts for large corporations.

Despite calls by several Oklahoma legislators to address hundreds of millions of dollars in state tax credits and exemptions for businesses and industries, little has been done as another session approaches its end. The conservative blogger OK Politechs writes that Governor Fallin, Speaker T.W. Shannon and others are making highly misleading claims about the recently passed income tax cuts. The Number of the Day is the percentage drop in the number of natural gas rigs drilling in Oklahoma over the past year. In today’s Policy Note, a University of Illinois law professor writes in the New York Times that the IRS scandal around Tea Party groups shows why we should eliminate 501(c)(4)s.

continue reading In The Know: Lawmakers received nearly $200k from private prisons

The Weekly Wonk is a summary of Oklahoma Policy Institute’s events, publications, blog posts, and coverage.  Numbers of the Day and Policy Notes are from our daily news briefing, In The Know.  Click here to subscribe to In The Know.

OK Policy’s Executive Director, David Blatt’s Journal Record column explains why the Legislature’s refusal to approve any new bonds is financially irresponsible. KJRH, mentioned OK Policy in their report that despite a recently approved bond issue for Tulsa Public Schools, education funding is still a problem in Oklahoma.

The OK Policy Blog addressed silver linings in the tax cut debate and highlighted social impact bonds, a promising new approach that Oklahoma could use to fund smart on crime reforms. We also discussed a consultant’s report on developing an Oklahoma plan for expanding health coverage, which appears to be moving Oklahoma along a path to accept federal dollars and shared a 3-minute video that sheds light on America’s racial wealth gap.

Numbers of the Day

• 10.0 percent – Percentage of Oklahoma households with a past due mortgage, compared to 10.8 percent nationally
• 11 – The number of payday loans the average borrower takes out over 12 months, ultimately paying $574 in interest on $392 in loans
• $1.4 trillion – Projected GDP growth over 10 years if the U.S. granted resident immigrants legal status and a pathway to citizenship; conversely, mass deportation and ‘zero-immigration’ enforcement policies would decrease GDP by $2.6 trillion over the same period
• 30,000 – The number of Oklahomans, one-third of whom have incomes below the poverty level, who will lose their state-sponsored health coverage if Oklahoma continues to refuse to comply with the Affordable Care Act
• $39,160 – Average annual wage in Oklahoma, 42nd lowest in the U.S. in 2012

Policy Notes

• Jared Bernstein writes in the New York Times that the United States needs a new approach to address a persistent lack of jobs.
• Pro Publica investigates unethical business practices at World Finance, which sells high-interest installment loans in Oklahoma and other states.
• Wonkblog discusses new Congressional Budget Office projections that the U.S. deficit problem is solved for the next 10 years.
• The Atlantic shares two maps that explode one of the biggest myths about student loans.
• The Washington Post reports on the Obama administration’s new draft of regulations for fracking on federal and Indian lands.

Oklahoma Policy Institute released the following statement in response to Governor Fallin’s call to continue Insure Oklahoma with state-only dollars:

It should be of grave concern to Oklahomans that Governor Fallin is proposing to use $50 million in state-only dollars to cover fewer than 10,000 people when we have the opportunity to access federal funds to cover some 150,000 people at little or no state expense. Oklahoma taxpayers and uninsured Oklahomans would be left to suffer to make a political point that the Governor is unwilling to cooperate with the Affordable Care Act.

While the federal government has indicated that Oklahoma must make changes to the Insure Oklahoma program to continue past 2013, it has also emphasized its willingness to work with the state to explore various options, including using the Insure Oklahoma model to purchase private insurance with federal dollars. The Governor’s proposal flies in the face of a preliminary report by the Leavitt Partners, which she requested and contracted with $500,000 taxpayer dollars, that recommends using federal funds to expand health insurance coverage while working to extend Insure Oklahoma beyond this year.

The Legislature should protect Oklahoma’s financial and health care interests by insisting that we provide quality health insurance to the greatest number of people at the least expense to the state.