Guest Blog (Jonathan Willner): Public school grades – what’s really being graded?

Dr. Jonathan Willner is Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics and Finance at Oklahoma City University. After considerable controversy and delay, the State Department of Education released its A-F report cards for all Oklahoma public schools in late… Read more [More...]

Still stuck in a hole: Funding for public education falls flat

The FY 2013 budget negotiated  by legislative leaders and Governor Fallin had some encouraging aspects. Overall appropriations increased by $253 million, or 3.8 percent, and there was additional funding for targeted priorities in human services, health care, transportation and public… Read more [More...]

Guest Blog (John Thompson): The rewards and dangers of NCLB waivers for urban schools

John Thompson is a former Oklahoma historian and inner city teacher who is now an education writer focusing on inner city schools. When Oklahoma’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waiver was granted, local news celebrated a new era of “freedom… Read more [More...]

The toll of budget cuts: Programs promoting high-quality teaching and schools under the axe

If Oklahoma is to have any chance of improving our students’ educational performance, we need to support excellence in our teachers and administrators. In recent years, Oklahoma has made such a commitment by investing in research-based professional development programs for… Read more [More...]