Recent Articles

State Funding Crisis and the Teacher Walkout: Resources & Information

Oklahoma teachers and school districts all over the state have shut down schools since April 2nd to advocate for better funding of education and other core state services. This page compiles resources to help you understand the context for Oklahoma’s… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma teachers’ real take home pay has shrunk for 10 out of the past 11 years

Most of the discussion on teacher pay in Oklahoma compared to other states has focused on the total compensation of teachers, since that’s what is typically used when making comparisons across states. As we recently discussed in our comparison of… Read more [More...]

As Oklahoma teachers plan to follow West Virginia in walkout, they confront a funding crisis that’s much worse

For nine days, teachers in West Virginia went on strike to protest their low pay and benefits. The strike began when West Virginia Governor Jim Justice signed a bill that would give teachers just a 2 percent raise in the… Read more [More...]

We’re now taking applications for the 2018 Summer Policy Institute

“This is by far the best learning experience I have had in my entire life. I wish it wasn’t over so quickly. I really look forward to seeing the changes and fixing the structural budget deficit.” Those are the words… Read more [More...]

Know your county better with CountySTATS 2018

What are the biggest job sectors in Oklahoma’s 77 counties? What counties have fewer residents today than they did at statehood? How does your county compare for health, income, home values, and educational attainment? The answers to these questions and… Read more [More...]

Budget Trends and Outlook — March 2018

Download a printable pdf of this fact sheet. Oklahoma’s budget shortfalls continue despite revenue improvements. Lawmakers met in two special session in 2017-18 looking for ways to fill a $215 million hole budget hole that resulted from the Supreme Court… Read more [More...]

Support SB 1086 to Repeal the capital gains tax deduction

Increasing focus is on repealing the capital gains tax break as a solution to fully fund state budget needs and resolve a teacher walkout. A repeal bill (SB 1086) has already passed the Senate with a bipartisan 30-10 majority. It… Read more [More...]

In The Know: Councilman wants city to take over OKC schools

In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Click here to subscribe to In The Know and see past editions. In The News… Read more [More...]

‘This is not OK’ Infographic

Read the related blog post here.… Read more [More...]

Bill Watch: Teacher pay and charter school oversight top the education agenda for this year’s Legislature

This post is the last in a series highlighting key bills in several issues areas that we’re following. Previous posts looked at legislation affecting economic opportunity for Oklahoma families, legislation to reform our criminal justice system, and legislation affecting Oklahomans’ access… Read more [More...]