Quotes of the Day

“For the Cherokee Nation, an investment in early childhood development and education is an investment in our future. Creating generations of Cherokee Nation citizens who have greater access to critical thinking, as well as exposure to language and math principles, will result in healthier and more productive citizens as adults.”

-Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr., on why the tribe is investing in child development centers for children younger than 4 years old (Source)

“Instead of investing in Oklahoma children, Oklahoma lawmakers are giving them teacher shortages, growing class sizes, and disintegrating textbooks. That will make it harder for the next generation of Oklahomans to compete for jobs, and it will deprive local businesses of a well-trained workforce and a strong customer base.”

– Oklahoma Policy Institute Policy Director Gene Perry, on a new report showing that Oklahoma’s general preK-12 education funding per student is down by 24.2 percent since 2008, far more than any other state (Source) 

“You’re going to have tough choices. And I know this isn’t going to shock any of you — I’m not going to make it easy for you. I’m not going to just say, ‘Yep, I know it’s tough choices’ and not advocate for what I think is the best use of state dollars. So, my thought that we should all be thinking about is, ‘How much is a life in Oklahoma worth?’ “

– Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Terri White, advocating for mental health funding at a senate appropriations hearing on Wednesday. Oklahoma spends $56.22 per capita on mental health, well below the national average of $129.27 per capita (Source)

“It’s certainly frustrating for us to be falling downward to No. 50. I think what it boils down to is one pretty straight-forward thing: Our state’s refusal to accept federal dollars and expand Medicaid will continue to punish us and cause us to decline in rankings like these.”

-University of Oklahoma-Tulsa President Dr. John Schumann, speaking about new national health rankings in which Oklahoma scored lower than every state except Mississippi and saw a large drop in ranking for health care access and affordability (Source)

“In some areas, we had babies positive for marijuana removed from home, and in other places, kids tested positive for methamphetamine and they weren’t removed. Depends on what part of the state you’re in.”

-Lisa Smith, director of the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth, speaking about wide disparities in the Oklahoma Department of Human Services’ response to drug-exposed children (Source)

“The most important thing to me is that the story says — A: Christian truly is sick, he’s not evil. He’s really sick and has been for a long time, and, B: His dad loved him so much as he did all of us, and his No. 1 goal was to try help his son have a normal life and to be happy. He wanted his son to be happy and feel loved and cared for by us and others.”

– Cathy Costello, widow of Labor Commissioner Mark Costello, who was killed by the couple’s son, Christian, earlier this year. Christian suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, and his family had struggled for years to coordinate treatment for him (Source)

“Although the general unemployment rate is low, low-income families still struggle with issues of significant underemployment. Low wages, underemployment, and unemployment drive need for food assistance.”

-Angie Doss, director of marketing and communications at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, speaking about a high demand for food assistance that is causing food pantries to see shortages going into the holiday season (Source)

“Common sense dictates that until the state proves it can live within its means, it really should stop reducing them, yet some ‘thinkers’ continue to advocate eliminating the state income tax – even arguing that the state’s largest funding source can be vanished without a replacement and still fund needed teacher pay raises. This contention would be laughable if not so devastatingly irresponsible – considering current funding status of core services. But rather than rebuke this nonsense, many in positions of responsibility actually enable it through their silence or rhetoric”

-State Treasurer Ken Miller (Source)

“As easy as it is to put the blame on 12- and 14-year-olds, we, as educators, must be the adults and take a look at how we are operating and be courageous enough to change. The children are telling us to, just in their own way.”

-Principal Joey Slate of Oklahoma City’s Webster Middle School, which has seen a decrease in disruptive behaviors after they began using positive interventions as an alternative to suspensions (Source)

“There is a very big difference in runoff. If we can make it work in entry-level homes in Oklahoma, then I think we can make it work in other places.”

– Shanon Phillips, water quality division director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, on the success of the Trailwoods green infrastructure project. Trailwoods showed significant improvements in storm runoff water quality compared to conventional stormwater management. (Source)