Governor Fallin has approved rules submitted by the Department of Education (SDE) establishing an A-F report card system to grade school performance. The rules were adopted by the State Board of Education in March, based on a law (HB 1456) enacted by the Legislature and signed by Fallin in 2011.
Fallin said the law, as well as the rules submitted by the SDE, are part of a comprehensive effort to improve performance and accountability measures at public schools.
“Nothing is more important to the future of this state than improving our schools,” Fallin said. “Job growth and prosperity are directly linked to workforce quality and educational achievement. All of those things require high-quality educational institutions at every level.”
“To ensure that we are providing quality schools that are serving our children well and to identify those instances where we are not, the state is establishing an A-F grading system to measure school performance. This new system will allow parents, students, teachers and administrators to quickly and accurately evaluate the performance of their schools based on data linked to graduation rates, high level course work, performance on standardized tests, and a variety of other factors. In those instances where a school receives an unsatisfactory score, the state and community can then work cooperatively to improve that school and to deliver the kind of high-quality learning environment that our children need and deserve.”
“The ‘A-F’ grading reform passed in the Legislature and signed into law last year was an important step forward for the state and the education community, and the rules submitted by the Board of Education accurately reflect the intent of that reform effort.”
Superintendant of Public Instruction Janet Barresi agreed that the new reforms, outlined in detail in the rules approved by the governor, would increase transparency and accountability in education.
“The A-F reform has strong support among parents and the general public,” Barresi said. “The will of the people was carried out last year when legislators passed the reform and it was signed into law.”
“It is clear that Oklahoma must encourage excellence, not reward mediocrity. One of the best ways to do this is to give parents and citizens a clear-cut, easy-to-understand way of learning about school performance. Parents shouldn’t have to interpret obscure numbers to find out how their child’s school is doing. The new A-F system is a step forward in transparency and accountability.”
HB1096
Governor Mary Fallin today released the following statement on Senate Bill 1096, directing all state agencies and higher education institutions to achieve an energy efficiency and conservation improvement target of at least 20 percent by the year 2020. The governor outlined a proposal for such an initiative in her Oklahoma First Energy Planand asked the Legislature to write the plan into law in her State of the State address earlier this year. Estimates indicate that savings to the state could range from $300 to $500 million over 10 years.
“This energy efficiency bill is a central component of our agenda to make Oklahoma’s state government smaller, smarter and more cost efficient, and I applaud the Legislature for sending it to my desk.
“Senate Bill 1096 has the potential to save hundreds of millions of dollars simply by pursuing common sense energy conservation policies. That’s money that can be returned to taxpayers or used to fund essential services like education, transportation, public safety and health initiatives. This is an important step forward for Oklahoma and for anyone who cares about good government.”
SB 1096 now heads to the governor’s desk.
Lake Murray Lodge
Construction of a new lodge in Lake Murray State Park will soon be underway following the Governor’s approval of Senate Bill 1913 Tuesday. The legislation by Sen. Frank Simpson and Rep. Pat Ownbey, authorizes the Department of Tourism to use $15 million from the State Park Trust Fund for the construction and maintenance of the new facility.
“Building this new lodge is going to have a tremendous economic impact on Ardmore, Carter County and the state by attracting even more tourists to this beautiful part of Oklahoma,” said Simpson, R-Ardmore. “I want to think my colleagues in the Legislature and Governor Fallin for their support of this important tourism bill and helping ensure that this project will be able to get underway this year. I personally can’t wait to stay at the new lodge. It’s going to be beautiful, and I know so many others are just as excited for it to be finished as me.”
Gov. Fallin praised legislators for their quick action on the important tourism legislation.
“Lake Murray is a crown jewel of the Oklahoma park system. The addition of a new lodge will further enhance the recreational facilities and help attract more visitors to a beautiful part of our state,” said Fallin. “This is an exciting development for Ardmore and south central Oklahoma. I want to thank Senator Simpson and Representatives Ownbey and Hardin for their dedication and leadership in this effort.”
Now that the bill has been signed, Department of Tourism officials can begin the process of finding an architect and engineer. Construction will begin next year and the lodge is expected to be completed by September 2015.
Lake Murray currently attracts over 13,000 vacationers a year who contribute $1.4 million to the local economy. Local officials expect those numbers to increase after the new lodge is constructed.
Ownbey noted that the self-sufficient project will be of great benefit to local communities and the state’s tourism efforts.
“Funding for the new lodge will come from revenue sources derived from the park’s own resources,” said Ownbey, R-Ardmore. “So revenue from Lake Murray will go to pay for a new lodge that will further increase money coming into Oklahoma and our local communities from out-of-state vacationers such as those coming from North Texas. Thousands of vacationers visit this great attraction and more will come with the new lodge. It’s a great step forward for the state and won’t cost a single taxpayer-funded dollar.”
Oklahoma operates 41 state park properties and owns another 14 state parks. Royalty payments from the parks owned by the state are used for capital improvements at all of the parks. With nearly 12,500 acres, Lake Murray State Park is larger than all the other state-owned parks combined. The park has brought in over $15 million worth of royalty payments. SB 1913 will allow that money to be used for the construction of the lodge as well as any maintenance costs through June 30, 2020.
Rep. Tommy Hardin, R-Madill, also coauthored the bill.
“The new lodge will help boost the economies of nearby towns such as Marietta and contribute tax revenue through tourism dollars from Texans and other local tourists who visit the lake,” said Hardin.
SB 1913 will go into effect July 1, 2012.
