Andrea Eger
Tulsa World
CLAREMORE — The candidates for state superintendent squared off on the issues of Common Core standards, standardized testing and teacher pay at a taped debate Tuesday in Claremore.
The event at Rogers State University featuring Republican Joy Hofmeister and Democrat John Cox will be televised by RSU-TV, broadcast channel 35 and Cox cable channel 109 at 8 p.m. Oct. 14. RSU-TV is also carried by area cable and satellite television providers.
The two will face each other in the Nov. 4 general election.
Both candidates said one of the greatest challenges in state government today is the rewriting of math and reading standards for Oklahoma’s public schools to replace the Common Core standards that were thrown out earlier this year.
Hofmeister said federal intrusion into the Common Core standards adopted by more than 40 other states plus the failure of current State Superintendent Janet Barresi to listen to the early concerns of Oklahoma parents and teachers made moving forward with Common Core impossible.
“I am opposed to Common Core, but Common Core is not the only way,” she said. “We need standards with higher critical thinking and depth of knowledge. We have to make certain we are acting on evidence, that we bring in experts to look at models that are working in other parts of the country. Most importantly, we have to include Oklahomans in this process … It is not going to be an easy mess to climb out of, but we are going to solve this. Oklahomans have the heart and drive and we have the talent right here in Oklahoma. We can get it done but it is going to take a collaborative spirit.”
Hofmeister, of Tulsa, is a Kumon math and reading tutoring center owner and former public school teacher who served on the state Board of Education during State Superintendent Janet Barresi’s term and resigned to challenge Barresi for the position. She won all 77 counties in the Republican primary.
Cox, the longtime superintendent in Peggs, a K-8 district in Cherokee County, said he was excited about the repeal of Common Core standards because he opposed them from the start. He called for bringing together Oklahoma teachers from all grade levels to develop new academic standards for the state
“What this will do is the millions we spend on the implementation for Common Core, we can spend to implement our own new standards,” Cox said. “Teachers know from Point A to Point B what needs to be taught in their classroom. But they want something solid in their hands that they can then go out there and teach.”
Moderator Sam Jones, who hosts a show called “Green Country Perspectives,” challenged the candidates about the role of politics in the rewriting of the academic standards.
“Politics really should not interfere with having really strong high standards to prepare our students. We should act on evidence. We should go back and look at standards that have already produced the outcomes we want for our students,” Hofmeister said.
“We need high standards, assessments that are reliable, comparable and have diagnostic capabilities, and an accountability system that tells us how schools are doing and how they can be improved,” Hofmeister said.
Cox said the crux of the issue is leadership and he made his case for why he is more qualified.
“It is about an educator becoming state superintendent. Use the experts — our teachers throughout the state. It is time we start trusting them again and using them as professionals,” Cox said.
“If you want someone who is an educator and has been one for 29 years and lives it every day and understands what you go through, I am your person. I could step in there today, right now and take over and make a difference for public education.” Cox said.
Both candidates spoke of a common desire to reduce standardized testing and restore public respect and regard for classroom teachers.
When it came to questions about funding, Cox said repeatedly that he would advocate for another $200 million to increase teacher pay up to the regional average of about $35,000.
Hofmeister said, “There is job compensation and there is job satisfaction. We need to have both of those … More than just a paycheck, our teachers want respect and an environment where they can teach.”
She added that the limited dollars the state has to give means there needs to be a tougher look at “overegulation and overtesting” which she said has resulted in greater administrative needs and costs.
She also questioned how schools could be funded at 2008 levels when student enrollment in public schools has grown significantly since then.
