Education Takes Center Stage With Opening Day At Capitol

As the Legislature holds its traditional organizational day today, education appears to be the issue taking center stage. Both the House and state Senate will elect its leaders Tuesday, and Rep. Lee Denney, of Cushing, is expected to be sworn in as the new speaker pro-tem.

Tulsa World Editorial page editor Wayne Greene writes on Sunday that Denney is one of the best friends teachers have had in the GOP caucus in years. He points to her proposal to provide dedicated funding increases to education, which failed last year, but which she promises to bring back this year. 

Governor Fallin, meanwhile, lists increasing “educational attainment” as her first New Year’s resolution and reaffirmed her support for Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister.

In the coming year, I am committed to working with our new Superintendent; our lawmakers, educators and parents; our career technology centers, colleges and universities; and our business community to implement a long term plan to increase educational attainment.”

But while most agree education takes center stage, not every opinion piece writer is likely to agree on the solutions.

The Oklahoman, an ally of outgoing Superintendent Janet Barresi, took another shot at incoming superintendent Hofmeister in its Wish List for 2015. One thing never in doubt during the term of outgoing state schools Superintendent Janet Barresi was that she was committed to providing all Oklahoma children, regardless of socio-economic background, a quality education.

We hope her successor, Joy Hofmeister, will also pursue that goal, regardless of the many slings and arrows that will be aimed her way if she truly seeks to improve schools. Oklahoma doesn’t need a ribbon-cutter as superintendent; it continues to need an agent of change.”


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  1. castor, 06 January, 2015

    Only competition will improve education. If the initiatives of the legislature do not promote competition, all efforts to increase funding, improve standards, or promote the public education plan du jour will fail. It will be interesting, though unenlightening, to follow the flailing machinations to increase “educational attainment.”

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