In his bid to be the next governor, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond rolled out an ambitious education plan on Tuesday, promising to move the state out of last place in national rankings.
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Unveiling his “SCHOOLS Agenda,” Drummond said Oklahoma’s education system is “shortchanging children” and pledged to overhaul how the state supports students, teachers, and parents. The SCHOOLS acronym stands for points in Drummond’s education agenda should he win office.
The SCHOOLS Agenda covers priorities such as teacher recruitment, reading proficiency, restoring local control, parental involvement, and school safety. Among the plan’s specific promises are creating an Oklahoma Teacher Corps to address shortages and making Oklahoma a national leader in third grade reading by 2028.
Drummond also pledged to claim all available federal dollars to support school meals, summer programs, and classroom resources, money he said Oklahoma has too often left on the table. Another feature of his proposal is the Governor’s Excellence Challenges, statewide competitions in subjects like reading, math, and entrepreneurship, with winners to be honored at the Governor’s Mansion.
