Yesterday Oklahoma education blogger and administrator Jason James laid out a valid and strong argument for people to vote for Joy Hofmeister for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. As usual Mr. James did a wonderful and job of setting up the background and having valid arguments for his decision. You can read his superb blog post here click here I always enjoy his blog posts and getting to talk to him at meetings. Mr. James is a leader in our profession and has a great pulse for the climate of Oklahoma Education today. But, Today I don't want to disagree with Mr. James just present another side.
Let me say that I have met both candidates. Both are talented and extreme upgrades over the current leader, if you can call her that. I expect both candidates to run a clean campaign and I also expect them to return to a more collaborative leadership style. My argument is not based on the quality of either candidate. It is based more on what is going on in politics today. My personal opinion is that public education has the opportunity to make a huge statement. Currently is Oklahoma as was laid out by Mr. James the Republican Party has a stranglehold on state and federal offices. I am not opposed to that at all. I am actually, contrary to what our current State Superintendent says, a registered voting Republican and not a liberal establishment member. My major issue is when elected officials stop listening to the will of the people and start listening to outside groups with money and promises. The will of the people was demonstrated this spring that it supports public education. When 30,000 educators gathered at the State Capitol and when they sent our current leader to 3rd in her own party primary. Legislators say that if the people of Oklahoma wanted more money for public education they would have passed a state question several years ago. I think it's time to wake them up. I think it's time let them know the people don't support ALEC, Jeb Bush, FEE, Gates, and Walton. They support our teachers in the classroom. They support our students as our future. They can show that by electing Joe Dorman and John Cox this November. By letting education be the deciding factor in the governor's race.
Again, let me say this is nothing against Joy Hofmeister. I honestly think she would do a good job and has public educations best interests at heart. I also want to reiterate that Mr. James is 100% correct about Joy having a seat the table. This is about letting today's legislators know that big business and its tax credits and handouts are not more important that public education. That if you listen to outside groups more than you listen to the people of Oklahoma we will send you packing!! That's the accountability Oklahoma needs. Public Education in November has that chance. It has the opportunity to change politics in Oklahoma today. That is too important to pass up for just a seat at the table when you take the lead.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Regents Review Process for State Standards Clears Up
Chancellor Glen D. Johnson addressed the ongoing saga of certifying Oklahoma's PASS standards as college and career ready today. He provided a timeline of how things have been handled up to this point and as we move forward. Here is a copy of that timeline click here. It is refreshing to see the timeline and I appreciate the OSSBA for tweeting it out today!
I will be honest, I have had mostly no problem with how things have gone down so far. This timeline kind of reassures me of that stance. I was not a proponent of Common Core, so seeing Oklahoma remove itself from those standards was fine by me. I just had too many issues with those standards both how they were written and the path it would lead us down. So Oklahoma going it alone and writing standards for our state by people in our state is fine by me. You can have high standards and not support the Common Core contrary to what others would have you think! The nightmare of the losing the waiver might not be as bad as we first got reported. A report by Real Clear Education stated that Oklahoma might not have got an extension of the waiver, but that the accountability piece may be better than under the waiver. Article Here
Chancellor Glen D. Johnson said today he hoped to have the review process done by the State Regents meeting on October 16th. But out of all the news today the part I like reading the most was who was reviewing our standards, EXPERTS!! This is something we have been sorely missing in education. We didn't have it for Common Core, for A-F, we don't listen to them for TLE. I hope we get this right on Oklahoma Standards. I'm not holding my breath as the Oklahoma State Board of Education recently put together a group to look at standards and board members and legislators out numbered teachers! I hope that is the just the beginning phases of it and as we set down to write the meat and potatoes of standards we turn to experts. Not outside groups or political appointees, but experts. This is Oklahoma's chance to shine, to get it right. To be a good example (unlike teacher pay, cuts to education, and per pupil spending). We have done that with PreSchool education. Let's do that with our Oklahoma Standards too.
I will be honest, I have had mostly no problem with how things have gone down so far. This timeline kind of reassures me of that stance. I was not a proponent of Common Core, so seeing Oklahoma remove itself from those standards was fine by me. I just had too many issues with those standards both how they were written and the path it would lead us down. So Oklahoma going it alone and writing standards for our state by people in our state is fine by me. You can have high standards and not support the Common Core contrary to what others would have you think! The nightmare of the losing the waiver might not be as bad as we first got reported. A report by Real Clear Education stated that Oklahoma might not have got an extension of the waiver, but that the accountability piece may be better than under the waiver. Article Here
Chancellor Glen D. Johnson said today he hoped to have the review process done by the State Regents meeting on October 16th. But out of all the news today the part I like reading the most was who was reviewing our standards, EXPERTS!! This is something we have been sorely missing in education. We didn't have it for Common Core, for A-F, we don't listen to them for TLE. I hope we get this right on Oklahoma Standards. I'm not holding my breath as the Oklahoma State Board of Education recently put together a group to look at standards and board members and legislators out numbered teachers! I hope that is the just the beginning phases of it and as we set down to write the meat and potatoes of standards we turn to experts. Not outside groups or political appointees, but experts. This is Oklahoma's chance to shine, to get it right. To be a good example (unlike teacher pay, cuts to education, and per pupil spending). We have done that with PreSchool education. Let's do that with our Oklahoma Standards too.
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