OKLAHOMA CITY — A bill which would allow college students to “lock in” their tuition rate at state colleges and universities is getting a lukewarm response from a Norman area lawmaker.
State Rep. Bill Nations said he is supportive of House Bill 2103’s concept of “locking in” tuition prices, but there’s an “if.”
And, that “if,” the Norman Democrat said, is a pretty big one.
“I’m all for it, if … if the Legislature will do what they need to do to fund higher education.”
That means, he said, “all those brave legislators who want to do the politically convenient thing of locking tuition will have to find the courage to fund higher education from the general revenue fund.”
Under House Bill 2103, the state would create a locked-in tuition rate for in-state college students. Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, the measure would require all public higher education institutions in Oklahoma to offer in-state students the option to participate in a guaranteed tuition rate plan.
The plan would lock in tuition rates accessed the student’s freshman year for four continuous years.
However, the bill would still allow the state’s colleges and universities to raise tuition and fees no higher than the regional average.
“This is a win-win proposal,” the bill’s author, state Rep. Lee Denney said. Denney, a Cushing Republican, said the measure would keep more students in state.
“This will help to slow our state’s brain drain, because we’ll encourage more Oklahoma students to stay in our state to get their college degree,” he said. “And we’ll help families plan ahead for the financial impact of college expenses.”
Nations disagreed, saying that locking in tuition costs won’t make that much difference.
“Oklahoma is already the cheapest place they (students) can go to school,” he said. “Where are they going to find it any cheaper?”
Oklahoma students don’t go to out-of-state colleges and universities because of cost. “If they are going out-of-state, it’s for other reasons,” he said.
And while Nations said the state’s colleges and universities “need to be congratulated” for having done a better job than the rest of the nation at controlling costs, the “bigger issue” is adequate state funding.
“You can’t operate any activity — prisons, CareerTech, common education, public safety, transportation — with inadequate funding. And you can’t operate our higher ed system with inadequate funding. The reason tuition increases in America are out of control is state legislatures will not come to the table with adequate funding from their general revenue funds.”
The problem is not just an Oklahoma issue, “but a United States of America problem.”
With a vote of 26 to 20, HB 2103 squeaked through the state Senate and now returns of the House for consideration.
“No one likes tuition and fee increases,” Nations said. “But higher ed only has two funding sources — tuition and fees and state appropriations. This isn’t rocket science, it’s not brain surgery. My biggest concern is when the funding question comes before the Legislature — I’m afraid they’ll lose their courage.”
Friday, May 18, 2007
State revenue up, Meacham says
OKLAHOMA CITY — For the third year in a row, Oklahoma will deposit millions into its constitutional “rainy day” fund, a spokesman for the state treasurer said last week.
Tim Allen, deputy state treasurer, said increased tax collections will allow the state to “fill the rainy day fund to the constitutional maximum.”
Officials expect that deposit “to be about $76 million,” he said.
The fund currently has a balance of $495.7 million. A $75.9 million deposit would push the fund’s balance to $571.6, and increase the cap level on the fund.
The increase follows news that state revenue collections — for the first 10 months of the fiscal year — show close to a $200 million surplus. Those collections, Allen said, exceed last year’s by almost 5 percent and are more than 4 percent above previous revenue estimates made this year.
Those numbers are good news, State Treasurer Scott Meacham said.
“We are on track to finish the fiscal year in two months with a healthy surplus,” Meacham said. “We will be able to once again fill the Rainy Day Fund to the constitutional maximum and have revenues above the Rainy Day Fund cap for the third consecutive year.”
Preliminary reports show General Revenue Fund collections year-to-date are $4.91 billion. Those amounts are:
• $228.2 million or 4.9 percent above the prior year; and
• $199.3 million or 4.2 percent above the estimate of $4.713 million.
Additionally, Allen said year-to-date, net income taxes have produced $2.32 billion — a $129.6 million or 5.9 percent increase over the prior year.
Of that figure, personal income tax has generated $1.95 billion in revenue — which is $40.8 million below the prior year — while corporate income tax collections have produced $369.3 million, about $170.5 million above the prior year.
“It’s good news,” Allen said. “The revenue increase is really being driven by corporate income tax collections; they are running 154 percent above the estimate. Oklahoma businesses have had a good year.”
Overall, state revenue has continue to flex up and down, including:
• State sales tax, which has produced $1.27 billion so far — a $63.1 million increase over last year.
• Gross production tax on oil and natural gas, which has yielded $505.3 million for the first 10 months of the fiscal year — $87.8 below the prior year.
• Motor vehicle taxes — $207.8 million, about $19.6 million or 10.4 percent above the prior year.
For the first 10 months of the fiscal year, the treasurer’s investments generated $119.9 million; “...that’s $48.3 million above the previous year.” Allen said.
However, not all the news was good.
For the month of April, collections were slightly below 2006. General Revenue Fund collections for the month totaled $678.2 million, about $9.8 million below the pervious year.
Tim Allen, deputy state treasurer, said increased tax collections will allow the state to “fill the rainy day fund to the constitutional maximum.”
Officials expect that deposit “to be about $76 million,” he said.
The fund currently has a balance of $495.7 million. A $75.9 million deposit would push the fund’s balance to $571.6, and increase the cap level on the fund.
The increase follows news that state revenue collections — for the first 10 months of the fiscal year — show close to a $200 million surplus. Those collections, Allen said, exceed last year’s by almost 5 percent and are more than 4 percent above previous revenue estimates made this year.
Those numbers are good news, State Treasurer Scott Meacham said.
“We are on track to finish the fiscal year in two months with a healthy surplus,” Meacham said. “We will be able to once again fill the Rainy Day Fund to the constitutional maximum and have revenues above the Rainy Day Fund cap for the third consecutive year.”
Preliminary reports show General Revenue Fund collections year-to-date are $4.91 billion. Those amounts are:
• $228.2 million or 4.9 percent above the prior year; and
• $199.3 million or 4.2 percent above the estimate of $4.713 million.
Additionally, Allen said year-to-date, net income taxes have produced $2.32 billion — a $129.6 million or 5.9 percent increase over the prior year.
Of that figure, personal income tax has generated $1.95 billion in revenue — which is $40.8 million below the prior year — while corporate income tax collections have produced $369.3 million, about $170.5 million above the prior year.
“It’s good news,” Allen said. “The revenue increase is really being driven by corporate income tax collections; they are running 154 percent above the estimate. Oklahoma businesses have had a good year.”
Overall, state revenue has continue to flex up and down, including:
• State sales tax, which has produced $1.27 billion so far — a $63.1 million increase over last year.
• Gross production tax on oil and natural gas, which has yielded $505.3 million for the first 10 months of the fiscal year — $87.8 below the prior year.
• Motor vehicle taxes — $207.8 million, about $19.6 million or 10.4 percent above the prior year.
For the first 10 months of the fiscal year, the treasurer’s investments generated $119.9 million; “...that’s $48.3 million above the previous year.” Allen said.
However, not all the news was good.
For the month of April, collections were slightly below 2006. General Revenue Fund collections for the month totaled $678.2 million, about $9.8 million below the pervious year.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
COMMENTARY: Yes, I'll help pack Dr. Hedberg's bags...
So Oklahoma surgeon Dr. Peter S. Hedberg is upset.
Real, real upset.
So upset, it seems, that he wrote a letter to members of the Oklahoma Legislature.
Doctor Hedberg is frosted because some state lawmakers voted against a bill which conservatives say would curb malpractice insurance rates.
He’s also mad at Governor Henry for vetoing the same bill.
And now, he’s gone on record saying that he will not treat legislators “who voted against a bill.”
In fact, the good (and I use that term loosely) doctor suggested that lawmakers who voted against the bill go to Texas for surgical procedures.
Doctor Hedberg also said he would no longer serve as Doctor of the Day for the Legislature.
“This might give them a sense of what it is like not to have easy access to care,” he said in a story from the Associated Press.
Amazing.
I guess that point of being a doctor — that helping the sick thing — got lost somewhere in the shuffle.
And I guess Dr. Hedberg is a one-issue doctor.
For example:
• I’m sure he didn’t whine about the millions in tax dollars which were used to help fund the University of Arizona medical school, where he got his degree.
• And I don’t believe I remember him raising hell about the ever increasing federal Medicaid tax that he, as a member of the medical community, is often paid from.
• He’s not bitched or moaned about state taxes which provide him roads, police protection, and even clean water.
• He’s not said anything about our poverty rate.
• Nor has he mentioned the thousands of Oklahoma children who don’t have access to quality health care.
No, it’s all about him.
Somehow this physician — who can afford to make gifts from between $10,000 to $25,000 to the American College of Surgeons — has it in his head we’re supposed to be concerned if he doesn’t make several hundred thousands of dollars each year.
Like many involved in the political process our Dr. Hedberg seems to think demonizing a single group will encourage the rest of us to act.
He’s wrong.
Dr. Hedberg’s little tantrum is pathetic.
“I could move to Texas very easily,” he told the AP. “They are building a nice new hospital across the river. I could commute.” He was referring to a hospital in Denison, Texas, about 20 miles south of Durant.
Then, go, Doctor, go.
Pack your bags, fill the car up with $3 gas and hit the road.
Threatening not to treat people and encouraging other doctors to withhold medical care shows the rest of Oklahoma just what a selfish, uncaring physician you truly are.
In fact, Dr. Hedberg set his sites on state Senator Jay Paul Gumm, a Democrat from Durant.
Now, in the past, I’ve scolded Senator Gumm in print for his tax policy. And often, I don’t agree with him on his votes.
But he didn’t deserve this.
If Dr. Hedberg wants to keep his malpractice rates low, he should focus his future tirades on the medical insurance community. Or better yet, work to make sure that all Oklahoma surgeons are well educated and trained — making the need for malpractice insurance unnecessary.
Instead, he’d rather throw a fit.
So, here’s to you, Dr. Hedberg.
Please do us a favor and move to Texas.
Oh yeah, don’t let the “leaving Oklahoma” sign hit you in the tail as you motor away, and write if you get work.
Just shut up and go.
Real, real upset.
So upset, it seems, that he wrote a letter to members of the Oklahoma Legislature.
Doctor Hedberg is frosted because some state lawmakers voted against a bill which conservatives say would curb malpractice insurance rates.
He’s also mad at Governor Henry for vetoing the same bill.
And now, he’s gone on record saying that he will not treat legislators “who voted against a bill.”
In fact, the good (and I use that term loosely) doctor suggested that lawmakers who voted against the bill go to Texas for surgical procedures.
Doctor Hedberg also said he would no longer serve as Doctor of the Day for the Legislature.
“This might give them a sense of what it is like not to have easy access to care,” he said in a story from the Associated Press.
Amazing.
I guess that point of being a doctor — that helping the sick thing — got lost somewhere in the shuffle.
And I guess Dr. Hedberg is a one-issue doctor.
For example:
• I’m sure he didn’t whine about the millions in tax dollars which were used to help fund the University of Arizona medical school, where he got his degree.
• And I don’t believe I remember him raising hell about the ever increasing federal Medicaid tax that he, as a member of the medical community, is often paid from.
• He’s not bitched or moaned about state taxes which provide him roads, police protection, and even clean water.
• He’s not said anything about our poverty rate.
• Nor has he mentioned the thousands of Oklahoma children who don’t have access to quality health care.
No, it’s all about him.
Somehow this physician — who can afford to make gifts from between $10,000 to $25,000 to the American College of Surgeons — has it in his head we’re supposed to be concerned if he doesn’t make several hundred thousands of dollars each year.
Like many involved in the political process our Dr. Hedberg seems to think demonizing a single group will encourage the rest of us to act.
He’s wrong.
Dr. Hedberg’s little tantrum is pathetic.
“I could move to Texas very easily,” he told the AP. “They are building a nice new hospital across the river. I could commute.” He was referring to a hospital in Denison, Texas, about 20 miles south of Durant.
Then, go, Doctor, go.
Pack your bags, fill the car up with $3 gas and hit the road.
Threatening not to treat people and encouraging other doctors to withhold medical care shows the rest of Oklahoma just what a selfish, uncaring physician you truly are.
In fact, Dr. Hedberg set his sites on state Senator Jay Paul Gumm, a Democrat from Durant.
Now, in the past, I’ve scolded Senator Gumm in print for his tax policy. And often, I don’t agree with him on his votes.
But he didn’t deserve this.
If Dr. Hedberg wants to keep his malpractice rates low, he should focus his future tirades on the medical insurance community. Or better yet, work to make sure that all Oklahoma surgeons are well educated and trained — making the need for malpractice insurance unnecessary.
Instead, he’d rather throw a fit.
So, here’s to you, Dr. Hedberg.
Please do us a favor and move to Texas.
Oh yeah, don’t let the “leaving Oklahoma” sign hit you in the tail as you motor away, and write if you get work.
Just shut up and go.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Garrett questions education report
OKLAHOMA CITY -- While she said she "holds the same interest" as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, state school superintendent Sandy Garrett Wednesday questioned a report by the chamber which gave Oklahoma schools a failing grade.
Garrett's statement came one day after a joint legislative committee reviewed the U.S. Chamber's report, "Leaders and Laggards."
That study, released in February, criticized Oklahoma's education system in eight of nine areas and assigned school-like grades to those areas. The report gave the state a "D" overall and listed eight other areas which were below average.
Garrett was not asked to attend Tuesday's joint legislative meeting, her spokesman, Shelly Hickman, said.
"We certainly recognize the tie between education and economic vitality," Garrett said in a statement e-mailed to The Transcript Tuesday. "I'm proud to say we've had a strong working relationship with business leaders for more than a decade."
However, the U.S. Chamber's report, she said, was based on methodology that "is far from statistically sound."
"This report," Garrett said "uses data from 2003 and 2005 and does not take into account the efforts of Gov. Henry, state lawmakers and the State Board of Education during recent years. We've done much, including implementing the Achieving Classroom Excellence law, establishing early reading programs and expanding pre-kindergarten education, to name a few."
Earlier this week, state Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, described the chamber's report as "a wake up call for this state."
Wilcoxson, co-chair of the state Senate's Education Committee, said the report offered state leaders a "national perspective" on Oklahoma's educational system.
"If we really want to be competitive in the quest for attracting high-paying jobs to Oklahoma, we need to know the national perspective of our educational system. Education is an essential component to economic development and growth, and we can't ignore what the national research says about how Oklahoma compares with the rest of the nation," Wilcoxson said.
Garrett said the Council of Chief State School Officers also questioned the report, saying it did not take into account regional differences and demographics.
The state's system, Garrett said, looks like this:
The state is slightly below the national average in average ACT scores, which many believe is a much more reliable measure for comparing states in terms of college and workforce preparedness.
The state also is slightly below the national average on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in fourth grade reading and math, though it is above the national average in fourth grade science.
Oklahoma has reached the national average in eighth grade reading and eighth grade science and is slightly below the average in eighth grade math.
The state is significantly below the national average in its per pupil expenditures, ranking 47th nationally and next to the last among neighboring states.
The state is significantly below the national average in what it pays its teachers, ranking 48th nationally and dead last in its region. Arkansas ranks 36th, Texas 33rd, New Mexico 40th, Colorado 23rd, Kansas 41st and Missouri 43rd.
Students' test scores improved from 2005 to 2006 on all state tests in grades three through high school that are used for federal accountability purposes.
During Tuesday's meeting, former Republican gubernatorial candidate Burns Hargis called the report "disturbing."
"This report is frankly a knife in the heart of our economic development efforts," Hargis, a banker, said. "It's disturbing because we may think that this is just a tree that falls in the forest and nobody hears, but the fact is when you get into the recruiting business ... your competitors are bringing all this to the forefront."
Arthur J. Rothkopf, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said Oklahoma was one of only 10 states to receive an "F" in academic achievement. He said the entire nation is falling behind other countries when it comes to academic achievement.
"What's at stake is nothing less than the continued success and competitiveness of the American economy and the continued viability of the American dream," he said. "Despite decades of reform efforts and many trillions of dollars in public investment, U.S. schools are not equipping our children with the skills and technology that they and the nation so badly need. Statistics don't lie, and the story they tell is appalling."
Dr. James Davis, Region 6 executive director of the U.S. Department of Education, said Oklahomans "need to know the truth" about public education.
"The educational leadership, the political leadership of the state of Oklahoma, need to take an honest look at what's happening with education in Oklahoma.?You can't be saying things just to make people feel good," Davis said. "You cannot allow leaders to mislead the public about what's happening in Oklahoma public education. If you do that, the day will come when the state is going to suffer a great deal."
Others, however, question the report's validity.
In an guest editorial published in the Washington Post, author Gerald W. Bracey described the "Leaders and Laggards" report as "scare techniques."
"If you can batter people into believing the schools are in awful shape, you can make them anxious about their future -- and you can control them," he said.
Bracey, an associate of the High-Scope Educational Research Foundation, a fellow at the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University and a fellow at the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said the report was similar to anti-schools techniques used in the 1980s.
"In the 1980s, the 'schools suck' bloc used such numbers to make us fearful that Japan, now emerging from a 15-year period of recession and stagnation, was going to take our markets; today, India and China play the role of economic ogres," he said.
Wilcoxson disagreed, and said the state needed to use the information presented to the committees to make critical improvements in public education.
"We cannot afford to gloss over the truth," she said. "Having the facts is an important first step. With enough political will, we have the opportunity to be a model state in moving from a laggard to a leader in education."
Garrett said the state must spend more on its schools and school teachers.
"Oklahoma's lack of financial investment relative to the rest of the nation in the areas of student expenditures and teacher pay obviously has a direct impact on its schools' ability to expand innovative programs and educational offerings," she said. "This negatively impacts their ability to be nationally and internationally competitive. To reap dividends, expand capacity and achieve long-term success, businesses must make investments in their employees, facilities and delivery systems. The same is true for schools."
Garrett's statement came one day after a joint legislative committee reviewed the U.S. Chamber's report, "Leaders and Laggards."
That study, released in February, criticized Oklahoma's education system in eight of nine areas and assigned school-like grades to those areas. The report gave the state a "D" overall and listed eight other areas which were below average.
Garrett was not asked to attend Tuesday's joint legislative meeting, her spokesman, Shelly Hickman, said.
"We certainly recognize the tie between education and economic vitality," Garrett said in a statement e-mailed to The Transcript Tuesday. "I'm proud to say we've had a strong working relationship with business leaders for more than a decade."
However, the U.S. Chamber's report, she said, was based on methodology that "is far from statistically sound."
"This report," Garrett said "uses data from 2003 and 2005 and does not take into account the efforts of Gov. Henry, state lawmakers and the State Board of Education during recent years. We've done much, including implementing the Achieving Classroom Excellence law, establishing early reading programs and expanding pre-kindergarten education, to name a few."
Earlier this week, state Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, described the chamber's report as "a wake up call for this state."
Wilcoxson, co-chair of the state Senate's Education Committee, said the report offered state leaders a "national perspective" on Oklahoma's educational system.
"If we really want to be competitive in the quest for attracting high-paying jobs to Oklahoma, we need to know the national perspective of our educational system. Education is an essential component to economic development and growth, and we can't ignore what the national research says about how Oklahoma compares with the rest of the nation," Wilcoxson said.
Garrett said the Council of Chief State School Officers also questioned the report, saying it did not take into account regional differences and demographics.
The state's system, Garrett said, looks like this:
The state is slightly below the national average in average ACT scores, which many believe is a much more reliable measure for comparing states in terms of college and workforce preparedness.
The state also is slightly below the national average on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in fourth grade reading and math, though it is above the national average in fourth grade science.
Oklahoma has reached the national average in eighth grade reading and eighth grade science and is slightly below the average in eighth grade math.
The state is significantly below the national average in its per pupil expenditures, ranking 47th nationally and next to the last among neighboring states.
The state is significantly below the national average in what it pays its teachers, ranking 48th nationally and dead last in its region. Arkansas ranks 36th, Texas 33rd, New Mexico 40th, Colorado 23rd, Kansas 41st and Missouri 43rd.
Students' test scores improved from 2005 to 2006 on all state tests in grades three through high school that are used for federal accountability purposes.
During Tuesday's meeting, former Republican gubernatorial candidate Burns Hargis called the report "disturbing."
"This report is frankly a knife in the heart of our economic development efforts," Hargis, a banker, said. "It's disturbing because we may think that this is just a tree that falls in the forest and nobody hears, but the fact is when you get into the recruiting business ... your competitors are bringing all this to the forefront."
Arthur J. Rothkopf, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said Oklahoma was one of only 10 states to receive an "F" in academic achievement. He said the entire nation is falling behind other countries when it comes to academic achievement.
"What's at stake is nothing less than the continued success and competitiveness of the American economy and the continued viability of the American dream," he said. "Despite decades of reform efforts and many trillions of dollars in public investment, U.S. schools are not equipping our children with the skills and technology that they and the nation so badly need. Statistics don't lie, and the story they tell is appalling."
Dr. James Davis, Region 6 executive director of the U.S. Department of Education, said Oklahomans "need to know the truth" about public education.
"The educational leadership, the political leadership of the state of Oklahoma, need to take an honest look at what's happening with education in Oklahoma.?You can't be saying things just to make people feel good," Davis said. "You cannot allow leaders to mislead the public about what's happening in Oklahoma public education. If you do that, the day will come when the state is going to suffer a great deal."
Others, however, question the report's validity.
In an guest editorial published in the Washington Post, author Gerald W. Bracey described the "Leaders and Laggards" report as "scare techniques."
"If you can batter people into believing the schools are in awful shape, you can make them anxious about their future -- and you can control them," he said.
Bracey, an associate of the High-Scope Educational Research Foundation, a fellow at the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University and a fellow at the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said the report was similar to anti-schools techniques used in the 1980s.
"In the 1980s, the 'schools suck' bloc used such numbers to make us fearful that Japan, now emerging from a 15-year period of recession and stagnation, was going to take our markets; today, India and China play the role of economic ogres," he said.
Wilcoxson disagreed, and said the state needed to use the information presented to the committees to make critical improvements in public education.
"We cannot afford to gloss over the truth," she said. "Having the facts is an important first step. With enough political will, we have the opportunity to be a model state in moving from a laggard to a leader in education."
Garrett said the state must spend more on its schools and school teachers.
"Oklahoma's lack of financial investment relative to the rest of the nation in the areas of student expenditures and teacher pay obviously has a direct impact on its schools' ability to expand innovative programs and educational offerings," she said. "This negatively impacts their ability to be nationally and internationally competitive. To reap dividends, expand capacity and achieve long-term success, businesses must make investments in their employees, facilities and delivery systems. The same is true for schools."
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Joint legislative committee to review report critical of state’s common education system
OKLAHOMA CITY — Members of the state House and Senate education committees will hold a joint meeting today to review a recent national study which gave Oklahoma a “D” in education.
The meeting, set for 9 a.m. in the Senate chamber, will examine a study produced by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Known as “Leaders and Laggards: State Report Cards,” the chamber’s study criticized Oklahoma in eight of nine areas and assigned school-like grades to those areas. The report gave the state’s education system a “D” overall and listed eight other areas which were below average including:
• An “F” in academic achievement;
• A “D” in academic achievement for low income and minority students;
• A “C” for return on investment;
• An “F” for truth in advertising about student proficiency;
• A “C” on rigor of standards;
• A “D” for postsecondary and workforce readiness;
• A “C” on flexibility in management and policy;
• A “D” for data quality.
The only area, the study reported, where Oklahoma received an above average grade was in the category of 21st century teaching force — there, the state received an “A.”
State Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, said the report “was a wake up call for this state.”
“If we really want to be competitive in the quest for attracting high-paying jobs to Oklahoma, we need to know the national perspective of our educational system. Education is an essential component to economic development and growth, and we can’t ignore what the national research says about how Oklahoma compares with the rest of the nation,” she said.
Wilcoxson, whose district includes the Moore area, is the Republican co-chair of the Senate’s Education Committee. Tulsa Senator Judy Eason McIntyre serves as the Democratic co-chair of the committee.
“For years we’ve heard this same type of information from groups such as the Fordham Foundation,” Wilcoxson said. “Now that it’s coming from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, people are listening.”
Receiving an “F” in academic achievement, she said, “well, that’s just frightening.”
In addition to the chamber’s report, Wilcoxson said former Republican gubernatorial candidate Burns Hargis, vice chairman of Bank of Oklahoma, will discuss the perspective of Oklahoma business leaders on education issues. The meeting also will include a presentation on the National Assessment of Educational Progress and a report from the U.S. Department of Education on state implementation and compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act.
However, some state education leaders question the chamber’s findings and the nature of the joint meeting.
Moore Association of Classroom Teachers president Jill Dudley said the U.S. Chamber study proves data can be manipulated. “I’ve not ever seen anything that group put out that had any validity,” Dudley said. “It’s obvious, they have an agenda.”
Other studies, Dudley said, paint a much different picture of Oklahoma’s educational system.
“A survey from Oklahoma Commission on Educational Administration shows that people in our state feel we’re on the right track with education,” she said. “Plus, there are definite issues between state standards and national standards; and that’s because our educational standards are not necessarily aligned with national ones.”
Federal standards and state standards, Dudley said, don’t always align.
“Whenever I see something like the U.S Chamber, and they’re trying to compare us on national standards, I know there are issues. School teachers are teaching to state standards and we have very good state standards.”
Dudley said the report — and the committee meeting — are biased.
“I’ve reviewed a summary of this study,” she said. “And it kinda astounds me that they can generate the results that they do. Everything else, the data that we have, shows otherwise. We are far ahead of the curve on national standards.”
Wilcoxson countered, saying the state’s educational system has continued to decline.
“The reality is that we’ve gone down in the past 10 years. We have to compete on a national level, but it’s obvious that our state department (of education) doesn’t have a lot of respect for the national assessment.”
And the U.S. Chamber’s study, she said, is an example of those problems.
“I don’t know why they would pick on Oklahoma. All of the states take this test. There’s no agenda.”
But Dudley said the national comparisons don’t work.
“It’s all just a matter of whose mark you’re trying to measure up to,” she said. “Are you trying to measure up to your state or somebody in Washington?”
The meeting, set for 9 a.m. in the Senate chamber, will examine a study produced by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Known as “Leaders and Laggards: State Report Cards,” the chamber’s study criticized Oklahoma in eight of nine areas and assigned school-like grades to those areas. The report gave the state’s education system a “D” overall and listed eight other areas which were below average including:
• An “F” in academic achievement;
• A “D” in academic achievement for low income and minority students;
• A “C” for return on investment;
• An “F” for truth in advertising about student proficiency;
• A “C” on rigor of standards;
• A “D” for postsecondary and workforce readiness;
• A “C” on flexibility in management and policy;
• A “D” for data quality.
The only area, the study reported, where Oklahoma received an above average grade was in the category of 21st century teaching force — there, the state received an “A.”
State Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, said the report “was a wake up call for this state.”
“If we really want to be competitive in the quest for attracting high-paying jobs to Oklahoma, we need to know the national perspective of our educational system. Education is an essential component to economic development and growth, and we can’t ignore what the national research says about how Oklahoma compares with the rest of the nation,” she said.
Wilcoxson, whose district includes the Moore area, is the Republican co-chair of the Senate’s Education Committee. Tulsa Senator Judy Eason McIntyre serves as the Democratic co-chair of the committee.
“For years we’ve heard this same type of information from groups such as the Fordham Foundation,” Wilcoxson said. “Now that it’s coming from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, people are listening.”
Receiving an “F” in academic achievement, she said, “well, that’s just frightening.”
In addition to the chamber’s report, Wilcoxson said former Republican gubernatorial candidate Burns Hargis, vice chairman of Bank of Oklahoma, will discuss the perspective of Oklahoma business leaders on education issues. The meeting also will include a presentation on the National Assessment of Educational Progress and a report from the U.S. Department of Education on state implementation and compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act.
However, some state education leaders question the chamber’s findings and the nature of the joint meeting.
Moore Association of Classroom Teachers president Jill Dudley said the U.S. Chamber study proves data can be manipulated. “I’ve not ever seen anything that group put out that had any validity,” Dudley said. “It’s obvious, they have an agenda.”
Other studies, Dudley said, paint a much different picture of Oklahoma’s educational system.
“A survey from Oklahoma Commission on Educational Administration shows that people in our state feel we’re on the right track with education,” she said. “Plus, there are definite issues between state standards and national standards; and that’s because our educational standards are not necessarily aligned with national ones.”
Federal standards and state standards, Dudley said, don’t always align.
“Whenever I see something like the U.S Chamber, and they’re trying to compare us on national standards, I know there are issues. School teachers are teaching to state standards and we have very good state standards.”
Dudley said the report — and the committee meeting — are biased.
“I’ve reviewed a summary of this study,” she said. “And it kinda astounds me that they can generate the results that they do. Everything else, the data that we have, shows otherwise. We are far ahead of the curve on national standards.”
Wilcoxson countered, saying the state’s educational system has continued to decline.
“The reality is that we’ve gone down in the past 10 years. We have to compete on a national level, but it’s obvious that our state department (of education) doesn’t have a lot of respect for the national assessment.”
And the U.S. Chamber’s study, she said, is an example of those problems.
“I don’t know why they would pick on Oklahoma. All of the states take this test. There’s no agenda.”
But Dudley said the national comparisons don’t work.
“It’s all just a matter of whose mark you’re trying to measure up to,” she said. “Are you trying to measure up to your state or somebody in Washington?”
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Henry will sign TRS Bill
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry will sign a measure designed to stabilize the struggling Teacher Retirement System, his spokesman said late Friday.
Paul Sund, Henry's communication director, confirmed the governor would put his signature on Senate Bill 357 at a Monday afternoon signing ceremony.
"We are doing a signing ceremony Monday," Sund said in an e-mailed statement.
Designed to pump more than $200 million over the next five years into TRS, the proposal requires school districts to increase the amount of retirment contributions they make to TRS, provided the Legislature supplies the additional funding.
The bill, lawmakers said, also ensures the system's dedicated revenue sources -- such as personal, corporate, income, sales tax and use tax -- are not reduced regardless of economic downturns or tax cuts.
Currently the Teacher Retirement System is underfunded by more than $7 billion.
Henry said he would sign the bill because fixing TRS was one of his "top priorities."
"Addressing the unfunded liability of the Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System was one of my top priorities this legislative session, and I look forward to signing the legislation into law," he said Friday afternoon. "Our teachers perform an invaluable service for the state, and the least we can do is provide them with a stable pension system."
The measure also was supported by Henry's chief budget negotiator, State Treasurer Scott Meacham. Meacham said SB 357 would "go a long way toward fixing the huge unfunded liability" of the system.
However, area school officials, speaking Wednesday, were more cautious.
"We kinda like it,' said Moore Superintendent Deborah Arato, "as long as it's funded in the way lawmakers say."
While Arato said she believed the measure would help the system, she said she was concerned about the funding source.
"We just feel, we want to make sure there is a revenue source. We'd like to know the plan for the revenue source that will be used to compensate the schools."
When fully implemented in 2010, SB 357 will earmark about $60 million a year into the TRS.
Paul Sund, Henry's communication director, confirmed the governor would put his signature on Senate Bill 357 at a Monday afternoon signing ceremony.
"We are doing a signing ceremony Monday," Sund said in an e-mailed statement.
Designed to pump more than $200 million over the next five years into TRS, the proposal requires school districts to increase the amount of retirment contributions they make to TRS, provided the Legislature supplies the additional funding.
The bill, lawmakers said, also ensures the system's dedicated revenue sources -- such as personal, corporate, income, sales tax and use tax -- are not reduced regardless of economic downturns or tax cuts.
Currently the Teacher Retirement System is underfunded by more than $7 billion.
Henry said he would sign the bill because fixing TRS was one of his "top priorities."
"Addressing the unfunded liability of the Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System was one of my top priorities this legislative session, and I look forward to signing the legislation into law," he said Friday afternoon. "Our teachers perform an invaluable service for the state, and the least we can do is provide them with a stable pension system."
The measure also was supported by Henry's chief budget negotiator, State Treasurer Scott Meacham. Meacham said SB 357 would "go a long way toward fixing the huge unfunded liability" of the system.
However, area school officials, speaking Wednesday, were more cautious.
"We kinda like it,' said Moore Superintendent Deborah Arato, "as long as it's funded in the way lawmakers say."
While Arato said she believed the measure would help the system, she said she was concerned about the funding source.
"We just feel, we want to make sure there is a revenue source. We'd like to know the plan for the revenue source that will be used to compensate the schools."
When fully implemented in 2010, SB 357 will earmark about $60 million a year into the TRS.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Sparks opposed to jail bill
OKLAHOMA CITY -- A state Senate bill that would prevent a county detention center from being built along Franklin Road is nothing more than and attempt "to micromanage the business of Cleveland County," an area lawmaker said Monday.
State Sen. John Sparks, D-Norman, said Senate Bill 896 was a bad idea and would cause problems for taxpayers.
"It is not the role of the Oklahoma State Senate to micromanage the affairs of Cleveland County," Sparks said earlier this week. "The Oklahoma Legislature is charged with the responsibility of crafting laws and policy for the entire state."
The bill, by state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, and state Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman, would prevent commissioners from building a new jail facility along Franklin Road and, instead, force the commission to either expand the current facility or build a new jail within one mile of the old one, in downtown Norman. The Cleveland County Detention Center is in Sparks' Senate District 16.
"Let me be clear," Sparks said. "I am opposed to SB 896, and I am urging Senator Nichols and Representative Terrill to withdraw the legislation."
If the bill remained alive, Sparks said he would urge senators to vote "no."
"Several individuals have contacted me regarding SB 896 and its effect on Cleveland County's efforts to construct a new jail," he said. "Many have mistaken my silence on the issue for support of SB 896. In fact, the practical result in our county would be counter-productive to the bill's authors' stated purpose regarding the safety and security of the citizens of Cleveland County. The passage of this bill would also create an undue burden on the taxpayers."
Local issues, Sparks said, should be resolved locally.
"They (county commissioners) were elected to make this and other decisions regarding the business of Cleveland County," he said. "Cleveland County commissioners don't have to get my, or any other Senate or House member's, permission regarding the way they are doing their jobs. If certain individuals -- including House and Senate members -- don't approve of the job the commissioners are doing, they are free to run for the office of county commissioner."
Sparks also scolded Terrill and Nichols for complaining that they "were not included in the discussion" about the new jail.
"It has been suggested the county commissioners should have contacted the Senate and House members representing Cleveland County not only to obtain their input on the issue, but to be the final word on the decision," Sparks said. "While I may have an opinion regarding the location of the new jail, I was not elected to make this decision. I have not worked on this issue, and I do not have the information to make such a decision."
Despite repeated attempts, Nichols could not be reached for comment Monday.
Should the bill become law, Sparks said it would cause problems for area taxpayers.
"The passage of SB 896 also would increase the likelihood that the jail would be built close to the current Cleveland County courthouse in downtown Norman."
If that occurred, Sparks said, there would be six public schools within a mile of the proposed downtown jail site. "In fact, about 85 percent of Norman Public Schools students will attend school within two miles of the proposed downtown site," he said.
Sparks said the bill also would force Cleveland County "to build an expensive multi-story designed jail due to exorbitant land cost" and unnecessarily hit the wallet of every taxpayer. "The old, outdated, multi-story design requires extra staff and money to monitor each floor. We have all seen the problems such a facility has caused Oklahoma County."
The proposed new downtown jail would be only 40 feet from a 100-year-old neighborhood, Sparks said.
"These are just a few of the many issues the county commissioners must consider while making their decision regarding the location of the new jail. When it comes to the new jail, I am confident our county commissioners can, and will, make the best decision for all of us in Cleveland County."
State Sen. John Sparks, D-Norman, said Senate Bill 896 was a bad idea and would cause problems for taxpayers.
"It is not the role of the Oklahoma State Senate to micromanage the affairs of Cleveland County," Sparks said earlier this week. "The Oklahoma Legislature is charged with the responsibility of crafting laws and policy for the entire state."
The bill, by state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, and state Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman, would prevent commissioners from building a new jail facility along Franklin Road and, instead, force the commission to either expand the current facility or build a new jail within one mile of the old one, in downtown Norman. The Cleveland County Detention Center is in Sparks' Senate District 16.
"Let me be clear," Sparks said. "I am opposed to SB 896, and I am urging Senator Nichols and Representative Terrill to withdraw the legislation."
If the bill remained alive, Sparks said he would urge senators to vote "no."
"Several individuals have contacted me regarding SB 896 and its effect on Cleveland County's efforts to construct a new jail," he said. "Many have mistaken my silence on the issue for support of SB 896. In fact, the practical result in our county would be counter-productive to the bill's authors' stated purpose regarding the safety and security of the citizens of Cleveland County. The passage of this bill would also create an undue burden on the taxpayers."
Local issues, Sparks said, should be resolved locally.
"They (county commissioners) were elected to make this and other decisions regarding the business of Cleveland County," he said. "Cleveland County commissioners don't have to get my, or any other Senate or House member's, permission regarding the way they are doing their jobs. If certain individuals -- including House and Senate members -- don't approve of the job the commissioners are doing, they are free to run for the office of county commissioner."
Sparks also scolded Terrill and Nichols for complaining that they "were not included in the discussion" about the new jail.
"It has been suggested the county commissioners should have contacted the Senate and House members representing Cleveland County not only to obtain their input on the issue, but to be the final word on the decision," Sparks said. "While I may have an opinion regarding the location of the new jail, I was not elected to make this decision. I have not worked on this issue, and I do not have the information to make such a decision."
Despite repeated attempts, Nichols could not be reached for comment Monday.
Should the bill become law, Sparks said it would cause problems for area taxpayers.
"The passage of SB 896 also would increase the likelihood that the jail would be built close to the current Cleveland County courthouse in downtown Norman."
If that occurred, Sparks said, there would be six public schools within a mile of the proposed downtown jail site. "In fact, about 85 percent of Norman Public Schools students will attend school within two miles of the proposed downtown site," he said.
Sparks said the bill also would force Cleveland County "to build an expensive multi-story designed jail due to exorbitant land cost" and unnecessarily hit the wallet of every taxpayer. "The old, outdated, multi-story design requires extra staff and money to monitor each floor. We have all seen the problems such a facility has caused Oklahoma County."
The proposed new downtown jail would be only 40 feet from a 100-year-old neighborhood, Sparks said.
"These are just a few of the many issues the county commissioners must consider while making their decision regarding the location of the new jail. When it comes to the new jail, I am confident our county commissioners can, and will, make the best decision for all of us in Cleveland County."
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