Republicans Own Education Debacle
If, God forbid, anti-public education forces succeed in destroying Oklahoma’s K-12 schools, there’s no doubt who deserves blame: State government Republicans.
A partisan broadside? No, it’s fact.
The GOP not only controls a supermajority of legislative seats, but also holds every statewide office, including two – governor and state superintendent – with considerable stroke over education policy.
In the decade-plus since Republicans built their stranglehold, public schools have been in the crosshairs of a toxic mix of teachers’ union haters, religious zealots enraged by the very notion of church-state separation, and privatizers who seek to feed at the taxpayers’ trough.
State officials’ endless meddling and mandating hasn’t done a thing to improve academic outcomes or create a state attractive to corporate relocation. Instead, between 2012-18, they drove 30,000 trained, experienced teachers from the classrooms – unwilling to continue working for peanuts seasoned with daily doses of disrespect.
So far this school year, the state has been forced to issue a record 4,676 emergency teaching certifications to help cover classrooms; it issued just 189 in 2013-14.
The Rogues’ Gallery of those complicit in the undermining of Oklahoma’s K-12 schools is headlined, of course, by Gov. Kevin Stitt and state Superintendent Ryan Walters, whose overheated rhetoric, bullying and theatrics are more suited for a WWE ring than actual public policymaking.
It also includes mug shots of most GOP lawmakers who turned a blind eye to the siege in what amounts to acts of political self-preservation.
As you know, Republican primaries these days often hinge on the turnout of a small, but noisy group of Christian nationalists fueled by extremist GOP rhetoric that “government” schools are “woke” “indoctrination” centers. For many incumbents, it’s less risky politically to go along with the anti-public ed attacks – and hope things don’t get too bad before they are term-limited.
Of course, nearly three-quarters of a million public school children in Oklahoma are casualties of such political gamesmanship. They count on elected officials to help build a world-class education system that will give future generations a fighting chance to compete in the 21st century.
Instead, the siege continues.
While some legislators pursue a modest teacher pay raise next fiscal year, Stitt and Republican House Speaker Charles McCall both want to cut the state income tax. Yes, state accounts are flush – for the moment. But there are signs of trouble ahead, hardly surprising given the volatility of oil and gas.
What happens when Oklahoma’s historically boom-bust economy goes bust again?
Stitt and others seem to think private education is the answer. Last year, the governor championed the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board’s decision to create the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school. He also gave full-throated support to last year’s private school tax credits which disproportionately appear to be benefiting families whose children already were in private schools.
Notable: two of the three members of the board who voted to create St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Charter are now paid members of Stitt’s administration, Deputy Chief of Staff Brian Bobek and new cabinet secretary for education, Nellie Tayloe Sanders. Quid pro quo?
Walters, meanwhile, lobbed another Molotov cocktail at public ed, recently appointing out-of-state, rightwing social media influencer Chaya Raichik to a state library media advisory committee because “she is on the front lines showing the world exactly what the radical left is all about – lowering standards, porn in schools, and pushing woke indoctrination on our kids.”
Mark Twain once said “out of public schools grows the greatness of a nation.” Oklahoma’s public schools are imperiled. Will rank-and-file Sooners come to their defense?
Editor’s Note: Feb. 7’s Observer Newsmakers at OKC’s Full Circle Books features Rep. Mickey Dollens and Freedom Oklahoma’s Nicole McAfee discussing the impact of Walters’ incendiary rhetoric and policies on the state’s K-12 schools and their students. Conversation begins at 6 p.m.; admission is free. Visit The Observer’s Facebook page for more details.