Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

In particular, Josh wants to improve elementary education in rural Oklahoma. "I watched my mother, as Cottonwood Schools Superintendent for 18 years, turn a struggling K-8 program completely around by tapping into the strengths of passionate teachers using good curriculum combined with unified discipline standards. In 2006 they were one of only 30 schools in the nation to be a Blue Ribbon School of America. Giving public schools flexibility and the best tools possible will fuel ingenuity and enable their students to excel in ways the government couldn't dream of."

As a state we are focusing on drop out rates in high school but I am convinced that we are treating a symptom and not the disease. The drop out rate is just a symptom while the disease is the fact that many students are passed on without mastering basic skills (i.e. reading). They feel horrible about themselves in later school years as a result and this subpar feeling combined with frustration leads to drop out. We are passing on some students without giving them a strong foundation. We are letting federal standards run the board. The state needs to also focus on how to catch holes in the formative stages. A Harvard study shows that the achievement gap can be bridged by focusing on the earliest ages of the student experience. We have got to give Oklahoma students the best foundation possible. Oklahoma can lead the nation and make NCLB standards obsolete by giving passionate teachers the best curriculum/tools possible without growing government.

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