Benge Names Cooksey, Jackson, Jones, McNiel

From The Speaker's Media Office ~ House Speaker Chris Benge named four additional members of his leadership team today.

Rep. Tad Jones will serve as the Majority Floor Leader, Rep. Mike Jackson will serve as Majority Whip, Rep. Skye McNiel will serve as Caucus Vice Chairman and Rep. Marian Cooksey will serve as Caucus Secretary.

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Tad Jones Criticizes OEA Plan

The Oklahoma Education Association’s latest initiative would likely devastate vital government services and rural schools while draining the pocketbooks of hard-working Oklahomans during troubled economic times, a top budget leader warned today.

“The OEA’s proposed constitutional amendment would result in at least one of the following outcomes – a massive tax increase at a time when gas prices are skyrocketing, consolidation of schools, or devastating cuts to vital government services such as roads and law enforcement,” said Rep. Tad Jones, Claremore Republican who chairs the House Education Committee and is vice-chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.

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Teach For America Bill Passes House

Legislation allowing participants in the prestigious Teach For America program to be granted a temporary teaching license in Oklahoma is headed for the governor’s desk after passing the House today.

House Bill 3124, authored by House Education Committee Chairman Rep. Tad Jones, will allow the Teach for America Program to come to Oklahoma.

The bill will get talented teachers into our most needy classrooms, said Jones, R-Claremore.

“This program brings together a bright pool of young teachers who go into the most challenged classrooms with proven results,” said Jones. “The national program is vigorous to ensure quality remains high.”

Teach For America is a national corps of outstanding recent college graduates and professionals of all academic majors and career interests who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become leaders in the effort to expand educational opportunity.

Teach for America was founded with a goal to reduce the education inequity that exists among socioeconomic and racial lines. The organization targets the 13 million children growing up in poverty nationwide and focuses on the notion that when students in low-income communities are given the educational opportunities they deserve, they excel.
Since the organization was founded in 1990, 17,000 people have participated in the program, impacting the lives of more than 2.5 million students. This fall, more than 5,000 corps members will be teaching in over 1,000 schools in 26 regions across the country.

The bill passed the House with a vote of 78-17 and will now go to the governor for final approval.

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New Hope Scholarship Credit Bill Fails

Many low-income students will continue to be forced to attend historically under-performing schools because legislation failed in the House today, backers of the bill said.

Senate Bill 2093 would have created the New Hope Scholarship Credit. The bill would have offered tax credits to private individuals who donate to the created scholarship fund as a way to incentivize giving.

Only students who obtain free or reduced lunch and are attending a school that has been on the non-performing list for three or more years would have qualified.

“This is a sad day in Oklahoma. Once again our low-income, urban students are being punished academically because of their financial lot in life,” said Rep. Tad Jones, chairman of the House Education Committee. “This bill would have been null and void if all our schools raised their standards and got off the needs-improvement list.”

The legislation is needed because many Oklahoma students do not have the luxury to pick where they attend school, many of which have been on the needs improvement list for years with no sign of improvement in sight.

The fight will continue, supporters pledged today.

“All kids don’t learn the same, so why would we force them all into the same type of schools?” said Rep. Jabar Shumate, D-Tulsa. “I will fight until I am pushed out of this building for kids who otherwise are unable to realize their full potential because of their financial situation.”

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Jones, Derby, Trebilcock, Denney Named To House Leadership Posts By House Speaker Chris Benge

House Speaker Chris Benge named Rep. Tad Jones to the vice-chairmanship of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee today. Jones, R-Claremore, will also continue to serve as chairman of the House Education Committee.

“Representative Jones has extensive budgeting experience from his time as education chairman and will be a true asset to the House in his new role on the full budget committee,” said Benge, R-Tulsa.

Two state lawmakers were also appointed today to serve on a House committee and subcommittee in the place of Rep. Ken Miller, R-Edmond, who was recently named budget chairman.

Rep. David Derby, R-Owasso, will now serve on the House Government Modernization, Agency Review and Administrative Rules Subcommittee and Rep. John Trebilcock, R-Broken Arrow, will serve on the House Energy and Technology Committee.

Benge also announced today Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing, has been tapped to serve on his leadership team.

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Lawmakers Criticize Tulsa School Board

State lawmakers today are praising regents at the University of Oklahoma for taking steps to potentially sponsor new charter schools, but say a new lawsuit being considered by the Tulsa public school board against a new charter school law is a thinly veiled attempt to prevent new charter schools from opening.

Last week, the University of Oklahoma’s Board of Regents approved a motion allowing the school to receive applications to sponsor new charter schools in the state. The move is the next step in a process started by House Bill 1589, a new state law passed earlier this year that allows universities to sponsor charter schools in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties.

“We were able to open a door for charter schools this year in the Legislature. And we’re thrilled that the OU regents have stepped up to the plate and said they’re willing to help provide new learning opportunities for students in areas where traditional school models have hurt our kids. It’s a sign of hope in Oklahoma’s education system,” said House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah.

Yet despite OU’s efforts to sponsor charter schools, the Tulsa school board is considering a proposal by board member Matt Livingood to file a lawsuit against House Bill 1589 on the grounds that it limits new charter schools to only two counties.

“I’m extremely disappointed in the Tulsa school board for challenging this bill, especially since it helps address the constitutional concerns that they raised last year,” said Rep. Tad Jones, R-Claremore, who chairs the House Education Committee.

Jones said HB 1589 was written in response to constitutional questions that were raised by the Tulsa school board about the state’s original charter school law. The bill reduced the number of counties where new charter schools could open to just Oklahoma and Tulsa counties, but added universities to the list of entities that could sponsor charter schools.

Rep. Jabar Shumate, who represents portions of north Tulsa, echoed Jones’ sentiments, saying, “A lawsuit on an issue like this would be a colossal waste of money. Instead of money going toward helping our failing north Tulsa schools, they want to put the money in the pockets of attorneys. Once again, it’s our students who lose out.”

Shumate believes that the new charter schools law seems to be constitutional. “There are many laws on the books with population restrictions, and that’s all were talking about with this charter schools law,” he said. “And those laws have been upheld by the state Supreme Court.”

In 2006, the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of a law that had population restrictions, as long as all governmental entities that qualify are treated equally under the law. The particular lawsuit the court ruled on, City of Enid v. Public Employees Relations Board, was challenging a state law that would allow city employees to unionize, but the law only applied to cities of a certain population size. The City of Enid filed a suit against the law, saying it was unconstitutional because it only applied to certain cities, but the court eventually ruled in favor of the law.

“This lawsuit would be a waste of time and money, and those are two things that can’t be wasted when it comes to the kids of north Tulsa,” said Sen. Judy Eason, McIntyre, D-Tulsa. “This lawsuit would be nothing but a smokescreen. We need charter opportunities for these kids, but the members of the school board are trying to protect against exposure of their failures in north Tulsa.”

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Oklahoma Could Become 'Teacher Pay Model'

Oklahoma has a unique opportunity to become a national model for teacher performance pay, lawmakers were told by a national expert during the House’s final hearing on the topic at the Capitol on Tuesday.

The hearing was the last in a series that Speaker Lance Cargill and the House Education Committee held to give lawmakers adequate information to construct a performance pay plan before the legislative session begins in February.

Since statehood, Oklahoma has predominately used a single-salary pay system for teachers, basing salary on years of experience and educational degrees. But Matthew Springer, Research Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Education and Director of the National Center on Performance Incentives, said “we know that the existing teacher compensation system is ineffective” and that “there is virtually no link” between a single-salary system and student achievement.

Evidence suggests performance and incentive pay plans do result in improved student performance, Springer said. The National Center on Performance Incentives featured the top nine quantitative studies of teacher incentive programs available in the field in a working paper titled, “Teacher Performance Pay: A Review.” Of the nine studies featured, seven were found to yield positive student achievement effects and two generated mixed results.

Springer told lawmakers that although the U.S. outspends most other industrialized nations on education, it ranks near the bottom in student performance. The data compared cumulative scores in math, literacy and science. “Most would say that we do not have a very productive educational system,” he said.

Springer also said that Oklahoma is in a position to be a national leader and model for teacher compensation through a quality performance based plan.

"The old ways of doing things in education just aren’t good enough,” said Cargill, R-Harrah. “We’ve done a one-size-fits-all approach to teacher pay in Oklahoma for the past 100 years. Now we need to start rewarding excellence and providing incentives for success. “Clearly, this is a very complex issue. But for me, fundamentally it’s about what we can do to equip every Oklahoma child with the best chance for success.”

“Performance pay for educators can produce a better education for our kids and that’s what this whole debate should be about,” said Education Committee Chairman Tad Jones, R-Claremore.

Committee members also heard from Steve Kimball, a researcher from the Wisconsin Center for Education Research and Jason Culbertson, program director of South Carolina’s Teacher Advancement Program (TAP).

Also during the hearing, several parents testified about their experiences with both good and bad teachers and asserted that great teachers deserve extra recognition.

Mary Boren, a parent from Norman, proposed that teachers be evaluated by parents, something that is already being done in other parts of the country. She suggested that the results be used by school districts in the teacher rehiring process.

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Education Committee Studies Longer School Year

Members of the House Education Committee looked at the possibility of extending the school year for Oklahoma students during an interim study at the Capitol on Tuesday.

The committee heard testimony that said Oklahoma students have fewer instructional days than most of their counterparts in the surrounding states. Committee members were also told that many nations outside the U.S. have as many as 200 to 220 instructional days in one year.

Based on data presented by state Secretary of Education Sandy Garrett, Oklahoma public schools have 175 instructional days per year, while Arkansas schools have 178, New Mexico and Texas schools have 180, and Kansas schools have 186.

“This was a very interesting interim study,” said Rep. Tad Jones (above right), R-Claremore, who chairs the committee. “It appears that our students’ classroom time can be improved under our current structure, but we also need to consider extending the school year if we want to be competitive.”

Several officials from the education community testified before the committee today, including Garrett, Phyllis Hudecki of the Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition, Superintendent Marilyn Bradford of Shawnee Public Schools, Stratford School Board member Rick Griffin, and Sabra Tucker of the Oklahoma Education Association, who is also a teacher in Shawnee.

Another teacher, Robert Marshall of Sentinel Public Schools, gave information to committee members that charted all the students who would be gone from his class during a given month due to various school activities. In one particular month, Marshall said there wasn’t one day that he had his entire class in attendance.

Rep. Randy McDaniel, R-Oklahoma City (pictured), requested the interim study. “We want to be competitive with surrounding states and other countries,” he said. “That may very well require more classroom time for our students.”

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Business Owners Testify On Performance Pay

House lawmakers took a closer look Tuesday at how developing a performance pay plan for Oklahoma teachers will benefit students as they go on to college and the workforce.

Testimony from business owners and chamber representatives painted a broad picture of how beneficial performance pay can be during what was the fourth of five hearings on the issue held by the House Education Committee.

Matt Robison, Vice President of Small Business and Workforce Development at The State Chamber of Oklahoma, testified before the committee Tuesday. “Oklahoma’s economic growth depends on several factors,” he said, “none of which are more important than the ability to develop an education system that produces a properly educated workforce.”

Robison stressed efficient spending of state education dollars rather than just throwing money at education woes. “We should not simply enhance spending into a system that is not as effective as we need or deserve,” he said. “In order to compete in a global economy, we must all insist on higher standards, more accountability and progressive change.”

Rep. Tad Jones, who chairs the Education Committee, said another important point made by Robison was that local input on how a performance pay plan is implemented will be important to the plan’s success.

“Only the people in a local community can fully understand all the unique factors that their community, their teachers and their students face,” said Jones, R-Claremore. “We need to make sure there is a level of local control over how a performance pay system is set up.”

Phyllis Hudecki of the Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition also testified before the committee Tuesday. She said that something definitely needs to be done to fix education in Oklahoma, and performance pay, if implemented properly, is an option.

“The only error you could make is to do nothing,” she said.

House Speaker Lance Cargill later echoed Hudecki’s sentiments, saying, “You really can’t sum up the situation any better than that.

“If we want to build a stronger Oklahoma economy and compete in the jobs and industries of the 21st Century, we have no choice but to develop a better education system,” added Cargill, R-Harrah. “We must keep and attract the best teachers and also entice our best students to become teachers.

“If Oklahoma teachers have the chance to earn extra by going the extra mile, they’re more likely to stay here instead of going to teach in Texas. Incentives work in business and industry, and they can work in education. They already work in our colleges and universities and in CareerTech.

“Also, when bright students are considering a career, they consider which professions pay the best. When they see that if they become a teacher, they can earn higher pay so long as they do a good job, they’re more likely to become teachers. That bodes well for the students they’ll teach.”

Reed Downey, owner of Reed Downey Insurance in Oklahoma City also testified before lawmakers on Tuesday. He talked about how, despite the billions of dollars Oklahoma has spent in recent decades on student test scores, those scores have risen little, if at all.

He added that not only are Oklahoma students lagging behind other states, but the U.S. as a nation is lagging behind many other nations around the world in the quality of education it provides. He indicated that performance pay is an important step toward improving education, but is not the final answer.

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Tad Jones Heads Teacher Merit Pay Study

Rep. Tad Jones, chairman of the House Education Committee, will spearhead an interim study that will look at creating a new merit-based pay system for Oklahoma teachers, Speaker Lance Cargill announced Monday.

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Teacher Retirement System Reform Passes House

The House today voted to fund Oklahoma's teacher retirement system with a plan to pump more than $200 million into the system over the next five years. "It's taken us a long time to get into this situation, and it will take us a long time to get out. But this is a major step in the right direction," said Rep. Tad Jones (R-Claremore), who presented the plan on the House floor. "This is a permanent funding solution for what is a looming crisis for our state."

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Charter Schools Bill Advances To Full House

Legislation strengthening charter schools in Oklahoma is headed for a vote of the full state House of Representatives.

House Bill 1589, by Rep. Tad Jones, R-Claremore, encourages the development of charter schools by allowing the Oklahoma Department of Education, cities and certain higher education entities to sponsor charter schools. The measure passed a vote of the House Education Committee. Under current state law, only individual school districts and CareerTech boards may sponsor charter schools.

"Charter Schools allow teachers and administrators to be more innovative and apply fresh, new ideas for teaching our students. And they also provide parents and students with more choices and a broader range of opportunities," said Jones, who chairs the House Education Committee.

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Jabar Shumate Co-Hosts '100 Ideas' Event

Organizers of the 100 Ideas Initiative announced that Rep. Jabar Shumate (D-Tulsa) will be a co-host of the IdeaRaiser slated for Tuesday, February 13th at the Greenwood Cultural Center in Tulsa.

Shumate, vice-chair of the Children and Families Committee, is a member of the House’s Education Committee and Higher Education and Career Tech Committee.

The IdeaRaiser will focus on issues facing higher education. It is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at 322 North Greenwood Avenue, in the center’s Gallery. Other co-hosts of the event include OSU-Tulsa President Dr. Gary Trennepohl, Rep. Terry Ingmire and Rep. Tad Jones, chairman of the Education Committee.

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