Rep. Dan Sullivan accepts new job at GRDA

House Floor Leader Dan Sullivan today accepted a job as chief executive of the Grand River Dam Authority. Sullivan, R-Tulsa, issued the following statement on his new position:



“I have been humbled and honored to represent the voters of District 71 these past seven years. We have accomplished so much together in our effort to improve Oklahoma's business climate, most notably this year's historic reforms to our lawsuit and workers' compensation systems. I'm so proud of what we have done. Moving forward, I am excited for this new challenge and new opportunity with the GRDA and will always fondly remember the pleasure I have had serving in our Legislature.” – Rep. Dan Sullivan, R-Tulsa


House Speaker Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, today issued the following statement on Sullivan’s new position:


“The positive impact Floor Leader Sullivan has had on our Legislature and state is immeasurable. He is an extremely talented, effective public servant whose legal background and expertise are natural fits for GRDA. I know he will serve the mission of the organization well and continue to do great things for Oklahoma. I wish him all the best as he makes this transition and thank him for his wonderful contributions to our state.” – House Speaker Kris Steele, R-Shawnee

Fallin, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma Honor House Speaker Kris Steele

OKLAHOMA CITY – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma (BBBSOK) and Governor Mary Fallin presented the first-ever Big Brothers Big Sisters Governor’s Award to House Speaker Kris Steele during an event Wednesday, Oct. 12 at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Steele has served as a Big in the organization since 2010 and is a major supporter of the BBBSOK Amachi program, which provides mentoring to children of incarcerated parents.

“I am very thankful for the influential, positive role models in my life as a child. Unfortunately, not every Oklahoma child experiences such blessings. I became a Big because I believe it is important to help children who, by no fault of their own, have been left without a steady, positive presence in their lives,” said Steele, R-Shawnee. “I am honored to accept this award on behalf of everyone who devotes time to serving Oklahoma’s children through Big Brothers Big Sisters. Every child has the potential to succeed if given the chance.”

The Amachi program is designed to break the intergenerational cycle of crime among incarcerated parents and their children. Statistics show that children with incarcerated parents are five times more likely to become incarcerated themselves at some point in their lives. Children matched through the Amachi program show significant outcomes after being matched one year with a Big Brother or Big Sister. Reports show that 68 percent show improvement in their classroom behavior, and 73 percent report a better sense of the future.

“At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma, we work hard to change the lives of these children and provide them with the support they need to be successful,” said Sharla Owens, CEO of BBBSOK. “We could not provide that support without the help of dedicated volunteers like Speaker Steele, and we are so grateful to him.”

Gov. Mary Fallin said programs like Amachi make a difference in the lives of Oklahoma children and encouraged citizens to get involved in their communities.

“Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma and their volunteers are making a difference by providing friendship, positive role models and support to young children across the state. I want to thank BBBSOK and all the Bigs across Oklahoma for all you do to support our families and our communities,” Fallin said. “I can think of no better recipient of the first annual Governor’s Award than Speaker Kris Steele.  Speaker Steele serves as a Big in his hometown of Shawnee. I appreciate his commitment to his community and the Amachi program and congratulate him on this award.”

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma is a donor-supported volunteer organization that provides vulnerable children with a caring adult mentor and friend who, through a professionally supported relationship, stand in the gap to change their lives. In 2009, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma served approximately 2,500 children. Independent research shows that the positive relationships between youth in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and their Big Brothers and Big Sisters have a direct, measurable and lasting impact on children’s lives. The program is proven to improve children’s odds for succeeding in school, behaving nonviolently, avoiding drugs and alcohol and breaking negative cycles. To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters and how you can change how our children grow up in Oklahoma, visit www.bbbsok.org.

Lawmakers Examine Possible Higher Education Savings

OKLAHOMA CITY (October 11, 2011) – If Oklahoma’s institutions of higher education and state government simply streamlined processes it could result in significant savings on behalf of the taxpayers, presenters told members of the House Higher Education Committee today.

The legislative study on Oklahoma’s colleges was requested by state Reps. Corey Holland and Jason Murphey after higher education institutions were successful in winning exemptions from several government modernization reform initiatives.

Of particular interest to the legislators is higher education’s ongoing exemption from the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act. A 2006 consultant report from IBM found that the state could save millions of dollars by reforming its central purchasing system and by working with state colleges to leverage spending power.

While the Legislature acted on this report and enacted purchasing system reforms that are saving millions of dollars, the state’s centralized purchasing system has yet to include higher education institutions. It appears that millions more could be saved if state purchasing officials collaborated with Oklahoma’s universities and colleges.

Rep. Jason Murphey
R-Guthrie

Committee members were also told that another important savings opportunity could be realized if higher education’s OneNet fiber network would be consolidated under the state’s centralized technology infrastructure. This network could be used to lower to cost of bandwidth to state agencies and provide a solution to the state’s public safety interoperability challenges.

“As the government modernization effort continues to demonstrate tangible savings on behalf of the taxpayers, it becomes very important for Oklahoma’s policy makers to provide institutions of higher education with access to these money saving processes,” said Murphey R-Guthrie.

Rep. Corey Holland
R-Marlow

“At a time when Oklahoma families struggle to pay the ever-increasing cost of tuition and fees, it makes no sense for our state not to consider real cost savings,” said Holland, R-Marlow. “If by the colleges making some modernization reforms the cost of government for the taxpayers can be reduced, then I believe these reforms should be seriously considered.”

Barresi Welcomes New Deputy Superintendent

OKLAHOMA CITY — Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi this month will welcome new Deputy State Superintendent of Academic Affairs Chris Caram to the state Department of Education.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Caram join us,” Barresi said. “She brings such well-rounded leadership skills to our team with her background stretching from being a classroom teacher to helping lead several school districts across the nation.

“She also brings a great deal of technology knowledge that will help propel us further into our 21^st Century learning model as we strive to make every student in the state college, career and citizen-ready.” 

Caram said she feels her combination of public school leadership, university experiences, as well as experience in educational organizations, has given her opportunities in leading educational change.

“High expectations, restructuring organizations for optimal performance, a collaborative leadership style, and a strong commitment to excellence have been hallmark in my administrative practices,” she said.

Caram is from Oklahoma, graduating from Putnam City High School, and receiving her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and her Master’s in School Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Oklahoma.

She is certified as a superintendent and secondary and elementary principal in the state and also holds a technology center administrator credential from the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

Since 2009, Caram has been the director of education for the Arkansas Educational Television Network, working with the Arkansas Department of Education. There, she led the ArkansasIDEAS initiative - the only statewide, high-quality, comprehensive online professional development portal in the nation.

Caram has previously worked as an associate professor of educational leadership at Western Carolina University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She served in several states in central office positions including deputy superintendent for instruction with Gaston County Schools in North Carolina and assistant superintendent and director of elementary education in Arkansas districts. Caram began her career and worked as a teacher and principal in the Mid-Del School District.

“I am very excited to be returning home,” Caram said.

Fortunately, Jenks & Union Administrators Are Not Representative of All Educators

By state Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, author of the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Act, printed in the Journal Record today.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Recently, defenders of administrators in Jenks and Union schools have claimed any criticism of them is somehow an attack on all educators.

Sorry, but that dog won’t hunt. The core issue is too easy to understand and the administrators are clearly in the wrong.

In a nutshell, these two districts are suing parents for doing what is best for their kids.

These parents are using the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Act, which allows students with a disability on an individualized education program (IEP) to receive state-funded scholarships to attend private school. The scholarships are funded with money already designated for the child’s education.

Jenks and Union administrators don’t like the law. However, rather than properly challenging it in court, they chose to sue parents of special-needs children seeking scholarships.

It is inexcusable that district administrators would sue parents for being too involved in the education of their own children.

The proper way for them to challenge the law is to sue the state.

There’s an Oklahoma City attorney who routinely challenges state laws in court with some success.

If a private citizen can do it, surely these two administrators (and their expensive law firm) can figure it out.

They could have challenged the scholarship law in court before it went into effect more than a year ago. They didn’t.

The schools’ boards eventually voted to sue the state attorney general to challenge the law, but never did.

These administrators continue to reject legitimate avenues to challenge the law.

Instead, they are suing parents of children with very real special needs in an attempt to punish these families and intimidate others. Rather than work to provide quality educational opportunities for each child, Jenks and Union are attempting to “make an example” of families who already face significant challenges.

For these reasons, I have been an outspoken critic of Jenks and Union administrators. People are free to disagree, but to claim all teachers in Oklahoma should be lumped together with those administrators (as Scott Carter did in a recent column) slanders the reputation of every hard-working teacher in the state.

My criticisms have been directed at the administrators of these two districts and not the educators in my family or educators in general. To say otherwise is simply desperate political spin. I don’t need rhetorical misdirection to make my case. Apparently, defenders of these administrators can’t say the same thing.

Chiefs for Change to Speak at 2011 National Summit on Education Reform

San Francisco, CA – On Thursday, October 14, members of Chiefs for Change will speak at the 2011 National Summit on Education Reform: Education Everywhere. 

Members speaking include: 

• Janet Barresi, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction; 
• Tony Bennett, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction; 
• Stephen Bowen, Maine Commissioner of Education; 
• Chris Cerf, New Jersey Commissioner of Education; 
• Paul Pastorek, former Louisiana State Superintendent of Education; 
• Gerard Robinson, Florida Commissioner of Education; 
• Hanna Skandera, New Mexico Public Education Department Secretary-Designate; and 
• Eric Smith, former Florida Commissioner of Education, 

The Chiefs' Roundtable will discuss the education reform movement in their states on October 14, 2011, at 9:15 am (PST), at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, CA.

Hear these state leaders share lessons via live webcast. Click here for your front row seat at this session and to view the live webcast schedule for the event's keynote speakers and general sessions. Note: webcast will be available a few minutes before session begins and will run on Pacific Standard Time.

Teachers' Retirement System Responding Positively to Pension Reform Efforts

Sen. Mike Mazzei
R-Tulsa

The chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Pensions said he was encouraged that the solvency of the state’s largest retirement system has dramatically improved in recent months. Dr. James Wilbanks, Executive Director of the Teachers’ Retirement System, announced the decrease in unfunded liability in the pension fund late last month.

“Our committee’s goal was to reduce the unfunded liability in TRS which was more than $10 billion this past session. Thursday’s (Sept. 29) announcement shows we were right on target,” said Sen. Mike Mazzei, who chairs the Select Committee on Pensions. “It now stands at $7.6 billion, meaning we are on track to ensuring long-term stability. This will protect the retirements of dedicated educators throughout Oklahoma.”

According to Wilbanks, the estimated time needed to fully fund the pension plan has virtually been cut in half. Previously, it was projected that it would take nearly 40 years or more to fully fund the plan—now it could be 100 percent funded within 22 years.

“For too many years, legislators refused to acknowledge or address the fact that left unchecked, the Teachers’ Retirement System was facing insolvency,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman. “Sen. Mazzei has worked tirelessly on this issue for years, and now we are already seeing the results of our legislative efforts. In terms of protecting our state’s financial future, we cannot understate the importance of these new laws.”

Parents Urge Passage of “Tim Tebow” Law for Home-Schoolers

OKLAHOMA CITY – Two panhandle families last week urged lawmakers to allow home-school students to participate in sports, noting those families’ taxes already support those programs even as they save taxpayer money through their educational decisions.

Rep. Gus Blackwell
R-Laverne

“If these families sent students to the local school, those kids would be allowed to participate in sports programs, so in reality there is no extra cost to granting home-school students access,” said state Rep. Gus Blackwell, a Laverne Republican who requested a legislative study on the issue. “By home-schooling, these families are freeing up tax dollars for educational uses and should not be discriminated against when it comes to participating in sports.”

Members of the Fischer and Arthaud families from the panhandle urged lawmakers to pass a “Tim Tebow” law named for the former University of Florida quarterback. As a child, Tebow was home-schooled, but under Florida law he was allowed to participate in sports activities at his local school. Tebow led the Neese High School to the 2005 state championship and later went on to earn a Heisman Trophy in college and played on two national championship teams.

Under Florida law, a home-school student is eligible to participate in sports at the public school he or she would be assigned if attending public school. Participating students must demonstrate educational progress by a method of evaluation agreed upon by the parents and the school principal, which can include review of the student’s work by a certified teacher chosen by the parent.

Under the proposed law, home-school students would be required to register their intent to participate in sports with the local school prior to the beginning date of the season.

Supporters noted that 24 other states allow some form of equal access for homeschoolers and that 325 home-schooled athletes played NCAA Division I-A sports in 2011.

“This legislation would allow home-school students to participate in sports while protecting their right to educational choice enshrined in the Oklahoma Constitution,” Blackwell said. “Furthermore, safeguards in the legislation would prevent abuses of the system, such as having schools cherry-pick athletes. This is a common-sense reform that deserves serious consideration in the coming legislative session.”

Blackwell said he plans to work with the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) and its member schools to come up with acceptable guidelines to keep the playing field equal for all participants.

Oklahoma Economy Shows Steady Growth in September

Treasurer Miller says external threats to economy were “kept at bay”

Treasurer Ken Miller

OKLAHOMA CITY – More than 18 months after revenues began climbing from the depths of the Great Recession, the Oklahoma economy is again showing steady growth across all sectors, State Treasurer Ken Miller said today as he released the state’s monthly gross revenue report.

September collections were 7.1 percent higher than in September of last year, a more moderate growth rate than what was recorded in June and August of this year when year-over-year growth topped 15 percent each month.

Miller said collections over the past 12 months total $10.43 billion, the highest level in 27 months when12-month collections in June 2009 totaled $10.57 billion.

It’s a good thing

Public Comment Sought on Teacher & Leader Effectiveness Evaluation System

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 6, 2011) — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi, on behalf of the Oklahoma Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Commission, is requesting public comment on the commission’s first set of preliminary evaluation recommendations.

Supt. Janet Barresi

“It is extremely important for us to hear from the public as we move toward implementation of this new evaluation system,” Barresi said. “This is about giving teachers and leaders concrete, meaningful feedback on their performance as they work to improve the academic performance of their students.”

According to state statute (70 O.S. § 6-101.16), Oklahoma's State Board of Education will adopt rules for the new evaluation system by Dec. 15, 2011, based on recommendations from the commission. 

Barresi serves as chair of the commission, which is made up of 19 members representing state legislators, teachers, school district administrators, the Parent Teacher Association and civic leaders. Staff support for the Commission is provided by the State Department of Education and the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation.

The law requires the new evaluation system be comprised of multiple measures of teacher and administrator effectiveness: 

Barresi Eager to Put Disabled Student Teaching Grant Money to Work

OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 30, 2011) — Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi this week learned that Oklahoma  is one of eight states  to receive part of $7.7 million in grants each year for five years from the U.S. Department of Education for training systems to help students with disabilities.

The state Department of Education will receive the nearly $1.2 million annual Special Education-State Personnel Development Grant to assist in reforming and improving systems for teacher training and professional development in early intervention and Common Core State Standards  to enhance results for children with disabilities.

Supt. Janet Barresi

“I’m very appreciative of the collaborative effort of my team in putting in this strong grant request,” Barresi said. “I’m anxious to start using it for the benefit of children.”

Amy Daugherty, associate state director for Special Education Services with the state Department of Education, said grant money will enhance initiatives already in place in Oklahoma classrooms and will not be used to start new programs or tell schools how they must educate their students.

In some cases, grant money might provide coaches to work with educators to teach them best practices of helping students with disabilities. In other cases, it might provide evaluation of existing programs.

Because so many students with disabilities are in general population classes in Oklahoma, Daugherty said, the grant actually will end up helping all students, and it will bring broader collaboration between special education and regular education teachers.

Programs will include a blended teaching model of response to intervention and positive behavior support and also will include a parent component, she said.

“Our goal is that not one person can do all this,” Daugherty said. “It takes all the adults, including parents.

Daugherty said because an emphasis of the training and services offered as a result of the grant will be on early literacy and meeting Common Core State Standards, it goes well with Superintendent Barresi’s 3R Agenda to Rethink, Restructure, Reform. It also fits with legislation passed earlier this year that will require students to demonstrate reading proficiency before being passed to third grade, she said.

Other winning states: Connecticut, $798,885; Louisiana, $1.2 million; Maine, $501,572; Nebraska, $795,662; New York, almost $1.6 million; Oregon, $996,792; and Wyoming, $653,473.

Nelson: Jenks & Union Schools Should Get Used to Criticism

This release is in response to a Tulsa World news story today regarding Jennifer Carter's use of the word “dirtbags” in a tweet nearly a month ago.  Carter tweeted when she learned that administrators in the Jenks and Union school districts were suing parents of special-needs students who are using scholarships available through the Lindsay Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program Act.

Link to video

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Jason Nelson said the leaders of the Jenks and Union Public Schools should get used to criticism after targeting the parents of special-needs children with a frivolous lawsuit.

He said criticism is more than warranted in light of the districts’ apparent continued violation of state law and mistreatment of special-needs children.

“Apparently, Jenks and Union officials are shocked that anyone would call them ‘dirtbags’ for persecuting the families of children with special needs,” said Nelson, R-Oklahoma City. “I’ve got news for them: Get used to it. Oklahoma citizens will no longer stand by while wealthy school bureaucrats abuse their power.

“I believe these districts continue to violate state law and know their actions are indefensible - which is likely the reason they did not include ‘suing parents’ on any school board agenda,” Nelson said. “I’ve not heard one person defend suing parents outside the administrators of Jenks and Union schools. I’ve visited with numerous people who shudder at the idea of a school district suing parents – especially in this case – and many of them used far more colorful language to express their opinion.”

Several months ago, the Jenks and Union school boards voted to sue the state attorney general to challenge the successful Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program Act. However, they never filed that lawsuit, and instead suddenly sued parents who legally obtained scholarships as a result of the law.

Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships allow a student with a disability (such as Down syndrome or Autism) who has an individualized education program (IEP) to receive state-funded scholarships to attend a private school that parents believe can better serve their child. The scholarships come from the amount of money already designated for the education of those children.

“At the start of September, the amount spent on all students receiving these scholarships statewide was a combined total of $197,345 – far less than the combined salaries of the two superintendents at Jenks and Union,” said Nelson, who authored the scholarship law. “When you have school administrators obsessing over a month-old, offhand, one-word Twitter comment instead of working to provide each child a quality education, that suggests the school funds being wasted are those spent on administrators’ fat paychecks and not the pittance spent helping educate children with special needs.”

Oklahoma Will Submit Application to Early Learning Challenge Grant Contest

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin and Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi announced recently that Oklahoma will submit an application tailored to Oklahoma’s unique strengths as a leader in early childhood education to the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) program. RTT-ELC is a $500 million state-level grant competition aimed at improving early childhood education. Under RTT-ELC, participating states submit a detailed application to the United States Department of Education, outlining their plans to improve upon early childhood education. Should Oklahoma be chosen as a winner, the state would be eligible for a grant of up to $60 million.

Oklahoma is considered a national leader in early childhood learning, with the largest number of four-year olds per capita enrolled in voluntary pre-kindergarten classes in the nation. Approximately 75% of Oklahoma 4-year-olds enroll in pre-kindergarten programs. Quality early childhood education has been shown to increase social and cognitive readiness for kindergartners and to bolster student performance.

“My number one priority as governor is to make Oklahoma a more prosperous state with more good, high paying jobs,” Fallin said. “In the long term, nothing is more important to achieving that goal than having quality educational institutions, high student achievement and a highly skilled workforce.

“In the last year we have pursued a variety of reforms aimed at increasing quality and accountability in grades K-12. Now, by pursuing improvements to early childhood education, we can help to ensure that children are better prepared to excel in school even before they arrive in kindergarten. That’s why I’ve asked the Department of Education to take the lead in developing an Early Learning Challenge application that clearly defines areas where we can improve on our past successes and improve early childhood education in Oklahoma, without creating any new government programs or leaving the state on the hook for additional costs in later years.”

Barresi said that investing in early childhood education would ultimately pay big dividends for the state.

“Studies show that for every $1 dollar invested in early learning, upwards of $11 in economic benefits are seen over a child's lifetime.” Barresi said. “Improving our early childhood education programs will help to increase test scores while decreasing the costs associated with remediation and special education programs.”

“Investing in early childhood education is a key component of our renewed focus and conservative reforms on literacy and proficiency in core areas like math and science. If our kids aren’t ready to learn on day one of their academic careers – beginning in kindergarten – than they can quickly fall behind. Pre-K programs are proven to help children develop the skills they need to become successful students, and eventually successful members of our workforce. Ultimately, the investment we make in these early stages pays for itself many times over.”  

Secretary of Education Phyllis Hudecki also voiced her support for the grant application.

“This is a great opportunity for the state to continue to build on what is one of the most successful and high-quality early education systems in the nation,” said Hudecki. “Getting these children the tools they need to succeed academically is not just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do, and will continue to benefit Oklahoma for years to come.”

The application for the ELC grant is due on October 19. While the Oklahoma Department of Education will play a lead role, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health and the Department of Commerce will each assist in developing the application. Winners are expected to be announced by the end of the year.

Governor Fallin Issues Proclamation Supporting Early Childhood Literacy

Sept. 26-30 declared Early Childhood Awareness Week for state of Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday Governor Mary Fallin proclaimed the week of Sept. 26 through Sept. 30, 2011 as Early Childhood Awareness Week in Oklahoma and stressed the importance of supporting early childhood literacy in the state.  Together with Reach Out and Read Oklahoma, she encouraged parents to read daily to their child from an early age to prepare them for school success.

“Reading with your children is a fun, family activity that helps young learners develop the language skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and throughout their entire school career. I applaud Reach Out and Read Oklahoma and I encourage all parents to spend as much time as they can reading with their young children,” Fallin said.

Governor Fallin reads “Green Eggs and Ham”
to a group of students

After reading a proclamation, Gov. Fallin read “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss to a group of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students from St. John Christian Academy.

Neuroscientists report that 90 percent of brain development occurs before a child enters kindergarten, and 30 percent of Oklahoma’s kindergarten students are not performing at the kindergarten grade level.

Reach Out and Read Oklahoma is a nonprofit organization that promotes early childhood literacy and encourages families to read together to help the child build basic language skills that will prepare them to learn how to read before they reach kindergarten.

“A child’s brain develops a tremendous amount throughout the first five years of their lives, and it is our responsibility as adults to prepare our children and give them the tools they will need to succeed,” said Steven Davis, senior state director of Reach Out and Read Oklahoma. “It is our goal that by increasing awareness of early literacy in the state, more children will perform at or above grade level and will continue to thrive through school and into their adult lives.”

Lt. Governor Todd Lamb

In celebration of the proclamation, Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb read to a group of young children at OU Children's Physicians Building this morning.

“It is my honor to participate in Early Childhood Awareness Week,” Lamb said. “It is very important that we teach the young children of Oklahoma the importance of literacy and how it can have a positive influence in their everyday lives. I look forward to reading to these children, and I encourage parents all across Oklahoma to read to their children tonight before bed.”

About Reach Out and Read

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based, national nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness by giving new books to children and advice to parents at regular pediatric checkups. The program allows children to take home a new, age-appropriate book after every checkup from 6 months through 5 years. For more information on Reach Out and Read Oklahoma, visit www.reachoutandreadok.org.

Click here to view the proclamation

Fallin, Barresi Appear as Panelist in National Education Summit

OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, Governor Mary Fallin and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi served as panelists during NBC’s Education Nation summit in New York City.  

The summit, held at Rockefeller Center, brought together governors, state superintendents of education, administrators, teachers and other leaders for an earnest discussion about educating children in the ever-changing, knowledge-based economy of 21^st Century.

Governor Fallin and a handful of other governors were selected to participate in a panel titled, “The State of Education:  The Governor’s Perspective.”

The panel of governors, hosted by NBC News’ Brian Williams, focued on education and economic competitiveness.  Other participating governors included:  Gov. Lincoln Chafee (RI); Gov. Nathan Deal (GA); Gov. Bill Haslam (TN); Gov. John Hickenlooper (CO); Gov. Paul LePage (ME); Gov. Jack Markell (DE); Gov. Bob McDonnell (VA); Gov. Sean Parnell (AK); and Gov. Scott Walker (WI).

“It’s great that Oklahoma is being recognized for our efforts to improve education and I’m excited to represent our state at this event,” Fallin said before the event.  “My top priority is creating a business environment in Oklahoma that promotes job creation and economic growth.  Nothing is more essential to accomplishing that goal than ensuring we have a highly skilled, educated workforce.  I look forward to sharing Oklahoma’s legislative reforms to improve student achievement and promote workforce development.”

State Superintendent Janet Barresi participated in the summit as a panelist in a session Monday titled, “Stepping Up: The Power of a Parent Advocate.”  The session focused on parents’ roles as advocates for a variety of changes in education from calling for reforming state laws to overhauling failing schools to amending programs at individual schools.

Barresi urged parents not to give up the fight for the best education for their children. 

“Parents need to put more of a premium on how children perform in schools,” Barresi said. “Parents, don’t give up. Arm yourself with facts. Don’t give up because it’s your child.”

The session focused on parents’ roles as advocates for a variety of changes in education from calling for reforming state laws to overhauling failing schools to amending programs at individual schools.  Moderated by Natalie Morales, a co-host of NBC’s “Today” show, the panel also included Ben Austin, of Parent Revolution; Brenda Martin, Mom Congress; author Peg Tyre; Phil Jackson with Black Star Project; and Dennis Walcott, chancellor of New York City Schools.

Barresi also said schools should be more accountable, having dashboards on their website home pages so parents can see exactly how dollars are spent.

“Accountability for schools, informed parents and more choices are key,” she said. 

Barresi herself was a parent advocate – someone who called for improvements in education not just on behalf of her own children but for many others. Her desire to change the status quo led her to help found two charter schools in Oklahoma City. 

It later led her to run for state Superintendent and to initiate major conservative reforms in education in the state.

Those reforms include a new 3rd grade graduation requirement that ensures students can read on grade level before advancing to the fourth grade; an A through F report card for schools; and the Opportunity Scholarship Act, which ensures children who qualify for free or reduced lunch or who are in failing schools will have a choice of moving to a better school.

NBC News’ says Education Nation is an initiative to engage the country in a solutions-focused conversation about the state of education in America.  While some portions of the Education Nation summit will be covered by NBC television, all the events can be seen online on the Education Nation Web site:  www.educationnation.com.