Wednesday, June 29, 2011

How 'Bout that Janet Barresi? Chopping and Cutting State Education Funds

Oklahoma's State Education Supt. Janet Barresi is at at again. She's cutting more funds for education all across the Sooner state.

First she cut teacher bonuses (for National Board certified teachers), adult education, middle school math labs and other programs.  

Good work, Janet!

Now, under her leadership, the state Board of Education has eliminated state funds for Tulsa's Street School, an award-winning nonprofit school that provides alternative education for dropouts.

Never mind that the school is 38 years old and has been receiving state funding for 25 years. Never mind that the school was recognized in 2009 as the first recipient of an award in alternative education from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. Never mind that the school was blindsided by Barresi's staff, which didn't answer emails and stopped communicating with Street School leaders in advance of the funding cut.

Good work, Janet! 

Yes, the state budget is hurting. Hard choices have to be made. We know that. But the state has an obligation to educate its children and to make that education as strong and useful as it can. As the Tulsa World asks in an editorial today, "How many more hits can public education take?"

The World ends with this observation:
Politicans talk a good game about how important education is to the state. But it all seems to be nothing more than talk.

6 comments:

Tulsan said...

That guv'ment edicate is chock full o' evilution, homosexual mamas, and no prayers. Let's get them kids schooled right!

Anonymous said...

The GOP likes its voters dumb.

Anonymous said...

From a review of "Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism" by Michelle Goldberg:

Ms. Goldberg explains how homeschooling has allowed superstition to be instilled in a generation of young people who are being encouraged to become politically active. Exurban megachurches provide organizers with millions of voters and activists who can be rapidly mobilized around Christian causes.

The author dedicates individual chapters to discussing six areas where extremist positions have gained ground, including: revisionism of U.S. history; anti-gay rights activism; intelligent design theory (Creationism); faith-based public services; abstinence; and the U.S. court system.

Anonymous said...

RepUGLYcans consider Public Schools to be socialism and most Oklahoma RepUGLYcans are definitely antisocial.

Anonymous said...

The author Michelle Goldberg talks about Michele Bachmann:

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/6/28/a_perfect_product_of_the_religious

JenHolder said...

Is this the same Tulsa World that went above and beyond in publishing anti-744 propaganda?? You can't have it both ways, folks. Teachers (like me) have been telling the state of Oklahoma that we must adequately fund and support public education. Barresi is NOT a fiend of public education, and neither is the Ok legislature. The only people who should be "shocked" by this are the people who have not paid attention. Education accounted for THREE-FOURTHS of the state budget cuts. We should be positively embarrassed.