1889 Institute recommends more education reforms

1889 INSTITUTE RECOMMENDS MORE EDUCATION REFORMS

Only institutional reforms will make a difference.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (May 13, 2020) – The 1889 Institute has published “More Education Reforms to Make a Difference,” which extends the list of suggested reforms from its earlier publication, “Education Reforms to Make a Difference,” released in January. This new paper argues for the following reforms to be enacted:

• Prohibit Collective Bargaining and Pass a Meaningful No-Strike Law – school district officials can be effectively elected by unions in low-turn-out elections and be conflicted in their fiduciary duty to taxpayers as a result; Oklahoma’s no-strike law allows school boards to give permission for teachers to strike against the state, a loophole that needs closing,.
• Make the State Superintendent of Public Instruction an Appointed Office – the current system at least creates the potential that a superintendent will see the education establishment as his/her true constituency instead of taxpayers and children in public schools.
• Transfer School Performance Review Responsibilities to the Lieutenant Governor – the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability is overseen mostly by appointed education insiders; an elected official has an incentive to promote reviews and push them to their limits.
• Prioritize Early College High School – there is no reason college-bound seniors cannot graduate high school with an associate’s degree, saving them and taxpayers money in the process.
• Mean-Test Pre-kindergarten – pre-kindergarten programs have not proven effective enough for them to be universally offered, but some poor families lack the ability to provide a sufficiently enriched environment for young children.
• Ensure Accurate Report of Funding-weighted Student Populations – the number of English language learning students and students eligible for free/reduced price lunches are clearly over-counted by districts in an effort to capture more state funding; audits and sworn statements are needed to counteract this incentive.

“Instead of trying to order the education establishment, parents, and students to give us what we want for our money, these reforms change incentives in the system,” said Byron Schlomach, author of the paper and 1889 Institute Director. “We need to recognize weaknesses in the system itself and not assume those operating within it are foolish or have bad intent,” he said.


About the 1889 Institute
The 1889 Institute is an Oklahoma think tank committed to independent, principled state policy fostering limited and responsible government, free enterprise and a robust civil society. The publication, “More Education Reforms to Make a Difference” can be found on the nonprofit’s website: https://1889institute.org.