From public school curriculum to higher education and workforce development, education policy remains a focal point at the Oklahoma Capitol, where lawmakers are tackling a range of issues with major implications for students, teachers and the state’s economy.
This week, new social studies standards officially went into effect after the Oklahoma Legislature failed to act on them within the required 30 legislative days. The inaction means the standards, which include references to “discrepancies” in the 2020 election, will now govern classrooms for the next six years, beginning with the upcoming school year.
Rep. Michelle McCane, a Democrat from North and Downtown Tulsa and a former educator, criticized the Legislature’s decision not to hold a vote, calling it “a cowardly way out.”
“It’s sent to the legislature for a reason,” McCane said. “We should have voted on them to either approve or not approve them.”
McCane warned that politicized content in the new curriculum could drive more teachers out of the profession and further damage Oklahoma’s public education system.
“It just seems to me that we’re just continuing to chip away at one of the most foundational services we have in our state,” she said.
Meanwhile, in higher education, freshman Sen. Christi Gillespie of Broken Arrow is pushing for a significant shift in how state universities operate. Her proposed legislation, Senate Bill 701, would allow state colleges and universities to offer programs outside their assigned missions if those programs address workforce needs.
The bill would also allow Northeastern State University’s Broken Arrow campus to operate as a four-year university and repeals a law preventing Oklahoma State University from offering courses already taught at Tulsa Community College.
“My main goal is just to make it to where we have some equality for our students,” Gillespie said, noting that Broken Arrow has seen a decline in its college-aged population. “We just want our students to have an equal opportunity to stay within our city.”
However, the legislation has raised concerns over its potential impact on Langston University in Tulsa, a historically Black institution that currently offers unique courses due to restrictions on other local universities. Removing those restrictions could affect Langston’s enrollment and programming.
In the area of workforce development, another freshman legislator is focused on expanding access to career and technical education. Rep. Mike Lay, a Republican from Jenks and West Tulsa, is advocating for an $11 million increase to the CareerTech budget to help reduce the number of students on waitlists.
“They have 7,500 students waiting to get into career tech,” Lay said, recounting a conversation with CareerTech Director Brent Haken. “How do we get them in? He said, I need $11 million in order to get those kids in. That’s about $1,500 per person.”
CareerTech’s current budget stands at roughly $29 million.
While Lay is pushing for increased investment, Gov. Kevin Stitt has indicated he wants a flat budget overall, meaning no significant increases or decreases in funding.
Lawmakers have until May 30 to finalize the state’s budget.
