chevron_leftchevron_right
Leadership
Your Governor:
Kevin Stitt (R) (75)
First term began in 2019 (no term limits). Re-elected in 2022.
Governor Stitt has been one of the boldest education freedom champions in the country, with efforts that brought a universal tax credit to low income families and a new statewide charter board that should allow for more schools to be created, including virtual charters. He is also spearheading the recruitment of education providers to his state that will bring more innovations and opportunities to Oklahomans.
STATE LEGISLATURE:
After initial concerns from rural lawmakers, the legislature answered the call and put forward key pieces of legislation that embraced parent power and pushed Oklahoma to new levels of education freedom. Speaker Charles McCall has a positive relationship with the Governor and further education opportunities arrived “Sooner” rather than later.
Constitutional Issues
Oklahoma has a Blaine Amendment. "In 2016, in Oliver v. Hofmeister, the Oklahoma Supreme Court upheld a scholarship voucher program against a Blaine Amendment challenge because the program was neutral with respect to religion. In the opinion, the Court distinguished between helping students (permissible) and helping the religious schools they choose to attend (impermissible) and held that the voucher program fell into the first category... Because the parent—not the government—decides where the child goes to school and receives the aid in consideration for their not attending the public schools, the aid is for the student, not for the sectarian school." (Institute for Justice)
Transparency
School and district report cards are very easy to find on Oklahoma's Department of Education homepage by clicking on “Services → Accountability” headings and can be accessed directly by navigating to https://oklaschools.com/. Report cards are easy to understand, user-friendly, and filled with relevant data on academic indicators and school climate.
School Choice options are found under the “Services” heading, providing parents with important data for making decisions including information on charter schools, virtual charter schools, homeschooling, and private school choice scholarships.
School Board elections in Oklahoma occur separately from the general election cycle, often resulting in reduced parental influence and a diminished ability to make their voices heard due to lower voter turnout.