Wednesday, September 17, 2014
OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today released the following statement regarding the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s release of the 2014 “A-F” school report cards. Approximately one-third of all schools (646) improved their score in 2014 compared to last year.
“Oklahoma has great teachers and administrators, and they have my thanks for the difficult, important job they are doing.
“The A-F grading system is designed to empower parents by providing them with an easily understood measurement of how a school is performing. This year’s grades demonstrate that Oklahoma has hundreds of “A” schools and many pockets of excellence. It also continues to show – as we have known for years – that there are many schools that are struggling. The superintendents and teachers of schools receiving a D or an F must remember: a bad grade is not a punishment; it is a call to action. Parents should also understand that we are absolutely committed to helping these schools succeed in the future.
“Knowing where we have difficulties is the first step in working towards improvement. The challenge now is to rally around those schools and the students in them to improve results. That will take an all-hands-on-deck effort, with parents, teachers, administrators, and local and state governments working together.
“I am confident that we can successfully improve public education in Oklahoma. Doing so will require the development of robust, Oklahoma academic standards to replace Common Core, which are being developed now. It will also require more financial resources in addition to the $150 million in increased funding provided in the last two years. Moving forward I am committed to delivering those resources, some of which I would like to see go towards pay-raises for teachers, so we can attract and retain the best and brightest professionals to our classrooms.
“Nothing is more important to the future of Oklahoma than succeeding at improving education.”