A forum at the University of Central Oklahoma put education in the forefront Tuesday night, as the state prepares to vote on the first new state superintendent of schools in 20 years and decide on an $850 million education funding question.
NewsOK
BY MEGAN ROLLAND
Published: October 13, 2010
The chief proponent and chief opponent of State Question 744 sparred at a political forum Tuesday over whether the ballot initiative would be the financial savior to the state's education system or result in devastating cuts to every other state agency.
The question posed to voters on the November ballot is whether the Oklahoma state government should be required to fund prekindergarten through 12th grade education at the regional average per-pupil expenditure.
Joel Robison, chairman of the Yes On 744 organization, reiterated that Oklahoma is 49th in the nation for per-pupil spending and "dead last in the region.”
"We used to say 'Thank goodness for Arkansas,'” Robison said. "We can't say that anymore.”
Both Robison and Jeff Wilson, chairman of the ONE Oklahoma Coalition that is opposing SQ 744, agreed that at the very minimum the ballot question would mean $850 million in additional funding for education, but differed widely on where that funding would come from... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Wed, October 13, 2010
by Crystal Drwenski