#oklahoma ranked 49th for k-12 education

[tomorrowusa]

Ryan Walters, the MAGA superintendent of schools in Oklahoma, wants students to watch him praying for Trump. Can they be sure he isn't praying TO Trump?

Being a fundamentalist Trump-worshiping fanatic seems to be Walters's main qualification to run schools in an impoverished state.

These are the sort of people who feel that a Trump presidency gives them the right to impose their beliefs on everybody else.

It should be mentioned that Oklahoma ranks 49th in K-12 performance and 48th in terns of education overall.

Trump prayers won't improve student achievement in Oklahoma. Teaching real science and logical reasoning would be a better bet.

As for Walters's Trump praying, there's clearly a SNL sketch to be gleaned from this. 🤔

[nevin-manimala-blog]

'How to Lie With Statistics': Teachers Union Edition

By Allysia Finley May 2, 2018 7:17 p.m. ET If you’ve ever taken a statistics class, you’ve probably read Darrell Huff’s “How to Lie with Statistics.” Teachers unions appear to have drawn some lessons from the 1954 book. They’re using misleading statistics to rally public support for teacher walkouts in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona and Colorado. Here are some of their distortions. • They conflate school funding and state education spending. In Oklahoma, unions proclaimed that per pupil school spending fell by 28.2% over the past decade. That refers to the inflation-adjusted state’s general funding formula. But total per pupil outlays increased by 16% in nominal terms between 2006 and 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent public education finance report. Adjusting for inflation, that’s a decline of only about 2%. On average across the country, state funds make up only 47% of total school spending. Most of the rest comes from local property taxes. Since property tax hikes are politically unpopular, unions put pressure on state lawmakers to increase education spending from general funds. That has the benefit of diffusing accountability for local spending. • They use elevated spending baselines. Teachers unions nearly always compare school spending and teacher salaries today with peak levels before the great recession, which were inflated like housing prices. Between 2000 and 2009, average per pupil spending across the country increased 52%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. After flat-lining for a few years, per pupil spending ticked up by 7.5% between 2012 and 2015. School spending growth might have slowed over the past several years, but it still increased faster than the consumer price index. Per pupil funding in Oklahoma shot up 46% between 2000 and 2009. During this period, average teacher salaries rose 52%. While average salaries have since fallen by 5%, even on an inflation-adjusted basis they remain higher today ($45,245) than in 2000 ($44,861) or 1990 ($44,088). • They don’t account for other forms of compensation. Since 2000, per pupil spending on employee benefits has doubled. Benefits make up about 29 cents of every dollar of staff compensation, compared with 21 cents in 2000. In Arizona, about 24% of staff compensation goes to employee benefits, up from 18% in 2000. Teachers don’t see this in their paychecks, but pensions and health benefits are the fastest-growing expenses for many school districts, and most of the money goes to retired teachers. • They elide data that don’t fit their argument. According to the National Education Association’s annual survey, the biggest average pay bumps in 2016 were in California (4.3%), Colorado (3.9%) and Wisconsin (3.5%). Wisconsin’s 2011 collective-bargaining reforms limit annual base salary increases to 2% while letting districts negotiate pay with individual teachers based on criteria other than job and education level. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in 2016 reported that two-thirds of districts “say they’ve been outbid for applicants and are increasingly offering special pay raises in hopes of keeping high-performing teachers.” Thus, “merit pay” can drive up teacher salaries. But unions focus on base salaries in their promotional materials because they oppose a competitive performance pay structure. • They use misleading cross-state comparisons. The New York Times recently reported that Arizona, after cutting taxes, “spent under $7,500 per pupil annually in 2015, the last year for which census data was available; only Utah and Idaho spent less.” Unions similarly claimed recent state income-tax cuts were to blame for Oklahoma’s ranking 49th in teacher pay. But state rankings are remarkably consistent over time. In 2000 Arizona ranked 48th in per-pupil spending and Oklahoma was 48th in teacher salaries. The NEA encourages its affiliate unions to use its annual state rankings “to advocate for higher pay for teachers and more state funding for public schools by showing how my state compares to others.” The union notes that its North Carolina affiliate uses survey data “on average teacher salary rankings and per pupil expenditure rankings as a vital and main negotiating chip to lobby for teacher raises and increased K-12 education funding.” In other words, by playing states against one another, unions hope to drive up education spending across the country. Some teachers may be pinching pennies and paying for supplies out of their own pockets. But education spending in most states, even those governed by Republicans, is increasing. Teachers are striking now because unions realize that Republicans are on edge about the midterm elections. In a February special election for a Kentucky state House seat, a Democrat won by 36 points in a district Donald Trump carried by 49. Education is a key issue for rural and suburban voters, whose votes Democrats need. That’s why the unions are lying with statistics. Ms. Finley is a member of the Journal’s editorial board. Appeared in the May 3, 2018, print edition. Read the full article

[zipgrowth]

Teachers make their voices heard in KY. and OK. Is this the start of a national trend?

Nearly a month after a nine-day teacher strike in West Virginia ended, teachers in Kentucky and Oklahoma staged their own walkouts and rallies this week, pushing for higher pay and increased financial support in their classrooms.

Facing prolonged pay freezes, changes to pensions, and outdated teaching materials, frustrated educators in Kentucky and Oklahoma are demanding change.

As negotiations continue between lawmakers and educators, some have questioned whether the latest protests represent the start of a national trend.

AASA’s recently released national survey of school superintendents revealed that nearly 75 percent of school leaders nationwide believe local schools are “inadequately funded.” Despite strong economic indicators, many school leader say their schools have been flat funded since the height of the Great Recession.

New legislation not enough for Oklahoma teachers

The teacher walkouts that began Monday came as no surprise to those following the months-long education battle in Oklahoma.

According to NBC News, Oklahoma legislators passed a $6,100 per teacher pay raise last week in an attempt to head off an anticipated labor strike.

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But activists say the new school funding model doesn’t go far enough.

As Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, tells NBC:

“We’re going to say that our Legislature started the process and they have a moral obligation to invest in our children and our children’s future. That obligation has not been met yet. Funding for our students is an issue in every schoolhouse in the state of Oklahoma.”

During rallies this week, Oklahoma teachers called for a $10,000-per-teacher pay raise, along with an additional $75 million for general education funding, including updated supplies and books.

According to NBC, Oklahoma consistently ranks toward the bottom when it comes to school revenue per student ($3,000 below the national average) and average teacher salary (currently ranked 49th in the country).

Kentucky teachers protest pension changes

Oklahoma isn’t the only state in the throes of protest. Kentucky teachers took time out of their spring breaks to rally at the state capitol in opposition to legislation passed last week that would alter teacher pension plans.

According to Education Week, the rallies this week come on the heels of a temporary shutdown of dozens of districts across throughout the state, the result of teachers collectively calling in sick.  

The newly passed legislation would place new teachers into a retirement plan that is a combination of a 401(k)-style plan and a traditional pension plan. The bill also removes new teachers from something called an “inviolable contract��� that protects employees from future changes to their benefit plans.

In the wake of Monday’s protests, lawmakers showed signs that they were willing to listen. According to the Lexington Herald Leader, lawmakers considered a budget plan that would increase taxes on certain services to boost education funding. , lawmakers considered a budget plan that would increase taxes on certain services to boost education funding.

Still, educators in Kentucky say there’s more work to be done to fully support the state’s teacher workforce. Some of that work will begin when the Kentucky Education Association Delegate Assembly kicks off later this week.

As KEA president Stephanie Winkler tells the Herald Leader:

“I think the legislature continued to get the message that we’re not going away. We’re going to keep a watchful eye on the legislature, and we’re going to hold them accountable for doing good work for the people and children of the commonwealth.”

With frustration over inadequate school funding mounting and more teachers willing to make their voices heard, will protests be limited to West Virginia, Kentucky, and Oklahoma? Or, is this just the start of a broader movement of America’s K-12 educators?

Time will tell.

In the meantime, it’s up to districts to actively listen to their staff and faculty members and include them in key conversations.

Are you having a hard time recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers in your schools? Is pay a factor? What other issues factor into the challenge? Tell us in the comments.

The post Teachers make their voices heard in KY. and OK. Is this the start of a national trend? appeared first on Trusted.

Teachers make their voices heard in KY. and OK. Is this the start of a national trend? published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

[kansascityhappenings]

Oklahoma teachers walk out for 2nd day; Kentucky teachers join red-state revolt

OKLAHOMA CITY — Hundreds of teachers crammed into the Oklahoma Capitol for a second day Tuesday to press demands for additional funding for the state’s public schools, and many of those schools remained closed amid a rebellion that has hit several Republican-led states across the country.

Oklahoma teachers rally at the state capitol on April 2, 2018 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Thousands of teachers and supporters are scheduled to rally Monday at the state Capitol calling for higher wages and better school funding. Teachers are walking off the job after a $6,100 pay raise was rushed through the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Mary Fallin. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)

Rowdy teachers booed lawmakers in the when the Oklahoma House adjourned. House officials initially called on state troopers to clear the gallery of protesting teachers but later backed off. Education advocates filled the Capitol to capacity, and troopers limited access to the building.

Here in Kansas City, teachers aren’t striking but the national attention on educators’ salaries has opened a dialogue.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed legislation last week granting 15 to 18 percent higher salaries to teachers. But some educators — who haven’t seen a pay increase in 10 years — say that isn’t good enough and walked out.

“If I didn’t have a second job, I’d be on food stamps,” said Rae Lovelace, a single mom and a third-grade teacher at Leedey Public Schools in northwest Oklahoma who works 30 to 40 hours a week at a second job teaching online courses for a charter school.

Oklahoma’s three largest school districts, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Edmond, remained closed Tuesday to honor the walkout. Some schools are offering free meals to students aged 18 or younger, while various churches, faith organizations and charitable agencies are providing free day-care services. Spring break was last week in many Oklahoma districts.

Fallin warned Monday that the state budget is tight and there are other critical needs besides education.

Oklahoma Govenor Mary Fallin. (Photo by Sue Ogrocki-Pool/Getty Images)

“We must be responsible not to neglect other areas of need in the state, such as corrections and health and human services, as we continue to consider additional education funding measures,” the Republican said.

But Democratic lawmaker Collin Walke said teachers should keep up the pressure. Two separate bills pending in the Legislature to expand tribal gambling and eliminate the income tax deduction for capital gains could generate more than $100 million in additional funding each year.

“I think the Republican strategy is to wait the teachers out,” Walke said.

Oklahoma ranks 47th among states and the District of Columbia in public school revenue per student while its average teacher salary of $45,276 ranked 49th before the latest raises, according to the most recent statistics from the National Education Association.

Unions representing West Virginia teachers and service personnel said Saturday, March 3, that they will stay out on strike after the state Senate voted to cut the 5 percent pay raise they had negotiated with Gov. Jim Justice. (Craig Hudson/Charleston Gazette-Mail via AP, File)

The demonstrations were inspired by West Virginia, where teachers walked out for nine days earlier this year and won a 5 percent increase in pay. Teachers in Arizona are now considering a strike over their demands for a 20 percent salary increase.

In Frankfort, Kentucky, teachers and other school employees chanted “Stop the war on public education,” during a rally at the Capitol Monday.

“We’re madder than hornets, and the hornets are swarming today,” said Claudette Green, a retired teacher and principal.

Schools across Kentucky were closed, due either to spring break or to allow teachers and other school employees to attend the rally.

Amid a chorus of chants from teachers, Kentucky lawmakers considered a new state budget that includes higher spending for public education.

Thousands of public school teachers and their supporters protest against a pension reform bill at the Kentucky State Capitol April 2, 2018 in Frankfort, Kentucky. The teachers are calling for higher wages and are demanding that Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin veto a bill that overhauls their pension plan. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Budget negotiators unveiled a spending plan Monday that includes increased spending for the main funding formula for K-12 schools to be paid for by a 6 percent sales tax on a host of services that had previously been tax-free.

The Kentucky teachers are mad because Republican lawmakers passed a pension overhaul last week that cuts benefits for new teachers. Opponents objected that the pension changes were inserted into an unrelated bill without a chance for public input, and worry that the changes will discourage young people from joining the profession.

Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has not yet signed the bill, but last week tweeted his support, saying public workers owe “a deep debt of gratitude” to lawmakers who voted to pass it.

During Monday’s rally, some teachers, angry at lawmakers who supported the bill, chanted “Vote them out.”

Melissa Wash, a first-grade teacher form Gallatin County who has been teaching for 19 years, said she voted for Bevin, but now plans to become a Democrat. To the lawmakers who voted for the pension overhaul, she said: “You better not count on another year in office.”

Public school teachers and their supporters protest against a pension reform bill in the rotunda at the Kentucky State Capitol April 2, 2018 in Frankfort, Kentucky. The teachers are calling for higher wages and are demanding that Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin veto a bill that overhauls their pension plan. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports http://fox4kc.com/2018/04/03/oklahoma-teachers-walk-out-for-2nd-day-kentucky-teachers-join-red-state-revolt/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2018/04/03/oklahoma-teachers-walk-out-for-2nd-day-kentucky-teachers-join-red-state-revolt/

[investmart007]

Kentucky, Oklahoma teachers rally as rebellion grows

New Post has been published on https://goo.gl/r5yhAV

Kentucky, Oklahoma teachers rally as rebellion grows

OKLAHOMA CITY/April 2, 2018 (AP)(STL.News) — The state Capitol in Kentucky filled with teachers protesting pension changes and demanding generous school funding Monday, and thousands of Oklahoma educators walked out of classrooms in the latest evidence of teacher rebellion in some Republican-led states.

Many Oklahoma schools were closed Monday, and districts announced plans to stay shut into Tuesday with teacher demonstrations expected to last a second day.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed legislation last week granting teachers pay raises of about $6,100, or 15 to 18 percent. But some educators — who haven’t seen a pay increase in 10 years — say that isn’t good enough and walked out.

The state’s largest teachers union has demanded a $10,000 pay raise for educators over three years, $5,000 for support personnel and a $75 million increase in funding this year.

“If I didn’t have a second job, I’d be on food stamps,” said Rae Lovelace, a single mom and a third-grade teacher at Leedey Public Schools in northwest Oklahoma who works 30 to 40 hours a week at a second job teaching online courses for a charter school.

GOP Rep. Lewis Moore said it’s unclear what more teachers can accomplish by shutting down schools. “I don’t know how much more can be gained when we already raised $350 million for teacher raises,” Moore said. “The Department of Corrections needs a billion dollars more. Everybody would agree our roads and bridges aren’t squared away.”

But Rep. Collin Walke, a Democrat, said teachers should keep up the pressure. Two separate bills pending in the Legislature to expand tribal gambling and eliminate the income tax deduction for capital gains could generate more than $100 million in additional funding each year.

“I think the Republican strategy is to wait the teachers out,” Walke said.

Oklahoma ranks 47th among states and the District of Columbia in public school revenue per student while its average teacher salary of $45,276 ranked 49th before the latest raises, according to the most recent statistics from the National Education Association.

The demonstrations were inspired by West Virginia, where teachers walked out for nine days earlier this year and won a 5 percent increase in pay. Teachers in Arizona are now considering a strike over their demands for a 20 percent salary increase. Many Arizona teachers wore red clothes to school Monday in solidarity with protests in Oklahoma and Kentucky, said Joe Thomas, president of the Arizona Education Association.

National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia spoke to thousands during the rally in Oklahoma, saying lawmakers need to do more.

“We are through correcting their mistakes.”

In Frankfort, Kentucky, teachers and other school employees chanted “Stop the war on public education.”

“We’re madder than hornets, and the hornets are swarming today,” said Claudette Green, a retired teacher and principal.

Schools across Kentucky were closed, due either to spring break or to allow teachers and other school employees to attend the rally.

Amid a chorus of chants from teachers rallying in the Capitol, Kentucky lawmakers considered a new state budget that includes higher spending for public education.

Budget negotiators unveiled a spending plan Monday that includes increased spending for the main funding formula for K-12 schools and restored money for school buses that the state’s Republican governor had proposed eliminating.

The additional education spending would be paid for by a 6 percent sales tax on a host of services that had previously been tax-free. The spending and taxing proposals cleared the Senate on Monday and went to the House, which was expected to vote on the measures later Monday.

Language arts teacher Lesley Buckner was reluctant to give lawmakers much credit.

“We’re sending a message,” she said. “If we continue to stay united, they cannot turn away from us, they cannot turn their backs on us.”

The rally happened after hundreds of teachers called in sick Friday to protest last-minute changes to their pension system. Teachers have rallied several times during Kentucky’s legislative session to protest the pension bill, but Monday was by far their biggest event.

Republican lawmakers in Kentucky passed a pension overhaul Thursday that preserves benefits for most workers but cuts them for new teachers. The move was done in response to chronic underfunding of the state’s teacher retirement system and in defiance of a powerful teachers union that vowed political retribution. Opponents objected that the pension changes were inserted into an unrelated bill without a chance for public input, and worry that the changes will discourage young people from joining the profession.

Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has not yet signed the bill, but last week tweeted his support, saying public workers owe “a deep debt of gratitude” to lawmakers who voted to pass it.

During Monday’s rally, some teachers, angry at lawmakers who supported the bill, chanted “Vote them out.”

Melissa Wash, a first-grade teacher form Gallatin County who has been teaching for 19 years, said she voted for Bevin, but now plans to become a Democrat. To the lawmakers who voted for the pension overhaul, she said: “You better not count on another year in office.”

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS by Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (U.S)