Oklahomans From All Over The State Visit The Senate Education Committee February 17th

Every year since 2011, a bill to stop the Common Core State Standards has been introduced into the Oklahoma legislature from the House.  Every year, House Common Education Committee Chair, Ann Coody has blocked the bill from a hearing, and every year, Senator John Ford, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, has made it known he would hear no bills relating to a repeal of Common Core in his committee.

In 2014, 7 bills were introduced into the Oklahoma legislature to pause or repeal the Common Core State Standards.  From the beginning of this year's session, citizens have implored Senator Ford to hear these bills yet Senator Ford has remained dogged in his insistence to deny any and all a hearing.

Via an underground email campaign, more than 300 Oklahoma parents, teachers and taxpayers - frustrated at being denied a voice in their government - filled to capacity the committee room in which the Senate Education Committee convened at 9am, and stood 2 and 3 deep in the corridor leading into the chamber, saying nothing - simply holding their signs saying, "HEAR THE BILLS".

These individuals came from ALL ACROSS OKLAHOMA Grady - 24 out of 77 - nearly 1/3 of all Oklahoma counties were at the capitol building for this rally according to our sign up sheets - and NOT ALL PARTICIPANTS signed up.  Many simply took their signs and went on their way.

The counties represented include:

Grady

Tulsa

Canadian

Rogers

McCurtain

Bryan

Comanche

Cleveland

Delaware

Garfield

Oklahoma

Pottawatomie

Washington

Stephens

Ottawa

Canadian

Sequoya

McIntosh

Marshall

Pushmataha

Wagoner

Creek

Woodward

Dewey

Osage

Then, there are the counties represented by our email list that include 25 more:

Lincoln

Logan

Sequoyah

Atoka

Craig

Cherokee

Okfuskee 

Custer

Choctaw

Kay

Seminole

Mayes

Blaine

McClain

Jackson

Payne

Carter

Major

Garvin

Caddo

Haskell

Beckham

Roger Mills

Harper

Pittsburg

That brings the county count to 49.  Forty-nine out of 77 (63%) Oklahoma counties contain residents so concerned about Common Core and the state of our children's education here in Oklahoma that they are willing to receive emails regarding our efforts.

The two Senate-authored Common Core bills are not currently on the agenda for the last Senate Education Committee meeting, Monday, February, 24th.  Three bills still exist on the House side, one of which has passed Committee and is awaiting assignment to the Floor Calendar - the other of which will come before the Common Education Committee on Tuesday, February 25th.

Unfortunately, our Governor, the head of the National Governor's Association, is continuing to push the Common Core and all other education reforms that are NOT local and have NOT been tested prior to being brought to Oklahoma from Florida and Washington, D.C. for use.

In fact, here's an excerpt of a quote Governor Fallin made following this weekend's NGA meeting, 

"The intent of Common Core was to raise academic standards, increase rigor in the classroom and then to measure the results,” Fallin said. “I think that’s a goal that everyone can support and would support, but there’s been a lot of information about Common Core that has not been accurate, whether it’s been on the Internet or there’s been something that’s been published.”

Please continue to contact Governor Fallin and ask her tto STOP Common Core in Oklahoma, or we will be unable to support her come November.  

Also, Senator Brian Bingman is up for re-election in November.  Please ask him to make sure any and all Common Core bills that come from the House get a hearing in committee and on the floor of the Senate.  Our Senators need to REPRESENT the people that elected them and that means going on record with their vote. 

Governor Fallin - Local (405) 521-2342 

Senator Brian Bingman - ProTemp (405) 521-5528,  

Senator Mike Shultz - Floor Leader (assigns the bills to committee) (405) 521-5612

Senator John Ford - Senate Education Committee Chair (405) 521-5634