Senate HHS Committee Votes YES on SB83 - Because, Well, It Supports Parental Choice AFTER Parents Jump Through Hoops

Why am I continually surprised at the lack of knowledge our government officials possess about the principles of good government?

Today, as I watched a live feed, the Senators in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted to PASS SB83 (video from a life Facebook feed below). This bill by Senator Ervin Yen ORIGINALLY revoked the exemption for children to attend public school if their parents didn't want to subscribe to the precise vaccination schedule as dictated by the CDC and Oklahoma State Department of Health. 

Is Senator Ron Sharp Oklahoma's Version of Ron Burgundy?

One to file under the heading of "GOOD GRIEF"! 

I just read an article by Jay Chilton who was apparently in the Senate Education Committee hearing when Senator Sharp - Vice-Chair of the Senate Education Committee - opined about Rob Standridge's bill (SB560) on school choice. Chilton quotes Sharp as saying,

 I have told other senators I call this bill the "Dr. Josef Mengele bill" because it is intended to kill public education," 

And When Did It Become The Job Of the Public School To Feed Needy Children?

Just recently, I posted this article, "High School Drops Michelle Obama's 'healthy' lunch program. Here's how that's working out." on the ROPE2.0 Facebook page with the following comment:

Here's my favorite line of the whole article,"And what’s more, the program stopped losing money, despite forgoing federal subsidies." You don't think that would happen for EVERYTHING if we'd just cut the dang cord and get off the federal government teat? I'm pretty sure it would!

The Failure Of Obama's School "Turnaround" - Trickle Down Education Will Never Work As Well As LOCALLY Administered Education

Just this January, it was reported that figures crunched at the end of Mr. Obama's turn as POTUS determined that one of his pet project, SIG - School Improvement Grants - with their heavy emphasis on School Turnaround, was a dismal failure after an influx of taxpayer funds to the tune of 7 BILLION dollars. Wait for it....

HUGE SHOCK - STOP THE PRESSES

Taxes, Taxes, EVERYWHERE - Governor Mary Fallin and Fellow Republican Taxaholics Are Not "Conservatives"

UPDATED with legislators opposed to the tax increase at the bottom of the post!

On the heels of her very exciting announcement that she had badgered Amazon.com into collecting sales tax from Oklahomans who buy from sellers using the platform, Governor Mary Fallin ended her 2017 State Of The State address, to a chorus of weeping, wailing and gnashing teeth from actual CONSERVATIVE Republicans in the audience. 

Is it "Us Against Them" With Some Republican Lawmakers?

Recently, a friend shared this Facebook post with me. It details an absolutely gorgeous piece of jewelry custom made by a company called Rustic Cuff (a company from Tulsa, so let's give them some props). This was shared on new-Senator-this-year Julie Daniel's Facebook page with the accompanying post,

Custom designed Rustic Cuff bracelets for the women of the Senate. Gift of Senator Bice.

Homeschooling Parents CAN - And Should - Run For Public Education Offices

In an almost unprecedented move in American today, Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, nominated a businessman who homeschooled his children, for New Hampshire Education Commissioner. In an unbelievable, though partisan victory, Frank Edelblut was confirmed to the position by the New Hampshire Executive Council today.

We Have A New Education Secretary

For those of you who might have been living in a cave for the months since November, the Senate has confirmed controversial Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos. So concerned were we here at ROPE - along with THOUSANDS of grassroots mom and dad education activists who have been fighting Common Core across the nation - that we wrote a letter to the President in November. You can read it here to follow our concerns.

From The 'This Is Bad' File: Senator Lankford And Senator Inhofe Both Support Betsy DeVos

February 3rd, Oklahoman reporter Ben Felder tells Oklahomans that both Senator Lankford and Senator Inhofe will support Betsy DeVos. This is bad - very bad indeed.

It's no secret I've been critical of Trump's nominee for the Department of Education. Our highest-read blog this year was "Questions: Drain the swamp? Betsy DeVos? Where do parents come in?", where I covered the top five reasons grassroots education activists object to the confirmation of Betsy DeVos. 

A recent article in Truth in American Education by prominent Common Core activists Jane Robbins and Erin Tuttle, "Is President Trump Being Played By Betsy DeVos and Jeb Bush" delineates yet another list of reasons as to why her confirmation will NOT create the change necessary to overhaul the flailing American Public Education System and help American students regain educational prominence.