Oklahoma Republican Legislators Enacted President Obama's Education Agenda During 2010 Creating Many Of The Problems We're Seeing In Public Education TODAY

As a pre-Halloween trick, this article was released in the Tulsa World - Teacher shortage milestone: New record set for nonaccredited teachers given emergency certification in Oklahoma.

I urge you to read the article - it's short - but even if you only have time to scan it, read the section that says;

A decade ago, applications for emergency certifications used to be a rarity, with just 32 emergency teaching certificates approved in 2011-12.  But as Oklahoma plunged into a statewide teacher shortage, school districts became increasingly reliant on underqualified new hires who had not yet completed the state’s requirements for either traditional or alternative certification. The numbers have increased annually since 2012, save for a one-year dip last year to 2,801.

Okay. This clearly says that until the 2011/2012 school year, there were only about 35 emergency certifications provided by the OSDE. So what happened in 2010 in Oklahoma?

Well, if you don't know, I can certainly tell you because I wrote about it and studied it furtively and constantly for five years.

In 2010, House and Senate Republicans along with Governor Mary Fallin ushered into Oklahoma law, The FOUR PILLARS OF THE OBAMA EDUCATION AGENDA - Common Core, State Longitudinal Database, Teacher Accountability Measures and Turning Around Underperforming Schools - through an ENORMOUS omnibus bill - SB2033 - made possible by former Democrat Governor Brad Henry's acceptance of State Stabilization Funds (SSF).

Why in the world would Oklahoma Republicans sign on to law created by a Democratic President with Marxist tendencies?

Because it would result in an ability to receive federal funds to implement something called "Race To The Top", President Obama's education initiative. And later, because Congress refused to re-authorize the billion page law called the ESSA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) which President George Bush renamed the "No Child Left Behind Act" (NCLB), President Obama came up with a scheme to provide states with even more money - I mean "flexibility" - not to have to have students meet the NCLB requirement of 100% proficiency in math and reading by 2014. And guess what? Then State Superintendent Janet Barresi applied for and got those funds as well.

Unfortunately, those ALSO required the state to develop all four pillars of Obama's education reforms, which the State Superintendent carried out during her term.

In 2011, former colleague Lynn Habluetzel and I sat down for 2 days to come up with a map that would show as many of the players in the Obama money scheme that our Republican elected officials had bought into. Here's what we came up with.

It went viral. You can actually internet search this thing because people were so disgusted by it. Why? Because every group on this 'map' exerts some kind of control over YOUR DISTRICT SCHOOL in some way. That's what federal funds do. They tie states to FEDERAL programs whether they're good for the state or not.

Now, let's mosey on up to 2014 and add on to all you see above with the "Dear Colleague Letter" penned by Obama which basically told schools that they could be brought up on Civil Rights charges for disciplining black students.

The consequences of the aforementioned 4 pillars is HUGE, but the latter is the worst of all. Ask ANY teacher why they're quitting and DISCIPLINE ISSUES are in the top two.

Schools do what they're told by the federal government so they can get federal government money (this is why they DON'T respond to parents - parents don't have the money carrot there to make it worth it for them in their world view of 'kids deserve schools with more money' whatever that means).

Look at mask mandates if you simply can't believe me. Ask teachers the next reason they're leaving and they'll tell you PAPERWORK.

There's all this data to collect on each student, there's SEL which is used to conduct Climate Surveys and grading teachers all for the School Grade card that allows schools to get their ESSA money. (More info on school grade cards)

JUST STOP IT.

If you really want to know what's causing the teacher shortage, it's the results of the OBAMA-DIRECTED EDUCATIONAL GARBAGE INFLICTED UPON THIS STATE BY REPUBLICAN ELECTED OFFICIALS. Look no further. Schools got what they wanted - their Obama grants and ESSA money - so stop your griping already. You're just reaping what you've sown!

Here's the thing: I'm convinced that school officials are one of two things - ignorant of everything I've just outlined and documented (like the Board member at the teacher termination hearing last night who didn't know what her job was) - or they know exactly what goes on and know it's in their best interest to keep parents as far away from making them accountable for it as possible.

Parents, let's quit letting the latter category think we're simpletons who can only do Common Core math (2+2=5). TAKE BACK YOUR SCHOOL BOARDS. It's the only way to make the madness stop and for schools to once again be accountable to student learning and the will and wishes of parents.