State issue — Are we purposely being dumbed down?

When you walk up to the security line at the Oklahoma City airport there is a guy there checking to see if your ticket says PRECHECK or not. He looks at your ticket then tells you what line to stand in.

The question is why, in this “probusiness” state, does the airport need to add to their operating expenses the salary of a person to tell the public where to stand in line?

I travel a lot for work. In the last couple of weeks I’ve been through the Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, Fresno, and Des Moines airports.

Of those airports we’re the only airport with a guy standing there telling people which line to stand in. Signs work just fine in all those other airports.

So here’s my hypothesis. This uniquely OKC inability to perform a basic function — to read and understand a sign — can’t just happen on its own. It has to be the by-product of a strategy. A strategy that’s leaving Oklahoma less competitive in business.

Could Oklahoma’s “pro-business” rulers in order to maintain power be purposely dumbing down the electorate?

According to multiple papers ignorance can be a strategy for subjugation.

Subjugation is often used by those in power to maintain their dominance. By actively cultivating or exploiting ignorance, individuals or groups can perpetuate social hierarchies, prevent resistance, and maintain their privileged positions according to the British Educational Research Journal.

Could there be an Oklahoma version of Project 2025 in the secret vault at the State Capitol? jk. Not!

Could there be a chapter titled “Subjugation?”

Could there be a line that says, “keep them dumb?”

When Brad Henry, Oklahoma’s last Democratic Governor, left office in 2011 we ranked 17th in the nation in education.

Henry, ran on the campaign slogan “Oklahoma’s Education Governor.” Boy was he!

Oklahoma’s national ranking climbed throughout his 8 year tenure as Governor. It was not an accident. It was a deliberate plan. It was his mantra.

Since he left office we have experienced a rapid drop. This coincides with Republicans taking complete control of the state Capitol.

The Oklahoman newspaper reports our state struggles with low median ACT scores, low reading test scores, and lack of preparedness for higher education.

Fox23 TV station in Tulsa, which by the way is not exactly left wing media, reports Oklahoma Board of Education member Becky Carson announced last week, “we are 50th” in the nation in public education.

She refers to a recently released WalletHub analysis of 51 state public school systems which included Washington DC.

WalletHub is a personal finance website that performs this analysis annually because most of their clients can’t afford to place their children in exclusive, private or preparatory schools. They analyzed 32 key metrics. It was thorough. It was thoughtful. It covered areas such as performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials.

SPEAKING OF INSTRUCTOR CREDENTIALS — EMERGENCY TEACHING CERTIFICATES ARE A PROBLEM

Fox23 also reported Carson raised the alarm on one particularly troubling and easily correctable statistic — the growing number of emergency teaching certificates being granted to “teachers” in public schools.

The Oklahoman reports the number of teachers with emergency teaching certificates in 2013 was 189.

There were 4,676 emergency certificates issued for teachers in the 23-24 school year. That’s a 2474% increase. Emergency teachers are estimated to be 11% of the current teacher workforce.

It’s an obvious reason for a drop in student performance. That can’t be an accident. It has to be on purpose.

THE STATES WITH THE BEST AND WORST SCHOOL SYSTEMS 2025

State School Superintendent Ryan Walters was dismissive when asked about the recent WalletHub rankings. Again according to Fox23 Walters says, “When you look at education rankings, a lot of these are ridiculous.”

But are they ridiculous? Read the recent WalletHub analysis for yourself at wallethub.com.

STATE LEADERS ATTACK THE MESSENGER

Fox23 quotes one Republican state legislator, “If you look at one of (WalletHubs) big parameters, they look at the ACT scores state wide.”

“We’re one of the handful of states that require every graduate to take that.”

I’m calling BS on that reason for a low ranking. Twenty-Seven states require all students take the ACT.

In listening to Walter’s and his fellow Republican state leaders you would think the Wallet Hub analysis is part of a giant left wing conspiracy.

I call BS on that too because “blue” state New Mexico is ranked below Oklahoma.

But the most troubling responses came from individual superintendents of Oklahoma’s largest school districts. Here’s an example.

In last week’s “Superintendents respond to Oklahoma education’s No. 50 rank” article in The Oklahoman most were defensive and dismissive.

One superintendent said, “I would tell you that ratings are ratings. There’s a lot behind ratings that I don’t necessarily know all of how we get to that.” Huh?

But the most laughable quote came from the Chair of the State Senate Education Committee, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, he said, “We’re not 50th. We’re not 50th. It’s that simple. WalletHub gets to determine our education rankings? I just don’t believe that.”

Like alcoholics state Republicans look like they are in denial of the facts.

So, Superintendent Walters, you school superintendents, and Sen. Pugh if you read the analysis you would know how WalletHub “get to that.”

Here’s how you do it. It will only take 5 minutes.

Let me dumb it down for you. Think of me as the guy standing at the head of the security line in the airport.

Turn on your computer. Turn off the Jackie Chan movies.

Type in the search bar: www.WalletHub. com. Then click on “States With the Best and Worst School Systems 2025.” Then click on “Methodology.” Then read it. If you can read.

You will find how WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Each of the 32 metrics were graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest quality of public K–12 education.

Do you want more detailed answers to your questions?

If you continue to read the Methodology you will find median ACT scores accounted for 7.27 points out of 100 points.

If you do a thing called math you will determine that median ACT scores accounted for 7.27% of a state’s total score.

That is hardly overweighted. It applies to all school systems. It’s obviously not the sole reason we’re ranked 50th.

So, how can all of these figureheads up the ladder from local school superintendents, to legislative leaders, to State Superintendent Walters have the same talking point if it’s not a strategy?

If they’re not “reading” out of the same playbook?

We need to change the playbook. We need to go back to the days of Brad Henry.

If the state’s 24 year journey to the bottom for education is not enough? If the embarrassing national publicity isn’t enough?

If the anti-business state education system is not enough? What will it be?

What will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back? When will Oklahoma change leadership?

LOCAL COLUMNIST

Joe Carter