Is it over yet?

This week started with the hope that Oklahoma’s Legislature would reject the SDE’s rules for A-F Report Cards for schools. That didn’t happen. They passed a flat budget that combines with inflation and increasing enrollment to guarantee decreases in per pupil funding to school districts. All the while schools have new unfunded mandates in curriculum, professional development, evaluation, and testing. They acted in apathy towards concerns about the real hardships created by the implementation of graduation tests. And now, they may spend more tax money on a special session to cut taxes – to the top income bracket only.

That’s what happens when you spend 90 percent of the session legislating social issues in a way that the courts will overturn – and only work at the last minute to try to do the business of the people. What a waste!