Issues

Straight Talk with Janet Barresi

• • We must be honest about the problems we have—the high drop-out rate and remedial education needed in college prove that our current system is not working. It is time for fundamental reform and common sense solutions to prepare our kids for the demands of the 21st century.




• • My focus will be on teaching and learning with an emphasis on the basics: reading, writing, and math, particularly at the elementary level.




• • We must teach kids how to think, not what to think.




• • I will be upfront with parents, teachers, students and the business community about what our testing results mean. We must end the “shell game” of annually changing “passing” scores and standards to hide deficiencies.




• • I support local control and will reduce government mandates that do little more than create the need for bureaucracy and wasteful spending on administration.




• • I oppose the forced consolidation of schools districts. Forced consolidation has never led to improved academic results.




• • I support the expansion of parental involvement and choice in their children’s education, and I will protect the right of those who choose to home school.




• • I want to empower teachers by giving them the resources they need to be successful. Our test scores will rise as a byproduct of effective teaching.




• • I encourage alternative certification for those with expertise in advanced mathematics and science so we can better prepare students for the next generation of high-paying jobs.




• • I will promote legal reform to enable school districts to get rid of poor performing teachers. Currently, the potential legal fees make it economically unfeasible to fire bad teachers.




• • I want to build on our successful CareerTech system to encourage more Oklahomans to get specialized training and facilitate learning for students who learn though a more hands-on method.