Since 2018, Oklahoma’s per-pupil public school revenue has increased by 51 percent. But academic outcomes have declined steadily since 2018 despite the massive funding increase. That defies expectations. When C. Kirabo Jackson, a professor of education and professor of economics at Northwestern University, and Claire L. Mackevicius, an assistant professor of education policy and equity…
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector (SAI) Cindy Byrd today released the Federal Single Audit of expenditures made during FY 2023. This annual audit is a federally-mandated examination of whether the State of Oklahoma spent federal grant money in compliance with federal regulations. The audit report covers more than $14.9 Billion of…
Oklahoma Climatological Survey August 2025 pulled a fast one on Oklahoma. Instead of the typical late-summer swelter, the month ended with a taste of fall as two powerful cold fronts shoved aside the heat. The final week brought gray skies, steady rain and highs stuck in the 60s and 70s — more like October than…
This month, the 15-member board of the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA), which oversees K-12 school competitions, voted to bar four teenagers from playing basketball for Glencoe after the boys used the open-transfer process to enroll in Glencoe schools. The boys’ families have sued the OSSAA, alleging the association acted arbitrarily and in defiance…
A new study on behalf of Trace One has identified which U.S. states are seeing the largest decline in alcohol use. Alcohol consumption in the United States has shifted noticeably in recent years, with a growing share of adults choosing to drink less—or not at all. Public health experts point to a combination of factors…
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 9, for the Special Bond Proposition Election for ISD-11 Owasso Public Schools. If you forget your voter ID or your name is not found in the Precinct Registry, you may still cast a provisional ballot by signing an affidavit. A provisional ballot is…
TULSA, OK – On Thursday, August 28th, the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office will partner with “Families Supporting Families” for their 8th annual “Illicit Drug Awareness Rally” taking place outside Tulsa City Hall located at 175 E. 2nd St S, Tulsa. The rally will begin at 9:00am where a representative from the District Attorney’s office will speak…
In recent years, Oklahoma education officials have sought to significantly increase the number of counselors employed by state schools. That push has coincided with a growing left-wing bent among the school-counselor profession, based on the policy positions taken by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Former Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister, who was the…
Governor Kevin Stitt announced an emergency filing with the Oklahoma Supreme Court to compel the City of Tulsa to enforce state and municipal laws within its jurisdiction. Recently, Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols entered into a proposed settlement agreement with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. In the settlement agreement, he agreed to bar Tulsa Police from enforcing…
OKLAHOMA CITY – An appeal brief filed Thursday by Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, asks the Oklahoma Supreme Court to invalidate some $700 million in ratepayer-backed bonds issued to cover costs incurred by Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) during February 2021’s Winter Storm Uri. Payments for those bonds have been collected on the monthly bills…
[Analysis of history and science influence on political and religious attitudes.] It’s a small world. We were out on a fine, beautiful Saturday afternoon, headed over to our lab to work on the ham radio repeater. An event was underway at the Mountain Venue. We noticed one of the security guards managing traffic into…
Each year, as summer winds down and the first Monday in September approaches, we pause to honor the contributions of workers across the country. Labor Day is far more than a long weekend, it is a powerful reminder of the value of work, the dignity of those who labor, and the importance of fair and…
Oklahoma is taking in a lot of tax money. In fact, during the last year, the state has gotten so much extra money, it has as much as a billion dollars in the Rainy Day Fund (and other accounts). That’s a billion with a “B.” Gov. Kevin Stitt, to his credit, wants to sit tight…
[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.] Calvin, the inquisitive 6-year-old asks his imaginary philosopher tiger, “It says here that ‘Religion is the opiate of the masses.’ What do you suppose that means?” The TV replies, ‘It means Karl Marx hadn’t seen anything yet.’ Although Marx was making a derogatory…
The term “visionary leadership” is frequently used today. In a fast-moving world, leaders are expected to anticipate the future, set bold directions, and shape organizations that thrive in a rapidly changing marketplace. Richard Stearns, former CEO of World Vision, once said, “A leader must define the current reality, articulate a desired future, identify a way…
The gap between intentions and outcomes can be vast in politics, as the push to raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage demonstrates. Proponents say they want to help struggling citizens at the bottom of the state’s economic ladder. But in practice, their wage-policy preference yanks that ladder out of the hands of those low-income workers, leaving them…
“There is no reason a child cannot read before they are in third grade,” former State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said in 2019. “But our teachers have to teach based on the science of reading, and that is not happening across this state. It is happening in pockets.” While I disagreed with Hofmeister on many issues,…
In a press release issued earlier this year, House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson of Oklahoma City declared that Oklahoma ranks “last in the region for teacher pay.” That claim may align with a longstanding stereotype, but not with reality. By any measure, Oklahoma teacher pay is not the last in the region nor anywhere near…
Opponents of Oklahoma’s school choice program claim it primarily benefits “the rich” because, in effect, the joint income of a working mom and dad with children is greater than the income of a young, single person with no children. Yes, the arguments against school choice really are that stupid. The Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit…
Transfer quarterback, John Mateer, made a big first impression, in leading the 18th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners to a 35-3 win over Illinois State on Saturday night at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. Mateer passed for a record-setting 392 yards and three touchdowns in his first game at Oklahoma. Mateer set the record for…
Things didn’t go as planned for redshirt freshman quarterback Hauss Hejny, Thursday night in Oklahoma States, 27-7, season opening win over UT-Martin at Boone Pickens Stadium. Hejny suffered a broken bone in his foot near the end of the first quarter and will miss several games. Before leaving the game, Hejny completed 5-of-10 passes for…
With a new coaching staff, a new era kicked off at the University of Tulsa, kicked off on Saturday as the Golden Hurricane defeated Abilene Christian, 35-7, securing a win in Tre Lamb’s first game as head coach. A crowd of 17,337 were on hand to witness the victory at H.A. Chapman Stadium. “It feels…
This past week, I finally had the opportunity to meet and chat with Tulsa Drillers manager Eric Wedge, and like most people who have been in baseball a long time, he had some great stories to tell. Wedge spent parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball as a catcher with the Boston Red Sox…
BRANSON, Missouri – It would be difficult for a stage play to have more impact than the production of Jesus here at Sight & Sound Theatre. The public ministry of Jesus Christ, His miracles, His relationships, His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection are dramatically portrayed as only Sight & Sound can. Even though…
Vacation plans are on hold and Tulsans’ best options for entertainment due to the coronavirus outbreak are in their own living rooms. Movie theaters closed All the movie theaters in Tulsa – even the Admiral Twin Drive-in – are closed due to the pandemic. Entertainment venues, which tend to draw big crowds, are deemed “non-essential”…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nineties country-music hitmaker Joe Diffie died March 29th due to complications related to COVID-19. In all, Diffie charted 18 Top 10 singles, with the majority reaching the top five, including 1993 radio essentials Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die) and iconic song, John Deere Green. Diffie’s popular hits also…
