Ray Carter

Center for Independent Journalism

Ray Carter is the director of OCPA’s Center for Independent Journalism.

State movie subsidies are a net drain on Oklahoma’s revenues

May 6, 2021 Ray Carter

Oklahoma lawmakers are considering a dramatic increase in state film subsidies, potentially funneling as much as $50 million a year to filmmakers, and have even proclaimed the subsidy program a “magical” economic-development tool. But a recent independent review of the program, by the state’s Incentive Evaluation Commission, shows the film-subsidy program is a net drain…

State School Board group: Force girls to compete vs. boys

April 29, 2021 Ray Carter

The Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA) has called on lawmakers to require female athletes to compete against male athletes who identify as transgender, saying a proposed ban on transgender athletes in girls’ sports “jeopardizes local control” because it would overrule “the policy school districts have adopted” through the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association “regarding…

Nearly half of Tulsa students are flunking in at least one class

March 11, 2021 Ray Carter

For almost a year now, several major Oklahoma school districts have not provided full-time, in-person instruction to students. Parents and state officials alike have wondered how that is impacting academic progress. A midyear report recently released by Tulsa Public Schools provides the answer in that district. Nearly every other student in Tulsa schools was recently…

OSDE urged the use of Southern Poverty Law Center

February 18, 2021 Ray Carter

During the week of the 2020 presidential election, the official Facebook page of the Oklahoma State Department of Education encouraged teachers to use materials produced by an organization that critics say has actively worked to brand orthodox Christians and mainstream conservative organizations as “hate groups.” On Nov. 3, 2020, the Oklahoma State Department of Education…

‘Boomer Sooner’ called ‘racist’ in mandatory OU class

February 11, 2021 Ray Carter

Each year at sporting events and other school gatherings, supporters of the University of Oklahoma routinely chant “Boomer Sooner.” But this year, a mandatory diversity training program informs OU students that “Boomer Sooner” is steeped in racism and can represent a form of oppression. “Settlers called ‘boomers’ believed they had the right to settle these…

Getting a diploma doesn’t prove students really learned

January 28, 2021 Ray Carter

In a court filing, an Oklahoma school district has declared the issuance of either a passing grade or a high school diploma is not—“and never has been”—an indicator that a student mastered state-mandated core courses. Lone Grove Public Schools also stated that any court order tethering a high-school diploma to mastery of high-school core course…

Oklahoma schools may have 55,236 ‘ghost students’

January 21, 2021 Ray Carter

Newly released enrollment figures for Oklahoma schools show districts may receive at least $195 million combined for 55,236 “ghost” students who do not attend classes in the district but are nonetheless included in enrollment counts used to determine state funding for each district. Under Oklahoma law, state funding for schools is distributed based on several…

OSDE: Christian schools must ‘change’ to get funding’

October 15, 2020 Ray Carter

A member of the Oklahoma State Board of Education suggested recently that private schools should not be allowed to participate in a state program for children with special needs unless they substantially abandon their Christian identity. During a monthly meeting, Altus Christian Academy and Christian Heritage Academy both applied to participate in the Lindsey Nicole…

TPS ‘social justice’ training seeks to ‘dismantle oppression’

October 8, 2020 Ray Carter

A recent training program at Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) advised teachers to incorporate “social justice” into all courses, including subjects such as physical education and math. “When we teach, we either reinforce the oppressive status quo, or we work with students to dismantle it,” the training-program material stated. In August, staff at TPS underwent training…

State review of coronavirus criticizes lockdown strategy

September 24, 2020 Ray Carter

To better prepare for future pandemics, state lawmakers conducted a review this month of state and local government responses to COVID-19. Among the takeaways: Many challenges early in the pandemic were the result of the government itself. “We started with, really, nothing,” said Oklahoma Commissioner of Health Lance Frye. Frye told members of the House…