WHERE DID THE MONEY GO IF NOT TO
GET TEACHERS.
LYDIA, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>>> REACTING FOR PARENTS DEMAND
FOR MORE CONTROL OF PARENTS OF
THEIR KIDS SCHOOLS.
OKLAHOMA PASSED A EMPOWERMENT
ACT IN STATE SENATE, PROVIDES
MONEY IN EMPOWERMENT ACCOUNT FOR
THEIR KIDS EDUCATION.
FOR AN IDEA HOW IT WORKS
OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT
JOINS ME.
THANK YOU, GOVERNOR BEING HERE
TO TALK ABOUT IT.
I LOVE THIS QUOTE OF YOURS, GOD
GAVE KIDS TO PARENTS, NOT THE
GOVERNMENT.
HOW DOES THAT STATEMENT INFORM
THIS NEW POLICY?
>> WELL, THANKS, FIRST OFF,
THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.
DAVID: MY PLEASURE.
>> IT IS COMMON SENSE IN
OKLAHOMA.
PARENTS WANT MORE OPTIONS.
THEY WANT MORE CHOICE.
SO WE’RE TRYING TO GET, WE’RE
TRYING TO FUND STUDENTS NOT
SYSTEMS IN THE STATE OF
OKLAHOMA.
IT DID PASS OUT OF THE SENATE.
SO WE’RE EXCITED TO GET THIS
LEGISLATION.
WE THINK IT WILL BE
REVOLUTIONARY FOR PARENTS AND
MORE OPTIONS.
ULTIMATELY IMPROVE OUTCOMES IN
OUR EDUCATION COMMUNITY HERE IN
OKLAHOMA.
DAVID: ANOTHER THING YOU’VE SAID
IS TAX DOLLARS BELONG IN THE
CLASSROOMS, NOT IN THE POCKETS
OF BUREAUCRATS.
HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?
HOW DID THE MONEY SWITCH FROM
HELPING KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM TO
GOING INTO POCKETS OF
BUREAUCRATS?
>> WELL I’VE ASKED FOR THE
FIRST-EVER AUDIT OF THE STATE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, LIKE YOU
SAID, MONEY BELONGS IN THE
TEACHERS.
THE MAGIC HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE
THE BEST TEACHERS IN THE
CLASSROOM WITH THEIR STUDENTS.
I ALSO PROPOSED TO PAY TEACHERS
THE BEST TEACHERS, UP TO 100,000
A YEAR IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.
BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT THEM
HAVING TO LEAVE THE CLASSROOM TO
GO INTO ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE
MORE MONEY.
I WANT THE BEST TEACHERS IN OUR
CLASSROOM TEACHING OUR YOUNG
PEOPLE IN THAT NEXT GENERATION.
DAVID: GOVERNOR, YOU KNOW WELL
THE TEACHERS UNIONS HATE THE
IDEA OF MERIT PAY.
THEY WANT EVERYBODY TO BE PAID
THE SAME NO MATTER HOW GOOD OR
BAD THOSE TEACHERS HAPPEN TO BE.
HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THE
UNIONS?
>> YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AGAIN IT
MAKES COMMON SENSE TO US.
I COME FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD
AND YOU NEED TO HAVE MERIT-BASED
PAY.
YOU CAN’T PAY, THE PRINCIPALS
KNOW WHO THE BEST TEACHERS ARE.
WE WANT TO REWARD THEM.
SO WE’RE DOING THAT.
WE’RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
WE’RE DOING PAYCHECK PROTECTION
PLAN IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.
UNIONS SHOULD BE OPT IN, NOT OPT
OUT WE TRY TO MAKE SURE TO
PROTECT OUR TEACHERS.
THE UNIONS WANT TO GRAB AHOLD OF
THE PAYCHECK HOLD ON TO IT.
THEY DON’T LIKE PARENTS TO HAVE
OPTIONS.
THEY BELIEVE THEY SHOULD CONTROL
AND DICTATE BUT HERE’S THE DEAL,
SCHOOL CHOICE AND OPTIONS ARE
NOT JUST FOR THE RICH.
WE WANT THAT FOR EVERY SINGLE
KID IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA AND
IT SHOULDN’T JUST BE A FEW
PEOPLE HAVE THE LUXURY TO CHOOSE
THE SCHOOL THAT BEST FITS THEIR
NEEDS.
WE WANT EVERY OKLAHOMA KID TO
HAVE THAT OPTION.
DAVID: SCHOOL CHOICE IS SO
IMPORTANT.
IT’S REALLY THE ROOT CAUSE OF
ALL OF THIS, OR LACK THE SCHOOL
CHOICE BUT, QUICKLY, YOU JUST
HEARD MY LAST SEGMENT.
WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF TEACHERS IN
PLACES IN NEW JERSEY, OTHER
STATES AROUND THE COUNTRY
DESPITE THE FACT WE SPENT
$200 BILLION IN COVID RELIEF ON
K-12 EDUCATION.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MONEY?
>> THAT’S WHY I’M DOING AN AUDIT
OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION.
WE WANT TO FIND OUT WHERE THAT
MONEY WENT.
MOST OF OUR SCHOOLS ACROSS
OKLAHOMA ARE OPEN.
WE HAD A COUPLE SCHOOL DISTRICTS
IN THE LARGER COMMUNITIES THAT
WEREN’T.
BUT THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
THAT IS WHY WE’RE AUDITING IT.
IT IS TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
WE WANT TO FIND OUT WHERE IT
WENT, MAKE SURE WE HOLD THOSE
RESPONSIBLE THAT DIDN’T SPEND IT
CORRECTLY.
DAVID: REALLY SIMPLE BY THE WAY.
PARENT WANT THEIR KIDS TO BE
BETTER PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THE
REAL WORLD WHEN THEY GRADUATE,
TO GO ON TO HIGHER EDUCATION,
ET CETERA.
IF THAT IS WHAT THEY WANT.
TEST SCORES SHOW THAT IS NOT
HAPPENING.
WE’RE PAYING MORE, GETTING A LOT
LESS FOR IT.
ARE YOU WORKING VERY QUICKLY
WITH THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA
AND HIS PLANS TO TURN THAT
SCHOOL SYSTEM AROUND, QUICKLY?
>> YEAH.
GLOVER YOUNGKIN HAS DONE A
FANTASTIC JOB.
IN OKLAHOMA WE WANT EVERY KID TO
BE COLLEGE READY OR CAREER
READY.
THAT IS WHAT WE’RE FOCUSED ON IN
OKLAHOMA.
WE HAVE TO BREAK DOWN THE SILOS
BETWEEN CAREER TECHS, HIGHER ED,
COMMON ED, REALLY FOCUS ON THE
KIDS GETTING THEM READY.
THIS COMES WITH MORE OPTIONS FOR
PARENTS.
DAVID: IT IS A GREAT EXPERIMENT.
WE NEED GREAT EXPERIMENTS IN A
COUNTRY WHERE OUR EDUCATION IS
SLIPPING BADLY.