Tri-Chamber Education Task Force Maintains Focus on Raising Educational Standards

Last year, OklahomaÂ¹s largest and most influential chambers appointed a task<br>force to address one of the stateÂ¹s most persistent problems - substandard<br>education and all that it implies in terms

Wednesday, April 5th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Last year, OklahomaÂ¹s largest and most influential chambers appointed a task
force to address one of the stateÂ¹s most persistent problems - substandard
education and all that it implies in terms of economic development and quality of life.

Since its inception, the so-called Tri-Chamber Education Task Force has influenced legislation on developing higher performance standards and has even made progress in establishing charter schools. In February, Tulsa's appointees to the task force: Hans Helmerich, Stan Lybarger, Guy Berry, Roger
Whaley, John Gaberino, Paula Marshall-Chapman, Keith Bailey and George Singer were outspoken in their support for the $3000 teacher pay increase that Governor Keating signed into law.

Given its success to date and clear influence in the educational arena, the Tri-Chamber Task Force has established priorities for 2000.

Those priorities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Reduce the majority required to pass school bond issues from 60% to a simple majority (requires a statewide vote);

Give school bonds an exemption from
state taxes;

Allow local districts to increase their building fund levy from 5 to 10 mills (requires a statewide vote);

Allow local districts to add a 5-mill levy for technology (requires a statewide vote); and Fix HB 1759Â¹s graduation requirements to eliminate the dual diploma, move to a single diploma with a "with honors" option, clarify
specific course requirements, and allow vo-tech courses that meet the rigor of the PASS standards to count for graduation credit.

Adopting a longer time horizon, and probably enlisting the support of the Oklahoma Business Education Coalition, the Tri-Chamber Task ForceÂ¹s attention will be focused on the following issues:

Support initiative petitions to implement funding changes if legislation allowing a statewide vote is not forthcoming;

Support annual increases in teacher minimum salary until the regional average is reached, with the caveat that some portion of the increases should be subject to a pay for performance system based on achievement
of goals;

Support implementation of a fully comprehensive accountability system that
builds on the foundation already in place;

Set state, district and school goals for
student achievement;

Benchmark Oklahoma student achievement against other states;

Develop a comprehensive assistance program at the state level for schools
and districts that fail to improve student achievement;

Establish sanctions for schools and districts that fail to improve; and

Invest in high quality professional development for both teachers and
principals.

Oklahoma's business community is more committed than ever to reforming the
educational system. As Stanley Litow, President of IBM International
Foundation, reminded us at the Tulsa Education Summit last fall, "ThereÂ¹s no
greater economic development tool than improving education." To learn how
you can get involved in educational reform, contact the Chamber at 560-0276.