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The U.S. Department of Education, created in 1980, has presided over stagnant student performance, ballooning bureaucracy, and the imposition of divisive federal mandates despite trillions spent with little real improvement in outcomes. Ending it would dismantle unnecessary federal overreach, eliminate wasteful programs, and return full control of education to states, local communities, and parents where it constitutionally belongs. This historic step celebrates restored liberty, accountability, and the empowerment of families to shape their children's futures without Washington interference.

Conservative school board members prioritize parental rights, traditional values, and a focus on core academics over divisive ideologies. By appointing or electing those who reject radical curricula and emphasize patriotism, discipline, and excellence, we can restore balance and common sense to education governance. This ensures schools serve families and communities, not distant bureaucrats or activist agendas.

Local school boards know their communities best and should have the authority to make decisions without heavy federal interference. Empowering them means reducing top-down mandates, allowing flexibility in curriculum and policies, and putting control back in the hands of parents and taxpayers. This reform strengthens accountability, innovation, and responsiveness at the grassroots level. To accomplish this, we need to move school board elections to November for greater voter turnout. 

Attracting and retaining exceptional teachers starts with rigorous hiring standards, background checks, and a focus on proven teaching ability rather than ideological alignment. High-quality educators inspire students, deliver strong results in reading, math, and critical thinking, and model positive character. Prioritizing merit and passion ensures every classroom has the best possible leadership.

Competitive salaries and benefits are essential to attract top talent and reduce turnover in the teaching profession. Fair compensation recognizes the demanding role teachers play in shaping the next generation and helps compete with other careers. Well-paid educators are more motivated, supported, and committed to long-term excellence in the classroom.

Competitive salaries and benefits are essential to attract top talent and reduce turnover in the teaching profession. Fair compensation recognizes the demanding role teachers play in shaping the next generation and helps compete with other careers. Well-paid educators are more motivated, supported, and committed to long-term excellence in the classroom.

Administrative overhead in public schools has exploded, with non-teaching staff often outnumbering teachers and diverting funds from classrooms. Ending this bloat means slashing unnecessary central office positions, consultants, and redundant bureaucracy to redirect resources directly to teachers, students, and instructional materials. This reform boosts efficiency, accountability, and actual student outcomes without cutting essential classroom support.

The science of reading, centered on explicit phonics instruction, has proven to dramatically improve literacy rates, as seen in states like Mississippi that adopted it early. Prioritizing phonics over outdated "whole language" or cueing methods ensures every child learns to decode words systematically and build strong foundational reading skills. This evidence-based approach closes achievement gaps and equips students for lifelong learning and success.

Special education teachers face chronic shortages due to heavy workloads, inadequate pay, and insufficient training resources, impacting students with disabilities who rely on tailored instruction. Providing robust support includes competitive salaries, targeted professional development, reduced paperwork burdens, and incentives to attract and retain qualified educators. This ensures students receive the individualized services they need to thrive academically and personally.

Implement rigorous civics requirements, such as mandatory middle school courses, aligned assessments, and teacher training focused on foundational principles, the Constitution, and factual U.S. history—leading to improved student performance and better preparation for informed citizenship. Oklahoma can elevate civics education, foster pride in America's heritage, and equip students with the knowledge needed for responsible democratic participation.

Schools have increasingly shifted resources toward social services, counseling, and non-academic "wraparound" programs, diluting emphasis on core subjects like reading, math, and science. Refocusing on academics means streamlining or eliminating expansive non-instructional supports that belong in community or family domains, freeing teachers to prioritize rigorous learning. This change restores schools as places of education first, improving test scores and preparing students for higher education or careers.

Schools should not promote ideological agendas, including critical race theory, gender ideology, or other divisive concepts that undermine parental rights and national unity. Removing indoctrination involves banning discriminatory equity teachings, gender ideology in curricula, and any content that pressures students to adopt specific political or social views. This protects academic freedom, fosters critical thinking based on facts, and ensures education remains neutral and focused on knowledge.

Physical education and health programs have been de-emphasized in favor of other priorities, contributing to rising childhood obesity and poor student focus. Emphasizing health and fitness means restoring robust PE classes, daily activity, nutrition education, and initiatives like revived fitness assessments to build strong, disciplined bodies and minds. This promotes lifelong wellness, better academic performance through improved concentration, and a culture of personal responsibility.

School lunches frequently rely on processed, low-quality foods shipped from distant sources, harming student health and failing to support local agriculture. Feeding kids real, local food means prioritizing farm-to-school programs, fresh ingredients from nearby farmers, and nutritious meals that educate children about agriculture and healthy eating. This improves nutrition, reduces obesity risks, strengthens rural economies, and connects students to their community's food sources.

Traditional education often overlooks practical, job-ready skills, leaving many students unprepared for high-demand trades and careers. Integrating career and technical education (CTE) expands hands-on pathways in fields like manufacturing, healthcare, technology, and trades, combining academics with apprenticeships, credentials, and work-based learning. This empowers students with multiple success routes, boosts graduation rates, and addresses workforce shortages while keeping options open for college.

Oklahoma's Constitution (Article 13, §4) uniquely protects homeschooling by requiring compulsory attendance only at public or other schools "unless other means of education are provided," granting families broad liberty without registration, testing, or reporting mandates. This intentional simplicity shields parents from government interference and preserves true educational freedom. A "Tim Tebow"-style bill would force legal definitions of homeschooling for eligibility, inevitably leading to narrower rules and potential state regulation of curriculum and performance.

Parents possess a God-given right to direct their children's upbringing and education, shaping them into principled, world-changing leaders through family-led, home-based learning. We champion homeschool freedom by safeguarding parent-funded, discipleship-centered education and equipping families with resources and encouragement. The home remains the strongest foundation for nurturing hearts, minds, and character without external mandates.

While recognizing the value of extracurricular access for many homeschool families, Homeschool Oklahoma firmly opposes "Tim Tebow" legislation that would permit participation in public school sports programs. Though well-intentioned, such laws would require defining homeschool eligibility, inviting government oversight and fundamentally undermining Oklahoma's longstanding homeschool protections. We prioritize preserving the state's exceptional freedom over conditional access that risks eroding parental autonomy.

Oklahoma homeschoolers have long rejected government funding to maintain full independence and avoid inevitable oversight that accompanies taxpayer benefits. Accepting any state aid, such as access to public school athletics, requires defining homeschool eligibility and verifying academic progress, leading to state-mandated records, standards, and review—as seen in states like Florida (requiring portfolios), Virginia (test scores or progress evidence), and others. This path erodes true liberty, so homeschool families prioritize self-funding to protect their constitutional protections under Article 13, §4.

Oklahoma homeschooling families have consistently chosen independence over convenience, relying on the state's constitutional framework that allows education through "other means" without government strings attached. Like the Israelites who regretted trading freedom for "free" benefits in Egypt, families must resist exchanging liberty for short-term perks that invite regulation. Preserving this generational freedom requires rejecting well-intentioned but risky legislation that could undermine the minimal oversight homeschoolers currently enjoy.

SB-1322 prohibits anonymous reporting of suspected child abuse or neglect, directing such reports to local 9-1-1 instead, and requires reporters to provide identifying information—helping deter false claims often motivated by disagreement with homeschooling choices. Homeschool Oklahoma supports this bill as it promotes due process for the accused (who aren't informed of the reporter's identity under current rules) while still allowing genuine reports with verification. The organization strongly opposes abuse but believes identifiable reporting is a reasonable safeguard against baseless accusations that have targeted homeschool families.