Education is not a priority
‘Education is not preparation for life; but education is life itself,” education reformer John Dewey once said. For years, Oklahoma public schools have been the victim of budget cuts, low funding, policing in schools, and just recently opening up schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. All reasons Oklahoma does not prioritize education.
As a student in an AP World History class, sitting in the same broken desk that has been creaking and off balance for years and opening up a crumbled, outdated textbook that is actually missing a few pages, you realize how unfair you as a student are being treated. Not to mention, class sizes get larger every year. Along with broken classrooms and overcrowding, emergency teacher certifications are the worst. My eighth-grade history teacher was hired despite having zero qualifications because my middle school didn't have any other options due to low teacher pay and teachers leaving the profession. This is a normal experience for students in Oklahoma.
In the hallway, I notice the man with the gun, taser, cuffs and a badge. I had seen him detain students. This was a norm for students, especially those of color. Could policing in our Oklahoma schools, specifically predominantly African American and Hispanic schools, be a sign of systematic racism? Although they are referred to as “school resource officers,” their legal power and actions show they have transformed schools into another site of focused policing, which begins the school-to-prison connections. This is the starting point in the criminal justice system for many students and it makes way for mass incarceration.
Schools are now making important decisions regarding the safety of students, which requires the state to actually prioritize education and its students. The state Board of Education recently passed the “Return To Learn Oklahoma” plan, but as a suggestion rather than a requirement. State Superintendent Joy
Hoffmeister called the vote “very disappointing and one that likely will stoke more concerns for teachers, parents and families …” The president of the Oklahoma Education Association stated, “Sadly, four state board members couldn't find the courage to protect our communities. … If our elected leaders do not take their obligations to protect them seriously, our kids are the ones who will suffer — along with our colleagues, our families and our fellow Oklahomans.”
Oklahoma has failed the education system and its students time and time again by not granting necessary funds, grooming students for prison life, recklessly endangering students' health, and not being considerate of students' lives when creating plans for their education during a pandemic. If Oklahoma does not prioritize education, then what does it prioritize?