Q1. How have you been involved w/ education.
Drew: Drew: I taught public school. Our kids went to public school. As AG I created the Ok. Educational Technology Trust to put technology in schools.
This year, I said if the teachers walked, I'd walk with them. When the walkout happened, I walked every day and it charged my batteries. To see that much energy - the willingness to work that hard - to improve education in Oklahoma. It gives me hope. #oklaed
Q2. Do you believe our current revenue structure is adequate to meet the needs of education and state government.
The short answer is no. We've got a long way to go and a lot of work to do. Job 1 is to make sure we keep the $400 million that passed. We have a fight on our hands to maintain that.
I would raise GPT back to 7%. It was an incentive on experimental methods that have been proven to work. They're making billions of dollars and they don't need to be subsidized.
I would do away with the capitol gains exemption for millionaires. That money was meant to spur investment and it hasn't worked.
I would complete the task of putting $1.50 tax on cigarettes, because that's best for public health and has been proven to reduce youth smoking.
And finally, we need to accept Oklahoma's share of federal Medicaid monies. On it's face, that seems to not impact education, but it would free up other money from health care that's desperately needed. It's out money, and it's going to other states.
Q3. Do you support the revenue package passed by the legislature to fund education this year, and what are your thoughts on the effort to repeal that funding?
Let me be unequivocal on the questions that were asked. I support the revenue that passed. I will oppose the effort to repeal it. 2000+ emergency certifications are an indictment of what has happened to education over the years.
We have 1/5th of our districts that have gone to 4-day school weeks. I asked a rural superintendent how much $ that saves. He said they don't do it for the savings. They do it to give teachers an opportunity to work elsewhere 1 day a week. What an indictment. We have to fix it.
Q4. Do you believe Oklahoma school districts spend too much money on administration, and if so, what is your solution?
Fallin's executive order on consolidation isn't worth the paper it's written on.
State law already sets the funding limits, and schools are consistently below the limits set by the legislature. I totally agree with Gary Jones on this. The 65 percent solution offered by Todd Lamb isn't a plan, it's a slogan. #oklaed
Q5. Do you support vouchers or the expansion of tax credit scholarships?
DREW: Public money for public schools. Period.
Q6. In closing what can we do to help Oklahoma students compete?
Our goal has to be excellence. We need excellent teachers, excellent instruction, excellent technology and equipment. And to do that, we need funding.
First, it's the right thing to do, for our kids and grandkids.
2nd - Excellence in education is the only way to grow our economy. Companies won't come here, unless we can offer good schools for the children of their employees. They won't come if they can't find a ready workforce. Education is the rising tide that will lift all boats. #oklaed
This concludes our live tweeting from the @CCOSA gubernatorial forum. We want to thank Connie Johnson, Gary Jones and Mick Cornett for being here. Our thanks also to CCOSA for hosting.
