Earlier today, I was asked a very simple question, that does not have a simple answer:

“Why are the public schools failing in our state?”

My relatively brief reply (many people seem to tune out when I explain anything in-depth lol) is in this 5-part 🧵: 🧵 1: I asked him this question:

Corporate Ed Reform WHO WHAT WHERE WHY & HOW to combat…a thread:

With Walters & company attacking Tulsa Public Schools & their “failing” test scores, you’ve heard or seen my rage against the corporate education reform machine. But what is it & who’s pushing it? 👀 🧵 1/7 Corporate Ed Reform WHO?

Reagan & “Nation At Risk” (‘83), Bush & No Child Left Behind (2002), Obama & Race to The Top (2013), well-funded national foundations & think tanks like Bill & Melinda Gates, Walton Fam, Koch Bros, ALEC, locals like OCPA, & many elected officials
🧵2/7

And now…a short thread 🧵 about why we need to look past standardized test scores as a way to determine if a school district is failing or not, if kids can or cannot read, etc, etc. & it’s because of 3 words: Corporate education reform (feel free to Google that on up) 🧵 1/4 Why standardized tests are a poor way to measure student achievement and teacher accountability, and why corporate reformers love them 🧵 2/4

On Ryan Walters, grants, toxicity, & lies. A 🧵

This news broke last PM when I was in a 🌪️ Warning out here in Norman, so I’m just now digging in. 👀 Wow. Though I don’t know Terri Grissom, I’ve heard from others at SDE who share her experiences. 1/4

tulsaworld.com/news/local/edu… SDE has become a toxic work place where nothing gets done, everything is slowed down; the only constant is new folks working to curry favor with Walters and his puppeteer, Matt Langston. 2/4

Ok HD 46…Norman. This is a developing tornado and after a massive turn east…it looks like it’s heading directly to West Norman. It is off and on, not super strong…but if it drops…we could be affected. We’re taking our precautions now, and I would suggest y’all do so as well. View from west Norman now.

Gun violence, a 🧵:

After yet another horrible mass shooting, this time just down I-35 in Allen, Texas, I’ve been thinking long and hard about what we see unfolding here in America regarding gun violence. 1/7

cbsnews.com/amp/news/allen… If this many folks died from literally any other means, elected leaders would throw away party politics and usher in policies to protect the people. But for whatever reasons, that’s not happening here in America. 2/7

Lots of folk wondering what the House just did w/ HB 1934, a stand-alone voucher bill. I’ll attempt to explain as clearly as I can 🧵 1/4 The House did vote to accept Senate amendments on HB 1934, a voucher bill in tax credit clothing, & there was bipartisan opposition. After passage, the Speaker then made a procedure which holds it in limbo, basically the House is holding it. Why? 2/4

My quick take on Walter’s SDE Budget plan so far: His plan is a mix of some of what Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, & Texas are doing and then sprinkling things in we’ve already invested in, like LETRS training. This is a Frankenplan! 🧵 His plan is asking for a ton of $ with very little deets. It’s like: “Just trust me and my SDE.”