Education
School is back in session. I hope your student had a great first day. What should be an exciting time for students, parents, educators, and schools, instead is a reminder of the same misplaced priorities that keep students from reaching their full potential. According to the National Literacy Institute, approximately 40% of students across the nation cannot read at a basic level. In fact, almost 70% of low-income fourth-grade students cannot read at a basic level. Statistics show that, in 2024-2025, 54% of adults have a literacy level below a 6th-grade level, which affects the US in so many ways. Low levels of literacy cost the U.S. up to 2.2 trillion dollars per year. It should be clear to you by now that not only is our education system failing its students, but Congress is failing our schools.
Children are not able to do basic arithmetic. Why is this such a big deal? Well, education impacts the workforce, the economy, and the overall quality of life.
Most students who are left behind are often the ones who started off behind. Low-income communities do not have the resources they need in classrooms. Despite this, the current administration is focused on dismantling the Department of Education and cutting millions of dollars appropriated for education spending. As a product of public school, I know the difference good teachers and the resources behind them can make. Public education changed my life. I can no longer stand idly by while Congress allows this administration to gut and leave title programs, lunch programs, special needs programs, etc., in the dust. This is a disgrace to our country and economic growth.
State Concerns
Oklahoma is in an educational crisis. By some measures, we have just dropped to last place in the nation for public education. 50th out of 50. This should be alarming to you—it should also be a wake-up call. Being dead last in a system that is supposed to build the next generation of leaders is a warning. A warning that we cannot ignore.
This ranking reveals a truth in Oklahoma. A simple truth: we have failed to properly prioritize our education system. We lack accountability. Did you know the new social studies standards teach “discrepancies” in the 2020 election results and require the curriculum to include references to Christianity and the Bible? The Oklahoma legislature has the power to override these standards.
Our priorities are upside down. What truly needs to be prioritized is the issue of teacher shortages, teacher pay, underfunded schools, outdated facilities, and outdated curriculum. Overall, there needs to be more investment in things that keep students in classrooms.
Pattern of Failure
The Oklahoma Teachers’ walkout began in 2018 with teachers across the state walking out to protest low pay, overcrowded classrooms, and tax cuts. This movement was monumental because it increased education funding, which dramatically improved Oklahoma’s teacher salary ranking from 49th to 35th. Although not all conditions were fully met, it brought national attention to the struggling public education system.
Efforts since then? Well, they have fallen short. Five years after the teacher walkout, Oklahoma’s teacher shortage is worse. Educators from across the state are still fighting for legislators to raise teacher pay and now, for the removal of State Superintendent Ryan Walters. Our teachers are struggling with high levels of burnout due to being short-staffed, underappreciated, overworked, and inadequately paid. As a result, Emergency teacher certifications have more than doubled since the walkout.
We are seeing a pattern here. A pattern of repeated failure to invest adequately in education.
An Attack on Higher Education
As a whole, the United States is currently navigating a significant education crisis—both in public and higher education. The current administration has pressed for changes, launched investigations, and is even withholding critical funds from universities across the nation. The administration must be held accountable for its actions.
Take Columbia University, for example. Columbia has become a poster child for crackdowns, protests, and what a university can and should be. They are dealing with a $400 million cut and a list of demands to restore its funding. Why is this concerning? Well, it is widely recognized that private universities, like Columbia, have near and absolute control over how they teach, what they teach, and how they run their departments. So, the idea that the government is dictating what its teaching could look like is a major red flag. It sets a dangerous precedent. Columbia giving in to this administration is an act of survival. The university was put into a position where it felt like it had little power over the issue.
If one of the most prestigious institutions felt like it could not stand up to this administration, then what does that mean or look like for all the other colleges and universities that heavily depend on this kind of funding?
Why This Matters for Everyone
If we ensure our schools are strong and teachers have what they need, then everyone will be able to do what they do best: learn, teach, and grow. If we pour into our students, teachers, and schools, with better education and more support, then we will get real results. I support an educated population—or at least the choice and opportunity for all. An America that prioritizes putting education first—the future of this country first—because our children are our greatest asset and single most valuable investment.
Conclusion
I do not accept being last. Every child graduating from high school in the United States must be able to read, write, and do basic arithmetic. We must reinstate the Department of Education. We must fund our public schools. We must prioritize free meals for public school students. No more tough talk about what we should be doing; we need action. We need to look at how money is being spent and how this money can be better allocated to support our education system.
When we invest in education, we ensure that children can be competitive in a fast-moving, ever-changing society. We set our students up for success. Success that allows them to have the tools they need to understand the technology they will be using in their lives. So, I will leave you with a question: when was it ever a bad idea to invest in the future of this country?
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https://www.thenationalliteracyinstitute.com/2024-2025-literacy-statistics.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/12/us/oklahoma-teachers-strike.html
https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-pay-and-student-spending-how-does-your-state-rank
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/26/1171691225/teacher-walkout-oklahoma-republican-anniversary
