NewsOK member benefits

Oklahoma voters cool to calls for more spending on education

The Oklahoman Editorial | Published: November 13, 2012 Comment on this article

NewsOK Related Articles

Michael Gerson: The downfall of David Petraeus
11/13/2012 WASHINGTON — The Petraeus affair is an exceptionally difficult test case in determining the proper relationship between personal ethics and public trust....
Long voting lines a hassle, but a little perspective would help
11/13/2012 Many Oklahomans who voted in the Nov. 6 election found themselves in lines that kept them standing for 45 minutes or an hour or, in some cases, even close...

That doesn't mean Oklahomans are anti-education. At the local level, citizens routinely approve bond issues. Voters also approved the lottery and casino gambling to augment school funding.

If education advocates want a larger share of state appropriations, they must acknowledge it often requires offsetting cuts in other government programs, particularly social services. So far, school funding proponents haven't made that case, preferring to instead demonize tax reductions. That's been a losing strategy.

More importantly, in their quest for greater school spending, proponents have often failed to answer fundamental questions: Exactly how will extra money be used, and how will that improve student performance?

Until advocates give a compelling response, their political successes will continue to be limited.

Page 2 of 2