Published: October 30, 2009 06:41 pm      

Time for a new education reform task force

EDMOND — Twenty years ago Oklahoma leaders created Task Force 2000 to study and propose reforms to Oklahoma’s educational system. Out of that process came HB 1017, one of the most significant education reforms in Oklahoma history. Now it is time to do it again.

The combined forces of globalization and technological advancement have dramatically changed the world economy, and significantly changed the skills our students need to learn. Furthermore, two decades ago our students and workers were competing against exotic places like Texas and Arkansas. Now, they are competing against students and workers in China and India.

While this new economy certainly presents us with new challenges, it also presents us with new opportunities, as new technology can dramatically change the way we teach our students.

While I remember the days of researching papers in the library, today’s students (and tomorrow’s too) can easily search for information with their netbooks or cell phones. Near-universal access to high-speed Internet means that all students, urban and rural, can have access to the best teachers.

The world has changed so much, the challenges and opportunities are so significant, that it is time for another education reform task force … let’s call it Task Force 2020. The members of this task force should be appointed by the governor and legislative leaders to study the following:

• How can we best incorporate technology into the classroom to help our students best take advantage of the available technology? There are some innovative programs in the state that give students e-readers (so they can download books) or netbooks so they can actively use them in class. Should we expand those programs statewide?

• What should we be teaching our students? With countries like China and India dramatically increasing the math and science courses they teach their students, we must do the same. However, we cannot stop there. If we truly want our students to compete in a 21st-century economy, they not only need to learn the “Three R’s,” but also the “Three C’s” — creativity, communication and compassion. After all, solving problems requires these soft skills as much as the traditional hard skills.

• With the ease of distance-learning technology, do we still need as many school districts as we have today? As a product myself of a rural school, I understand the importance of rural schools to rural communities. We must not forget, however, that rural schools also receive funding from state taxpayers. Consequently, the state has an obligation to ensure that all Oklahoma children receive the best education possible. If we can consolidate some rural schools to save money without sacrificing educational quality, then we must do so.

• Are there ways to do more to give parents more choices in choosing the school that best fits their children’s needs? We know that whenever parents have more school choice there are higher levels of parental satisfaction. In the last 20 years Oklahoma has experimented with limited school choice and seen the emergence of several charter schools in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties. Should we do more to promote charter schools throughout our state? Should Oklahoma join in with 10 other states in providing education scholarships for parents who send their children to accredited private schools?

In 2010 we will be electing a new governor and a new state superintendent of public instruction. With the convergence of the elections with the dramatic changes in the world, now is the perfect time for us to begin thinking about how to dramatically reform our educational system to prepare our children for a 21st-century world. This time, the status quo will not be good enough.



MICKEY HEPNER is an associate professor of economics at the University of Central Oklahoma. Hepner serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for The Oklahoma Academy.