'Unleash Our State's Full Potential': Gov. Stitt Talks Education During Inaugural Address

Gov. Kevin Stitt said it's "time to rethink education in Oklahoma " during his second inaugural address Monday.

In front of the Capitol, Stitt was sworn in for his second term as governor. He said in his speech that he wants to make the Sooner State top ten "in everything we do," including education.

"To the students, and to your parents, I want you to hear directly from me: I do not accept that Oklahoma’s education system is ranked near the bottom," said Stitt. "I will fight every day for you because I know that Texans are not smarter than Oklahomans. Neither are the people in Florida, Tennessee, Arizona, or Michigan."

Stitt's address came after the National Assessment of Educational Progress said in a recent report that Oklahoma ranks near the bottom on math and reading scores nationwide. 

Oklahoma has an average math score of 264 (out of 500) for eight-graders, which is nine points below the national average. When it comes to fourth-grade math, the Sooner State has an average score of 229, which is six points below the national average.

Oklahoma also lags behind most other states in eighth-grade reading, with an average student score of 251. The score is eight points below the national average. Fourth-grade reading in Oklahoma does not fare any better, with an average score of 208, compared with the national average of 216.

Stitt said during his inaugural address that improving education means having more schools that "give students more access to learning methods that fit their unique needs."

"We have examples of this emerging all across our state, like the Aviation Academy in Norman, which is preparing today’s youth to become pilots and airline mechanics," Stitt told the audience.

In his speech, Stitt talked about education freedom as well. He mentioned a law that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, which allows students to transfer to any district in the state, no matter where they live.

"Because we believe every kid deserves the best education possible, regardless of his or her economic status or zip code," said Stitt. Just one year after we passed the open transfer law, thousands of students are taking advantage and can now choose to attend a school that better fits their needs, like Charles Page High School in Sand Springs which creates a tailored learning plan for every one of their students."

Stitt also brought up other education-related initiatives during his first term in office, such as a teacher pay raise that was part of the fiscal year 2020 state budget. The budget package included $58.9 million to raise the salary of teachers by an average of $1,220.

"We have a responsibility to do whatever it takes to give our children, not just the next generation but today's children right here in front of us, access to top ten education choices," said Stitt.

Shawn Hime, the executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, watched Stitts speech.

"Overall, I'm excited about working with the Legislature and the Executive Branch on improving education, ways to give more flexibility and freedom to our school districts for innovation," said Hime.

Hime also hopes to address the teacher shortage in the coming years with incentives like the state's existing scholarship program.

"Where if a student goes from high school to college and goes into education. And once they graduate, they work in Oklahoma schools, there's $25,500 between the scholarship and stipends after they go into the workforce," said Hime.

Click here to read Stitt's full inaugural address.