The two candidates for the office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction met for a debate Sunday afternoon in Norman.
Both Democrat John Cox and Republican Joy Hofmeister said they oppose the A-F grading system for public schools, and mentioned their dislike of the Common Core. Cox said he wants to see new education standards created by the state.
“I'm really a big learning styles person. I believe the teacher should cater to the learning styles of the child,” Cox said. “Common Core makes you put every child in a box where everybody has the same learning style. So it kind of takes away that creativity."
But Hofmeister said she wanted to adapt new state standards from proven systems.
“Let's not start with a blank sheet of paper,” Hofmeister said. Common Core - through House Bill 3399 - is not going to be a part of Oklahoma education. It's time to move on and write these in such a way that we have confidence that we produce what we're hoping to see for our students.”
The forum was moderated by former state Representative and Senator Angela Monson, who served as the Chair of the Senate Education Committee. She’s currently the Director of Health Policy and Analysis at the University of Oklahoma’s Health Sciences Center.
The panelists included public school parent Rashell Daughty, OU Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies professor William Frick, Del City special education instructor Seth Meier, and Norman Public Schools board member and OU near east history professor Daniel Snell.
Frick asked the candidates how they would reimagine and ultimately remake the office of State Superintendent of they win the Nov. 4 election. Cox and Hofmeister are vying to replace Janet Barresi, the unpopular current superintendent Hofmeister defeated in the June 26 primary election.
Hofmeister said she sees the state’s top education post as a position of advocacy. Since it’s an elected office, the superintendent should be accountable to the state.
“We are sitting right now at a point where many have an idea that public school is so broken that they want to replace it with a privatized system,” Hofmeister said. “And I would say we need to work a little harder to actually show what evidence there is, [and] act on that evidence – not perception, not anecdote – and it takes an advocate to do that.”
Cox said he considers the teachers accountable to themselves, and communities should be responsible for their schools.
“I don’t see this as a regulatory position. I don’t see this as someone who keeps schools accountable,” Cox said. “I see this as someone that serves schools and helps them with their accountability.”
Sunday’s conversation between Hofmeister and Cox was organized by the Norman Chapter of the Oklahoma Educational Studies Association, along with the Oklahoma Alliance for Geographic Education, the Oklahoma Council on Social Studies, the Oklahoma Council on Economic Education, and the Norman League of Women Voters.
Daughty said the current administration has created a trust deficit with educational leadership, and that parents have felt left out of the process and believe their children are victims of the system. She asked each candidate why voters should trust their leadership.
Hofmeister said part of the solution comes from parent engagement.
“When we saw legislation this year that actually cut out the voice of a parents – in terms of decisions that would involve their children with promotion to another grade level – I had a real problem with that,” Hofmeister said.
Cox said trust is a key issue, and also mentioned the importance of parental involvement.
“An engaged parent is the key to having successful students. We know that,” Cox said. “And that’s why we work hard in our communities to bring parents in, and have them actively engaged. That’s why in rural communities, city communities, it’s so important that you have these activities to bring parents into your school.”
Cox and Hofmeister plan to take part in two more forums in the next two days. The first takes place Monday evening at 5 p.m. at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, and Tuesday night from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Westmoore High School. A televised debate also takes place Oct. 28, and will be broadcast on the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority.
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