I have primarily lived my life in the South and my formative years were in Texas, so football and rankings have always been a part of my vernacular. Therefore, I was intrigued by Chad Warmington's op-ed that explored the rankings of SEC states and the reading levels of students as assessed by the National Assessment of Education Progress test (NAEP). He wondered why Oklahoma ranks dead last in the SEC for reading scores and was confused why there was no public outcry. I have worked in the public education advocacy arena since 2019, and my biggest conversation on doors and at community meetings, centers on public education, and people are frustrated. Families, educators and administrators, those in our schools are crying out, but legislators and the community have to listen to their first-person concerns and ideas.
More: If Oklahoma reading scores were Big 12, SEC rankings, the outrage would be deafening | Opinion
Over the last 10 years -- first as a public school parent, then advocate and now as a legislator -- I have made it a priority to consider every perspective the data offers. First, Oklahoma ranks dead last in expenditures per student in the SEC. Our record funding investment is still playing catch up compared to the states around us. A multi-state study found that boosting per-pupil spending by 10% throughout all 12 school years (1) raised high school graduation rates, (2) led to a nearly 10% increase in adult wages and (3) led to a significant drop in adult poverty.
Oklahoma, according to Fullmind Learning, has the second-highest percentage of public school teachers not fully certified for their teaching assignment in the SEC. Three years ago, the Legislature relaxed the laws around adjunct teachers, which means teachers with no bachelor's degree are on the rise in schools across the state. Earlier this month, a rural superintendent noted that he unfortunately can identify classrooms typically taught by emergency-certified teachers because they have the lowest state test scores in his district. While the Oklahoma Legislature has worked to increase the pathway for certified teachers, we must acknowledge that people who are coming to the profession from alternative pathways need more support, training and mentoring.
More: What's next for the public schools of Oklahoma? It's up to us | Editorial
Finally, Oklahoma is tied for first in the SEC for number of children who experienced two or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES). ACEs refer to serious childhood stressors -- such as family instability, violence, discrimination or the loss of a parent. This means that challenges that students face outside of the classroom are impacting their education. Schools are not equipped with enough specialized staff members or programs to address the mental health and economic challenges that students face.
I don't use these points as an excuse for low performance on the NAEP test, but as context for the factors that play into the scores. We can't solve our reading outcomes without addressing funding, workforce and family instability as separate issues. Educators, parents, community partners and businesses should be at the table to push for bold action to move Oklahoma to compete for the best public schools in the SEC. I hope to be a part of that conversation!
Rep. Ellen Pogemiller is a Democratic representative in the Oklahoma Legislature from Oklahoma City.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma's poor reading scores reflect deeper issues | Opinion