MARKIE: THE YEAR IS WINDING DOWN
FOR OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AND IT'S BEEN A TOUGH ONE FOR
THE DISTRICT THAT SLASHED $30
MILLION FROM ITS BUDGET TO
COUNTER THE STATE'S BUDGET
DEFICIT.
SO WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR
OKCPS?
WE ARE JOINED NOW BY
SUPERINTENDENT AURORA LORA
AS ALWAYS, THANKS FOR JOINING
US, ESPECIALLY IN THIS BUSY
TIME.
THERE ARE A LOT OF POSITIVE
THINGS ON THE HORIZON THAT I
KNOW YOUR DISTRICT IS LOOKING
FORWARD TO.
YOU JUST FINISHED HER FIRST YEAR
AT THE HELM OF THE DISTRICT, AND
IT WAS A TOUGH YEAR FOR YOU.
YOU HAD A LOT ON YOUR PLATE.
>> IT WAS A TOUGH YEAR BUT A
GREAT YEAR.
I LOVE TO BE A PART OF OKLAHOMA
CITY, WE FIGURED OUT A RAILWAY
THROUGH $30 MILLION IN BUDGET
CUTS.
BRIGHT TIMES ARE AHEAD, MAYBE
NOT IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE, BUT
I PLAN TO BE HERE FOR A LONG
TIME.
MARKIE: CONGRATULATIONS ON THE
FIRST YEAR.
YOU CUT 30 MILLION, A VISIBLE
CUT IN MANPOWER, RESOURCES.
NOW THAT WE'RE IN THE LAST FEW
DAYS, THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IS
THE 30TH, WHAT IS THE STATE OF
THE CLASSROOM AT THE END OF THE
YEAR?
>> IT WAS A CHALLENGING YEAR
BECAUSE OF THE CUTS.
WE HAD TO RAISE CLASS SIZES, HAD
FEWER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.
THE BEST INFORMATION WE HAVE FOR
NEXT YEAR IS THAT WE WILL BE
RAISING CLASSES AGAIN, SO IT IS
A CHALLENGING TIME TO BE A
TEACHER IN OKLAHOMA.
MARKIE THE LEGISLATURE TRYING
TO STRIKE SOME SORT OF A DEAL
HERE, WHICH HAS NOT HAPPENED.
YOU ARE ANTICIPATING EVEN MORE
CUTS.
WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING?
THE PROPOSAL I ANNOUNCED THIS
SPRING WAS TO PLAN FOR 10
MILLION IN CUTS.
WE ARE HOPING IT DOES NOT COME
OUT THAT BAD BUT WE ARE
PREPARING TO RAISE CLASS SIZES
AGAIN, CUT CONTRACTS, SELLING
THE CENTRAL OFFICE BUILDING,
DIPPING INTO OUR FUND BALANCE.
WE ARE PREPARED TO MOV FORWARD
BECAUSE WE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE
AT THIS POINT.
MARKIE: WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO
WROTE IN, JULIE SAYS, IF WE ARE
FACING EVEN MORE CUTS, WHAT IS
ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK, OR
TEACHERS, RESOURCES FOR
STUDENTS, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
FOR OUR KIDS?
>> AT THIS POINT, STUDENTS IN
GRADES FOURTH, FIFTH, AND SIXTH
WILL GET LARGER CLASS SIZES.
STILL HAVING A PROBLEM WITH
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, GETTING
TEACHERS THE SUPPLIES THEY NEED.
WE ARE TRYING TO ABSORB AS MANY
CUTS AS WE CAN DOWNTOWN, BUT
WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH ALL OF
THESE CUTS, AND THEN ADDING MORE
ON TOP OF IT, THERE IS NO WAY TO
KEEP IT COMPLETELY AWAY FROM
STUDENTS.
MARKIE: IT IS ALMOST
UNIMAGINABLE TO WRAP YOUR HEAD
AROUND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A
SUPERINTENDENT RIGHT NOW, IN
STAFF CAPACITY, AS YOU ARE
TRYING TO COME UP WITH A BUDGET.
ARE YOU GETTING ANY SLEEP AT
NIGHT?
YOU ARE NOT A LAWMAKER, SO THIS
IS OUT OF YOUR HANDS,
TECHNICALLY.
>> THE CHALLENGING THING IS WE
ARE BEING ASKED TO DO MORE WORK
WITH FEWER AND FEWER RESOURCES.
WHEN THE CUTS COME DOWN, THE
WORKLOAD HAS NOT DECREASED.
PEOPLE EXPECT US TO RESPOND
QUICKLY, GET THEM EVERYTHING
THEY NEED, AND IT BECOMES REALLY
CHALLENGING WHEN YOU HAVE LAID
OUT SO MANY PEOPLE.
WE HAVE ANOTHER LONG YEAR AHEAD
OF US, IT LOOKS LIKE.
MARKIE: HOW HAVE YOU HANDLED
EVERYTHING IN YOUR FIRST YEAR?
YOU HAVE HAD TO CUT TEACHERS,
CONSOLIDATE CLASSROOMS, HOW DO
YOU THINK YOU HAVE HANDLED
EVERYTHING?
I GOT US THROUGH SOME REALLY
DIFFICULT TIMES, WE MADE IT
THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.
I THINK WE HAVE A SOLID PLAN FOR
NEXT YEAR BUT IT WILL BE
CHALLENGING.
IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS,
WE HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS
ACADEMICALLY TO PUT KIDS FIRST,
EVEN WITH FEWER RESOURCES.
SO I THINK IT HAS BEEN A GOOD
YEAR ALTHOUGH EXHAUSTING.
MARKIE: YOU MUST BE PAYING CLOSE
ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING AT
THE STATE LEVEL, HOW THIS WILL
TRICKLE DOWN AND AFFECT YOUR
DISTRICT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE SOLUTION
IS, DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC
OPINION AS TO WHERE THE MONEY
SHOULD COME FROM, WHO SHOULD BE
CUT?
WHAT IS YOUR SOLUTION?
THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE SOLID,
NEW REVENUE BEING PUT INTO THE
MIX, NOT JUST FOR EDUCATION BUT
FOR STATE AGENCIES AS WELL.
I HAVE WORKED IN A VARIETY OF
OTHER STATES WHERE THERE HAS
BEEN MORE FUNDING, MORE SUPPORT
FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
OUR STATE REALLY NEEDS TO TAKE A
LOOK AT WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES
ARE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE
LOOKING AT THIS FOR THE LONG
TERM, INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE.
MARKIE: YOU HAVE COME OUT AND
SAID IF MORE CUTS ARE TO COME,
THIS WOULD BE DEVASTATING TO
PUBLIC EDUCATION HERE IN
OKLAHOMA.
WHAT DO THE NEXT 10 YEARS LOOK
LIKE FOR OUR STATE, DOES IT GET
BETTER, CONTINUE TO GET WORSE?
REALISTICALLY, WHAT DOES
EDUCATION LOOK LIKE?
>> IT PARTLY DEPENDS ON WHAT
KIND OF LEADERSHIP WE SEE FROM
OUR STATE CAPITAL.
WE HOPE THERE IS A LONG-TERM
STABLE FUNDING SOLUTION.
IF THERE IS NOT, THAT MEANS WE
WILL CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH GOOD
TIMES, TIMES WHEN THE BUDGET
TANKS AGAIN.
LONG WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW
TO PLAN FOR THAT.
IF WE DON'T GET A STABLE
SOLUTION, WE WILL HAVE TO MOVE
TO SCHOOL CLOSURES AND
CONSOLIDATE BUILDINGS.
LONG-TERM, THERE IS NO WAY TO
KEEP THEM OPEN.
MARKIE: WE WILL BE BREAKING UP
THIS INTERVIEW INTO TWO PARTS,
LOOKING FOR A SILVER LINING.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR MESSAGE TO
PARENTS, FACULTY, STUDENTS
LISTENING RIGHT NOW, SOMETHING
TO HOLD ONTO DURING THIS TOUGH
TIME?
THE ONE THING THAT MAKES ME
SO HAPPY IS WE HAVE GOT REALLY
GREAT STAFF PEOPLE WHO ARE
INVESTED IN OUR KIDS FOR THE
LONG-TERM.
EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN
CHALLENGING, THEY WANT TO BE
HERE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR
KIDS.
THAT IS GOING TO BE WHAT GETS US
THROUGH THE HARD TIMES.
MARKIE: WE HAVE SOME OF THE
GREATEST TEACHERS AND
ADMINISTRATORS AROUND.
COMING UP NEXT, WE CONTINUE OUR
TALK WITH AURORA LORA AND ALSO
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