First, Oklahoma can't compete with Texas when it comes to pay, that will always be held over our heads. Dallas has more people and money then the whole state of Oklahoma, you think you can compete with them? Lol And you are right, teachers hands are tied, so who is trying to change that? No body, not the state, school boards, teachers or parents. Local schools fight to not change, OEA will fight to allow charter schools, or just let the parents pick where their kids go to schools, etc., Yes, I know some teachers, and they are no different then other workers, some are good and some aren't, but they can have good jobs. A lot of time off, and benefits. If they don't like it quit. Last, my kids mom homeschooled both of our children, she did a great job. When she schooled them she had a GED, later she got an associate degree, and then a bachelors degree. We cared about our kids, because she stayed home we lost 12 years of income she could have made, lets see, 12 years @ 40,000$ = 480,000$. How many vacations, cars, boats, dirt bikes, ski trips would that have bought? We are divorced now, but she did an awesome job with the kids and I will always be thankful to her for that. And we aren't tough enough on our kids, one reason foreign schools do better is because they push their kids, its all they have. We give our kids to much, my dad never bought me a car, payed my car insurance, he told me "I will give you food, clothes, and shelter, the rest you will get on your own". God, thank you for my dad, he made me tough, and for my mom, she loved me know matter what trouble I got into, an God you know I should be in prison or dead long ago. Sorry, got to rambling, don't mean any harm here, just trying to help.How many teachers do you know? When you rank last in the country its ok to give a modest pay raise to teachers or they all go elsewhere (like Texas) the raise was necessary just to keep enough teachers to open the doors.
Schools won’t ever do better because teachers hands are tied, and parents on average just suck that’s the plain and simple truth. Want a better education for your child send them to a private hopefully conservative school and they may have a shot.