For more than 40 years, I have walked the halls of Oklahoma schools – as teacher, counselor, coach, and superintendent. I have seen full hearts, bright minds, and unfulfilled promise. One constant has become clear: children cannot learn if they do not feel safe.
Safety is not just “one more priority.” It is the foundation of every child’s education. Without it, reading scores don’t matter, test results don’t matter, college prep doesn’t matter. What matters is whether a parent can confidently drop off their child at school knowing they will come home safe – safe from threats of violence, unsafe physical conditions, bullying, or exposure to inappropriate materials.
Take Oklahoma’s NAEP reading results from 2024: only 23 percent of fourth graders and 20 percent of eighth graders performed at or above the proficient level in reading. Math scores were only marginally better: about 31 percent of fourth graders and 17 percent of eighth graders achieved proficiency. These numbers are not just rankings – they reflect the loss of confidence, lost learning time, and lost futures. (KGOU)
We cannot separate safety from academic progress. Schools with safer climates consistently outperform schools where students feel unsafe or marginalized. But too often, our policy conversations focus on test data while overlooking safety data.
For example, the state’s safety reporting (in the school report cards for 2023-24) shows widespread incidents of bullying, harassment, and referrals to law enforcement in many districts. Families deserve to know how their school ranks in both academic performance and safety. (schoolreportcards.ok.gov)
Several years ago, I helped secure $92,000 for safety enhancements in a rural district – upgraded lighting, better locks, threat assessment training. I have seen lives changed, classrooms more calm, parents more at peace. But dollars alone are not enough.
Safety for Oklahoma’s nearly 700,000 public school students means:
- Physical security: well-maintained infrastructure, doors that lock, entry control systems, cameras, secure perimeters.
- Behavioral safety: strong harassment and bullying policies, consistent enforcement, well-trained staff.
- Moral and academic safety: curriculum content that respects community values, transparency about what students are reading and being taught.
- Parent involvement and oversight: making sure parents can access books lists, know what programs are being introduced, and have input on policies.
Funding is shifting, but progress is uneven. According to recent state data, roughly 150 of Oklahoma’s more than 500 school districts spend less than half their budgets on classroom instruction. That means many dollars are tied up in support or administrative costs rather than being deployed where they affect safety, supervision, or direct student supports. (Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs)
In many districts, safety grant programs have expanded. Oklahoma recently increased appropriations for its School Safety Security Grant Program and created the School Security Revolving Fund. Schools that have used those funds wisely have reported reductions in violent incidents and faster responses in emergencies. These grants can buy equipment, train staff, and improve coordination – but only when coupled with strong oversight. (volt.ai)
As State Superintendent, my first priority will be to protect all Oklahoma’s children – metro and rural alike and Making Education Great Again. That means:
- Ensuring every school district has access to safety grants and that those funds are tied to concrete outcomes – drills, threat assessments, facility upgrades, and policies that respect parents’ rights.
- Requiring transparency: parents will have access to safety metrics (incidents, responses), and to books, curriculum, and policy proposals before they go into effect.
- Making safety a component of accountability: districts will be evaluated not only by test scores but by safety and school climate outcomes.
- Supporting rural districts who often face higher costs per student for safety infrastructure and staffing.
We want strong schools. To get them, we need safe schools. When children know they are secure, when parents know they are informed, and when communities trust their schools, learning follows.
I believe Oklahoma can move from worry to confidence, from fear to safety, from underperforming to thriving. Because without safe schools, strong schools are not possible.