While reading the newspaper today I came upon an article detailing how the state of Oklahoma is now requiring teacher applicants from both New York and California who are looking to get a job teaching in Oklahoma to pass a loyalty test. The test is produced by PragerU, an Oklahoma based conservative non-profit which is becoming well known for posting ultra-conservative and religiously based teaching materials on-line.
Here is the link to the article:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/oklahoma-to-require-id...
Apparently, the test is only being required for applicants who are arriving from a blue state, and it is being imposed as a requirement for those applicants to achieve certification to teach in Oklahoma. It should be noted that in order to teach in New York State that you must have a Masters Degree in order to obtain state certification. Oklahoma only requires that a person have a bachelor’s degree. In other words, a person who is teaching in New York and decides to move to Oklahoma to take a teaching job is already over qualified. However, a teacher from Oklahoma who moves to New York will probably not meet the state’s required educational qualifications for teacher certification.
Also, Oklahoma is already suffering from a shortage of teachers - so why not make it even harder to hire qualified people? It should also be noted that Oklahoma ranks near the bottom, 50 out of 51 (against all 50 states and Washington D.C.), for education - outpacing only New Mexico. Oklahoma consistently ranks in the bottom ten states for multiple rankings, including:
Median ACT Score (49)
Reading Test Scores (48)
Dropout Rate (46)
Median SAT Score (45)
Math Test Scores (44)
Pupil-Teacher Ratio (39)
But fear not! They will rank #1 in MAGA loyalty!
It is truly scary just what passes for intelligence in some parts of this country.
Comments
Simply
Another step towards a fascist playbook to indoctrinate students with a preferred ideology.
Not surprised anymore
I suggested I will move to Canada one day and given all this it is looking better and better.
I pass fine so it is not my transness that is necessarily driving me but for my own emotional and mental health.
Also, I refuse to travel to any red state anymore, even if it is Montana where Yellowstone is. It is most unfortunate some of the most amazing natural wonders are there.
Recently I watched a YouTube video about Canadian snowbirds who overwinter in Florida are deciding they no longer am willing to do so given the shit the US has turned into (especially Florida!) and are now avoiding the state, causing a big economic hit.
Good for them ! I share that boycott and refuse to visit there anymore also.
I am all so grateful that purely by accident I wound up transitioning in a Blue State and be able to make a good living. I would be pulling my hair out otherwise even so I am close to doing so now.
It's The Push Back
Accepted by the rednecks, cowboys, at all the stores, the clinics, VA, and far as I can tell, everyone I meet. No one has to accept me, I don't demand to be anyone special because of who and what I am. I love Oklahoma, have no desire to live anywhere else despite gov stitt and his band of trans haters. I love the U.S. despite Trump and his band of trans haters. What I can't do is change the ignorance and hate from the outside looking in.
As I told my psychiatrist when we were talking about the girls we try and help. I have an inside track, I'm one of "them". I try and share political and medical knowledge with many of the LGBT groups I know and the new ones which I run across from time to time. I won't join any nor donate to the cause for the simple reason, we, myself, as a class of people aren't anything special. We don't need laws making us different from all other humans. This is the main problem with humanity now. Everyone wants to be a special class of people more than all others in the human race rather than being a part of the human race.
Wouldn't it be nice if we were one class of people called human? Sadly there are those like Trump, Stitt, Musk, and so many others who are filled with hate. They are in a position where they can pass laws against those they believe shouldn't exist, which includes me and all those like me. Research history, include the bible, all the ancient scrolls, nothing has changed. Humanity has a big hate factor against everyone who is not like themself.
Praying I could change the basic attitude of most humans is the best I can do in this lifetime. Most have a dead lock on their belief and will never change. I will go on being me and they will go on being themselves refusing to change and accept instead of hate.
Hugs D. Eden,
Barbie Jean Lee
Don't waste one's life tilting at windmills.
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference"
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Special Laws
So, you cheerfully blogged like last year or two that you were able to get your commercial DL (or some kind of DL) have the correct gender on it because you were able to change your passport due to a Biden administration policy to allow such gender changes.
Why is that different then ? Given what you've said, you should not have taken advantage of such a rule.
Everyone wants to be a special class of people
Yes indeed;
George Orwell - Animal Farm
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin ein femininer Mann