Commentary
John Thompson
Being an educator has become like drinking water from a fire hose. Oklahoma City administrators and teachers barely have the time, money or know-how to tackle challenges that must be met, such as improving early childhood education, ensuring that students read for comprehension by third grade and evaluating teachers with rigorous new observations.

Letters to the Editor
John Thompson
President Obama did not explicitly renounce his risky, first-term, test-driven policies that have caused so much harm to poor children of color in Oklahoma City and other districts, but he did the next best thing. His new priority is a researched-based call for high-quality early education.

Commentary
John Thompson
There is a lot wrong with the Oklahoma City Public Schools, but the blame game is not a solution. OKCPS, largely made up of low-income students (88 percent), earned a D in the Oklahoma Department of Education A-F school grading system. But the state also earned a D for improving outcomes for low-performing students. To serve our children and help those who struggle, we must stop blaming individuals and address systemic problems that have stymied all urban school systems.