November 19, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 10

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Tuesday, November 19, 2019 Opinion Page The waiting game for choice “ElkCituNews -By Jonathan Small has legalized the lottery and before HB 1017's tax in- es, dramatically, for the bet- Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 As I’ve noted in recent casinos, and increased taxes creases passed, was 19.9. In ter. weeks, Oklahoma school ap- again, all to boost school 2019, Oklahoma’s average To increase spending on We need to improve propriations have surged by 20 percent over the last two funding. And, contrary to the political spin from some composite ACT score was 18.9. a government system does not change outcomes. But rural STEM education legislative sessions, but out- activists, the amount spent comes continue to decline, Just how long are Okla- harness spending increases homans supposed to “wait” to parental choice, and then on education in Oklahoma By U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas as has become apparent with has increased significantly for those promised improve- you have a formula for im- the release of the National over that time. ments in academic results? provement and upward mo- 3rd District, Oklahoma The global economy is changing. To remain competitive Assessment of Educational In 1990, Oklahoma’s Surely a quarter-century is bility. No government sys- in this evolving market, the United States needs a work- Progress, the ACT exam and per-pupil expenditure was long enough to conclude that tem is going to care for a force skilled in science, technology, engineering and math state testing results. When I $7,934. By the 2018 state spending increases alone are child more than that child’s (STEM). point this out, I’m often told budget year that figure not getting the job done. family or guardian, and sim- to “give it time,” that one reached $9,094, an increase But what is the alterna- We're already seeing incredible demand for these skills. ply spending more money to STEM careers are growing faster than any other sector. cannot expect school perfor- of nearly 15 percent. (Both tive to waiting and hoping get the same (or worse) re- The growth in STEM careers is so strong, in fact, that em- mance to change in just one figures are adjusted for infla- as yet another generation of sults is not progress. ployers are struggling to fill open jobs. or two years. tion.) Oklahoma children gets left It’s time for this decades- In Oklahoma, for instance, our universities have doubled Fair enough. But the prob- The problem is that we're behind? One proven solution long waiting game to end, the size of their engineering programs but still can’t keep lemis this pattern extends for often getting the same or is to increase school choice. decades. Oklahomans have worse results, just at a higher Low-income urban stu- State lawmakers should put up with demand. After the most recent class entered the job Oklahoma on a path to true market, there were still more than 2,000 open engineering steadily increased school cost. dents often enter charter jobs in the state. Over the next decade, the STEM shortage funding through the years, Oklahoma’s NAEP score schools two grades behind, academic improvement by is anticipated to reach | million professionals, according to but the outcomes produced on fourth grade reading in but finish performing at not only boosting educa- the Bureau of Labor Statistics. by the school system are 1992 was 220 (prior-year grade level or better and go tion funding, but also giving Meeting this demand starts in the classroom. Students often unchanged from prior outcomes were not immedi- on to obtain college degrees. parents the ability to choose who bring STEM degrees and skills to the workforce have decades—or even worse. ately available on the NAEP The parents of children with their child’s school. higher wages than their counterparts and starting salaries In 1990, a host of tax in- site). In 2019, the score was special needs who now at- Jonathan Small serves as more than 30 percent higher than those for non-STEM jobs. creases were passed for edu- 216. tend private schools thanks president of the Oklahoma We're making progress in improving STEM education, cation as part of House Bill Oklahoma's average com- to state-funded scholarships Council of Public Affairs but there is more to be done. American students are still un- 1017. Since then, Oklahoma posite ACT score in 1989, will tell you of lives chang- (www.oepathink.org). derperforming compared with other countries. One reason for that is the fact that many students — especially those in rural areas — don’t have access to high-quality STEM It’s job of Congress to fix DACA, immigration learning opportunities. This is not an isolated problem. Nearly half of all public The Oklahoman, Okla- dent is on sound footing in nationwide effort, rallied in offered a detailed path to schools are considered rural and 20 percent of American homa City challenging DACA’s legal- support of the program. citizenship for DACA recip- schoolchildren attend rural schools. In Oklahoma that per- -The U.S. Supreme Court ity, given that Obama insti- Remarks by 17-year-old ients received just six votes centage is even higher — one-third of our students attend heard arguments Tuesday tuted the program unilater- Dylan Ruiz, a student at U.S. from House Republicans -- rural schools. involving the Trump admin- ally, after saying he didn’t Grant High School, went to none from Oklahoma’s. Students in rural schools face a number of barriers to ac- istration’s attempt to end the have the authority to issue the heart of the problem. Columnist George Will cessing STEM education, including a shortage of science Deferred Action for Child-work permits. The Supreme Ruiz has lived in the United described DACA recently and math teachers, a high rate of teacher turnover and a hood Arrivals program, or Court will have the final say. States since age 1 and was as “an obviously humane lack of access to STEM resources. For instance, many rural DACA. Blame goes to Con- If the court finds for just days away from apply- and demonstrably popular students don’t have internet access at home. Of the 21 mil- gress for the issue reaching Trump, it will fall again to ing for DACA when Trump policy” that had been im- lion Americans who lack access to broadband, the majority this point. Congress to provide a fix. announced he was ending plemented “by a seriously live in rural areas. DACA was created in Allalong the way, both sides the program. He’s been in flawed process,” and thus These barriers set rural students back, ultimately making 2012 by the former President have said they want a solu- limbo since. wound up at the Supreme them less competitive in the job market. Barack Obama, who grew tion but bitter political fights “T would just ask my- Court. The good news is that Congress can take action to im- tired of Congress’ unwill- have gotten in the way. self the big uncomfortable “If Congress had even a prove rural STEM education. I’ve introduced a bill to do ingness to produce sensible Democrats have mostly in- questions: Are you a crimi- faint pulse and an ounce of just that. immigration reform. DACA sisted on legislation focused nal? What have you done?” The bipartisan Rural STEM Education Act includes a protects from deportation on protecting Dreamers. Re- Ruiz said. “Well, I’ve gone pride it would take care to number of provisions to improve STEM education in rural roughly 700,000 immigrants publicans want that, too, and to school, done everything enact laws that set immi- areas by giving teachers more resources, engaging students -- about 6,900 in Oklahoma have even supported a path correctly academic-wide, gration policy rather than though hands-on education, and increasing access to broad- -- who were brought to this to citizenship for DACA re- school-wise. Everything, but churning out faux laws that band. country illegally as children. cipients, but they also have yet I’m criminal. I'm like, give to presidents discretion Taken together, these measures and others in the bill will Called “Dreamers,” they demanded stricter immigra- ‘This doesn’t define me.” tantamount to lawmaking,” dramatically improve rural STEM education. may work, attend school and tion enforcement and more Why should a title define Will wrote. He added: “If The benefits of that go far beyond the classroom. We can qualify for a driver’s license border security than Demo- me?” the court allows the adminis- give our teachers more resources, make our students more if they stay out of trouble. crats find acceptable. Members of Oklahoma’s tration to withdraw DACA’s competitive, and keep America at the forefront of techno- In September 2017, the The sentiment of those im- congressional _ delegation humane protections —_ for logical development. Trump administration an- pacted by DACA was on dis- have said they want to see Dreamers, this might embar- It’s time to give rural communities the tools they need for nounced it was ending the play last week at four south DACA get resolved. Yet this rass Congress into involving success. Congress can do that by passing the Rural STEM DACA program. There are Oklahoma City high schools summer, a Democrat-spon- itself in the nation’s gover- Education Act. many who believe the presi- where students, as part of a sored immigration bill that nance.” If only. Banning animals in toxicity studies could become a costly mistake By Matthew R. Bailey other way to evaluate the search in cells or organs. diligently on all these prob- would be disastrous for hu- develop new treatments for The Environmental Pro- safety and efficacy of sub- It’s conceivable that a com- lems, but it isn’t possible to mans and animals alike. Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabe- tection Agency is looking to stances than to study their pound could cause an im- say with confidence that we Just look at the history of tes, and countless other de- end certain kinds of animal impact in animals. Nowhere munological condition like will have solutions any time medical progress. It took research. is that truer than in biomedi- lupus -- but not demonstrate soon.” decades of research in mon- bilitating diseases. EPA Administrator An- cal research -- science that as much in basic cell tests or Counter-intuitively, ban- keys, rats, and mice to devel- All this progress could drew Wheeler just directed yields treatments that save organs-on-a-chip. ning toxicity research in op a polio vaccine. Research come to a halt if other agen- the agency to reduce requests and enhance the lives of hu- Similarly, animal models animals opens the door for in chimpanzees was instru- cies follow the EPA’s move and funding for studies with mans and animals alike. are the only way to deter- more toxic chemicals to mental in developing a vac- mammals in toxicity studies Scientists are trying to mine whether chemicals will make their way into humans. cine for hepatitis B. Animal -- and look to restrict animal by 30 percent by 2025. The develop computer models cause problems during dif- Such research is the last step research is the reason we're research. While the effort goal is to eliminate chemical powerful enough to simulate ferent developmental stages in determining whether a able to perform organ trans- may be well-intentioned, safety tests in mammals by research in animals. But the like pregnancy, childhood, product is safe for humans. plants, heart bypass surgery, 2035. technology just isn’t there and adolescence. Eliminating that step could chemotherapy, and blood it may also end up being a In theory, that’s a noble yet. And while cell cultures “At present, we don’t have lead to toxic chemicals be- transfusions. costly mistake by putting the goal. Everyone in the re- can indicate the impact of a test systems that mimic all ing cleared for human use Animals have benefited long-term health, safety, and search community should be substance or chemical at a phases of human develop- -- simply because scientists from this research, too. The well-being of the public and on board with reducing the very basic level, they can’t ment,” said Leigh Ann Burns would be unable to con- vaccines we administer to usage of animals in toxic- replicate the myriad ways Naas, past president of the clusively demonstrate they our pets for distemper, ra- their pets at risk. ity tests where scientifically compounds affect complex USS. Society of Toxicology. were unsafe. bies, tetanus, and feline leu- Matthew R. Bailey is pres- feasible. living beings. “Predicting effects on high- The EPA’s decision also kemia were all developed in ident of the Foundation for But we also must be real- For example, er-order functions like cog- risks opening the door to scientists animal models. Biomedical Research. This istic about the limits of alter- cannot extrapolate the im- nition, learning and memory banning animal research in More breakthroughs are natives to animal research. pact of a chemical on our will also be a challenge . . . other contexts -- most nota- on the way. Scientists are piece originally ran in Real- In some cases, there’s no immune system from re- Toxicologists are working bly medical research. That currently using animals to ClearScience. Have something to share? Send your letter to [email protected]