Letter from the Editor
S pring in Oklahoma brings warmer temperatures … and often flaring temperaments in the Oklahoma Legislature. While I love the sense of renewal and anticipation of this time of year (More sunlight! Sign the kids up for summer camps! Fun festivals across the state!), I also hold tension between hope and dread as I digest our lawmakers’ decisions at the State Capitol, particularly as they relate to our public education system. As I often do when feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, I turned to a mom I admire greatly for her guidance on how I can use my voice and look for
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the good during this legislative session. I interviewed Sen. Julia Kirt, mom of two and longtime advocate for public schools and mental health initiatives, ahead of the session to get her advice on key issues parents should be aware of. Sen. Kirt’s key areas of concern related to education are: 1) book banning legislation, further restricting educators’ ability to provide a diverse, age-appropriate range of books to our students, 2) a renewed emphasis on standardized testing, overlooking broader indicators of student success and 3) plateaued funding for education, with a need to consider rising inflation and assess spending on a per- student basis. If you’re a parent who shares these concerns, what’s the best course of action?
Parents: your voice matters. Teachers can't be the only ones speaking up for schools anymore. Sen. Julia Kirt
Publisher Sarah Taylor Managing Editor Erin Page Assistant Editor Lindsay Cuomo Art Director Stacy Noakes Director of Events Casey Shupe
Editorial Assistant Emiley Bainbridge Account Executive Dana Price Strategy Manager Morgan Harris Content & Account Specialist Renee Filippo Contributing Writers Erika Cerda Rebecca Fast Debbie Murnan Christina Mushi-Brunt Contributing Photographer Bridget Pipkin Contact us Mailing address: 6608 N. Western Ave., #458 Oklahoma City, OK 73116 Phone: 405-601-2081 tips@metrofamilymagazine.com metrofamilymagazine.com
We’re all guilty of turning to social media to complain. But Kirt advises parents to utilize tried-and-true methods of effective advocacy, namely face-to-face interactions with our legislators to discuss issues, as well as regular phone calls and emails, plus joining a Parent Legislative Action Committee to stay in community with other parent advocates. Beyond sharing our distress or opposition, Kirt also encourages parents to update our legislators on all the good things happening in our schools, including praising the work of our incredible teachers. I hope you’ll join me in staying up to date on what’s happing at our Capitol this legislative session — and in frequently reminding our legislators why our teachers (and schools) deserve a raise.
With hope,
Erin Page Managing Editor
MetroFamily Magazine is published bimonthly. Copyright 2024 by MetroFamily HoldCo, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Articles and advertisements in MetroFamily do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine or MetroFamily HoldCo, LLC. We do not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. The acceptance of advertising by MetroFamily does not constitute an endorsement of the products, services, or information. We do not knowingly present any product or service which is fraudulent or misleading in nature.
Get more details on putting these tips from Sen. Kirt into action here.
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