OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)— Gov. Brad Henry on Tues-day signed the state’s secondRace to the Top application,which described Oklahoma’seducation reforms and therequested $175 million infunding as “a watershed forthe Sooner State.”

Thirty-five states and theDistrict of Columbia appliedfor the second round of fed-eral stimulus funds, pledg-ing a number of educationreforms in an attempt topersuade a panel of five re-viewers that their reformsare the “boldest” and de-serving of a share of $3.4billion in federal stimulusfunds.

U.S. Secretary of Educa-tion Arne Duncan said heexpects 10 to 15 states willreceive funding.

Tennessee and Delawarewere awarded a combined$600 million in the firstround, and 11 states decidednot to reapply for the grant.

Oklahoma’s applicationbegins by calling Senate Bill2033 — approved in the fi-nal days of the legislativesession — “the boldest, mostcomprehensive legislation inthe nation” this year.

The new law created amandatory annual teacherand principal evaluationsystem that uses studenttest scores and qualitativeassessments to dismiss “in-effective” teachers after twoyears and reward highly ef-fective teachers with bonus-es.

Finalists will be an-nounced in August withwinners being notified inSeptember.

Kathy Taylor, the gover-

nor’s chief education advis-er, said the redrafted appli-cation and the new statelaws will make Oklahoma aserious contender in thisround.

Taylor said Oklahoma’sapplication received broadsupport across the state. Re-publicans and Democratsrallied in support of SB2033, the state’s largestteachers unions are on

board with the application,and 82 percent of the state’sstudents are in school dis-tricts that agreed to partici-pate.

Still, not everyone wasthrilled with Oklahoma’s de-cision to participate.

Rep. Sally Kern, R-Okla-homa City, led opposition tothe teacher evaluation billthat was defeated in theHouse on May 26 only to be

approved the next day with-out any revision.

“It does fly in the face ofconservative principles,which are limited govern-ment and local control,”Kern said.

“We are turning more con-trol over to the federal gov-ernment because Race tothe Top standards have to befollowed to the word.”

Kern said she was partic-

ularly opposed to the adop-tion of a set of national edu-cation standards known asCommon Core that shemaintains would lower Ok-lahoma’s academic stan-dards.

Her opposition to the ap-plication and the state’snew law echo oppositionfrom governors of a numberof states, including Texasand Virginia, that declined

to apply for the federalfunding.

Rep. Ann Coody, a formerteacher, said regardless ofwhether the state is award-ed funding, the reforms wereessential for the future of ed-ucation in Oklahoma.

“These were our goalslong before we thoughtabout Race to the Top,” saidCoody, R-Lawton. “These aregoals for children.”

Muskogee Phoenix Thursday, June 3, 2010State

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DigestThe Associated Press

Auction to raise rewardmoney in girls’ deaths

HENRYETTA — A Henryet-ta bar plans to hold an auc-tion to raise money to in-crease the reward fund for in-formation that leads to aconviction in the mysteriouskilling of two Weleetka-areagirls two years ago.

The auction at Marvin’sPlace will be held Sunday af-ternoon. It’s the third time thebar has held an auction toraise money to boost the re-ward funds in the case.

Authorities say 13-year-oldTaylor Paschal-Placker and11-year-old Skyla Whitakerwere shot to death on June 8,2008, on a county road in ru-ral Okfuskee County. No ar-rests have been made andauthorities never have identi-fied a suspect, even as theyhave pleaded for informationabout the deaths of the girls.

Oklahoma State Bureau ofInvestigation spokeswomanJessica Brown says the cur-rent reward in the case is$160,000.

Oklahoma prison inmate found dead

McALESTER — Officials sayan inmate at the OklahomaState Penitentiary in McAlesterhas been found dead.

Warden’s Assistant TerryCrenshaw says the identity ofthe 26-year-old inmate is be-ing withheld pending notifica-tion of next of kin. Officialssay his death may be the re-sult of a suicide.

Crenshaw says the inmatewas serving a life sentence outof Oklahoma County for mur-der. He was found unrespon-sive at 11:05 a.m. Tuesday.

State lawmakers OKexecution drugs bill

OKLAHOMA CITY — TheOklahoma Legislature hassent a measure that wouldstrike the language specifyingwhat kind of drugs must beused to carry out executionsto Gov. Brad Henry.

By state law, the Depart-ment of Corrections must use“an ultra-short acting barbitu-rate in combination with achemical paralytic agent” toput inmates to death.

Attorney Generalspokesman Charlie Pricesays the new language inHouse Bill 2266 would givethe agency more flexibility toalter the execution protocol ifmedical procedures changeor a court determines a prob-lem exists.

Oklahoma tries again for Race to the Top funding

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