Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told Newsmax Thursday that his administration wants to "put parents in charge" of their children's education by giving them school choice options.
"We've got a plan to increase funding for public education around 12%, with teacher pay raises," Stitt said during an appearance on Newsmax's "American Agenda." "We just believe more schools, more options, [and] putting parents in charge is the right way to do that. We're focused on it on both sides of the aisle and also from the House and the Senate. We're all on board with getting something across the finish line this year."
"First off, just because you're in a certain ZIP code or you have some resources, we believe that school choice is not just for the rich," he continued. "It's for every single parent across the state, so we're trying to get that across the finish line. We think that's very, very important."
Stitt said that allowing for more choices and options when it comes to education will enable every child in Oklahoma to be prepared for what comes next in their lives.
"We want every kid to either be college ready, career ready or even going to the military after they graduate from high school," he said. "We just want to put parents in charge, it's pretty simple to us. Let's let the money follow the student.
"Let's do this tax credit that will actually innovate and more schools will pop up. We've got great charter schools in Oklahoma. We've got great Christian schools and Catholic schools and great public schools. We just are trying to innovate and think outside the box."
"My wife and I have been married for 25 years," he said. "We have six kids. We know that not every kid learns the same way. God puts unique desires and abilities in all of our kids. And what may be a great school for your kid, my son might not be thriving or my daughter might not be thriving there."
The Sooner State governor also touted the recently unveiled aviation school in Norman, Oklahoma.
"We just set up an aviation school down in Norman," Stitt said. "So now if you are a junior in high school and your desire is to be a pilot or an aviation mechanic, you can start going to a special high school. By the time you graduate, you are workforce ready."
"It's pretty simple," he said. "Let's align our education system with the jobs of tomorrow, and let's get those kids ready for a career."
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