Oklahoma educators, lawmakers gather for "State of the Schools" ahead of academic year

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — On Wednesday, lawmakers and education leaders came together to discuss the future of student outcomes. However, some of our highest officials in the school system didn't directly address the state's low ranking in education as a whole.

"You all hear the rhetoric of being 50th in the nation in regards to education. Please know that that score is not just indicative of one test score. It's about multiple things," Superintendent of Moore Public Schools, Dr. Robert Romines, said.

Dr. Romines didn't get into the specifics of those things, but he says Oklahoma is moving forward.

"I want you to know if you're standing in the middle of America and you do a 360, we are not 50th in the nation. We've got wonderful things in programs and initiatives going on," Dr. Romines added.

Nellie Tayloe Sanders, the State Secretary of Education, talked about her journey with learning disabilities and how it impacted her time in the classroom.

"I think it's really time to actually be honest about the fact that we really make children feel and make grownups feel like they are incredibly stupid if they're not great readers or they're not great at math," Sanders said.

Sanders suggested individualizing the way students learn instead of taking a "one size fits all" approach.

"When I found out, because of an assessment that I had very high visual spatial abilities that were exceptional for me, I had access to my learning...If we can identify strengths in our children as the primary focus point, the future is completely open to them," she added.

Sanders, with the support of other lawmakers, is launching a "Human Potential for Future Industries Task Force in hopes of figuring out what teachers need to ensure they're preparing students for the future.