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Opinion: Back-to-school is not rosy for all Oklahoma families

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Opinion: Back-to-school is not rosy for all Oklahoma families


With the calendar turned to August, many Oklahoma parents are focused on back-to-school shopping, buying school supplies and picking out clothes for their child’s first day of school. However, the situation is more dire for many Oklahoma parents struggling to put a roof over their head and food on the family table.

A recent report showed that Oklahoma children and families have among the nation’s lowest ranking for child well-being. As the state affiliate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT program, the Oklahoma Policy Institute gathered data for the latest report showing Oklahoma ranked 46th nationally in overall child well-being.

In the categories forming the overall ranking, Oklahoma ranked 37th in health, 38th in economic well-being, 43rd in family and community context and 49th in education.

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Such low rankings are not a surprise for advocates who are trying to reverse the trajectory for our children. A quick look at the statistics tells a somber story.

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More than 1in 5 Oklahoma children live in poverty. Nearly 1 in 5 Oklahoma children are experiencing food insecurity, with about 1 in 7 not having enough food to eat during the past week.

One in 4 children live in households where housing is more than 33% of annual income, and 1 in 5 households with children had little or no confidence in paying next month’s rent or mortgage. Those rates are even higher within our Black, Hispanic, and American Indian communities.

Statistics like these do not happen in a vacuum.

Oklahoma’s children are too often and too easily caught in systemic economic policies that criminalize poverty cycles, keep wages stagnant, discourage building affordable housing, and prevent workers from returning to the job market. Many families have severely limited access to health care, education, job training and resources that can help them advance.

During its March field hearings in Yukon, I testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee about how our state’s lack of quality, affordable child care keeps many Oklahomans out of the workforce.

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In 2020-21, 12% of Oklahoma children ages birth to five had a family member who quit, changed or refused a job because of problems with child care. More often than not, this impacts women, who are five to eight times more likely than men to experience negative employment consequences related to caregiving.

Even if parents can find an opening at child care near their home, they often can’t pay for it. Oklahoma’s typical cost of center-based child care for a toddler was $8,399, which is 9% of the median income for a married couple in Oklahoma and nearly 30 percent of a single parent’s income.

Taken in total, these results show Oklahoma’s startling misalignment between our lofty ambitions for our state’s children and the current inadequate policies that prevent many Oklahoma children from reaching their potential.

To reverse the trajectory, our state elected officials and policymakers should provide consistent, sustained investments in programs and services that position our children for better futures.

During the annual budget cycle, state lawmakers must protect the revenue that funds the shared programs and services that serve our children. Rep. Suzanne Schreiber made good strides this year with a bill to streamline licensing requirements for family home day-care centers, and Rep. Kevin Wallace’s bill appropriating $215 million for housing were both good starts this year.

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Change is possible. But we will get there only when child advocates band together to demand it from the folks who have become comfortable with the status quo. Two decades of revenue-reducing tax cuts by lawmakers have significantly weakened the state’s buying power when adjusted for inflation and population growth, and much greater efforts are needed.

If Oklahoma wants to reverse the poor outcomes for our children, we must demand that lawmakers take the long view and begin making meaningful, sustained investments in the programs and services that can help our children succeed. Their future depends on it.

Shiloh Kantz is the executive director of the Oklahoma Policy Institute and a member of the Tulsa World Community Advisory Board.

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Oklahoma

Fears leads No. 14 Oklahoma against Central Arkansas

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Fears leads No. 14 Oklahoma against Central Arkansas


Associated Press

Central Arkansas Bears (3-8) at Oklahoma Sooners (11-0)

Norman, Oklahoma; Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Sooners -28.5; over/under is 145.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 14 Oklahoma hosts Central Arkansas after Jeremiah Fears scored 30 points in Oklahoma’s 87-86 victory over the Michigan Wolverines.

The Sooners have gone 6-0 at home. Oklahoma has a 2-0 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Bears are 0-6 on the road. Central Arkansas ranks fourth in the ASUN with 23.8 defensive rebounds per game led by Brayden Fagbemi averaging 4.6.

Oklahoma averages 82.0 points, 5.2 more per game than the 76.8 Central Arkansas allows. Central Arkansas averages 9.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 more made shots on average than the 6.5 per game Oklahoma allows.

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TOP PERFORMERS: Fears is scoring 17.9 points per game with 3.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Sooners.

Layne Taylor is scoring 17.0 points per game and averaging 4.4 rebounds for the Bears.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sooners: 10-0, averaging 80.9 points, 29.3 rebounds, 14.1 assists, 10.1 steals and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 68.5 points per game.

Bears: 3-7, averaging 73.0 points, 34.3 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 8.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 38.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 75.7 points.

___

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.




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Firefighters respond to commercial fire in Oklahoma City

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Firefighters respond to commercial fire in Oklahoma City


OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to a commercial fire near the area of NW 10th and N Western Avenue.

OKCFD were at the scene of a commercial fire around 7 p.m. Saturday night, when they arrived there was heavy smoke visible from multiple floors of a boarded up building.

One adult female was found in the building and taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

At this time no cause has been reported.

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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.



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Navy Coach Brian Newberry Talks Oklahoma Prep, Going for 10 Wins

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Navy Coach Brian Newberry Talks Oklahoma Prep, Going for 10 Wins


NORMAN — Bowl season is a bit unconventional for Navy.

The Midshipmen annually play against Army six days after the bowl schedule is released. That was the case this year, as Navy beat the Black Knights 31-13 on Dec. 14.

Beating Army is always a highlight for the Midshipmen. But the drawback for them is that they have less time than their bowl opponent to prepare for the game.

In this case, that’s Oklahoma. The Sooners will enter the game with more than two weeks of preparation for Navy’s triple-option offense.

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“It’s just a little different,” Navy coach Brian Newberry told reporters earlier this week. “They’ve known they’re going to play us for a little time now.”

Navy Coach, Oklahoma Native Brian Newberry Grew Up On OU Football

Navy does, however, enter the Armed Forces Bowl with momentum.

The Midshipmen (9-3) eased past Army last week in Landover, MD. They outgained the Black Knights 384-179 and forced Army quarterback Bryson Daily to throw three interceptions.

Navy’s rivalry win was its third in the last four games after the Midshipmen went on a two-game skid in the middle of the season. Newberry cited his team’s physicality in recent games, particularly in the Midshipmen’s drubbing of Army.

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“I was so impressed with how our kids handled the moment,” Newberry said. “Army’s a really, really good football team. I thought we physically dominated the game in the way that we blocked, beat blocks, the way we tackled. I thought we outplayed them in all three phases, so I’m really, really proud of that.”

A stark difference between the teams is the number of players that have entered the transfer portal.

The Sooners have seen 25 players from their 2024 team enter the portal. The Midshipmen have suffered only one departure in the winter portal window with defensive back Lorenzo Vitti.

On one hand, that makes Oklahoma preparation tough for Navy.

“It’s interesting,” Newberry said. “We’re going through their two-deep and trying to figure out who’s going to play and who isn’t. It’s a little bit of a challenge in that regard. And it could certainly change with a different quarterback.”

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But largely, the Midshipmen’s lack of transfers gives Newberry confidence that his team will be bought in for one more game in 2024.

“The portal can affect us, players can jump in the portal — we’re not getting that,” Newberry said. “It’s challenging to build a culture anywhere in college football right now, one that’s built on a certain level of trust. They know each other really, really well. They’ve fought through adversity. They stay the course, they pay the price and they have an opportunity.”

Navy will also play for more than just another win; the Midshipmen are looking to make history.

Navy has reached the 10-win mark just four times in program history. The Midshipmen did so three times under former coach Ken Niumatalolo from 2009-2019.

Having a shot at history while playing Oklahoma — the state that Newberry hails from — excites the coach.

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“It’s the last time that this team gets to play together,” Newberry said. “They want to go out the right way against a storied program like Oklahoma. It’s a great reward to play in a bowl game, but it’s a game we want to win.”

The Midshipmen and Sooners will play in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth at 11 a.m. on Dec. 27.



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