Education

Beginning with early childhood education, Al McAffrey knows that for Oklahoma to remain competitive in the American marketplace, our education system must remain focused on providing a classroom environment that stimulates learning and rewards achievement. After losing many excellent teachers to surrounding states because of pay incentives, Al believes it’s time to properly fund Oklahoma’s education system – and that means raising teacher pay. Al supported Governor Brad Henry’s teacher pay raise initiatives and has worked with other state leaders to improve Oklahoma’s high school graduation rate. However, Al understands that we must also make a commitment to invest in our students.

That’s why he supports expanding the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program so that more young Oklahomans can attend and graduate from college or career techs. Al knows that investing in higher education is one of the most critical ways we can encourage business development and economic growth in Oklahoma.

Al also believes that forms of higher education other than four-year universities also need to be more affordable. He will work to enhance funding for Career Techs and Trade Schools which offer working Oklahomans opportunities to learn marketable skills, increase their incomes, and prepare for a changing economic landscape that will soon need more people trained for jobs in the emerging new energy economy.