On December 19th, during an interview with Fox25, Governor Kevin Stitt shared his plans for future educational policies. “I want every kid ready for a career, so I’m thinking about even making it a requirement to graduate from Oklahoma high schools you’ve gotta either be accepted into a college or accepted into a career tech or going into the army. You have to have some kind of plan post-graduation to go get a great job.”
Stitt’s idea is based on his broader plan, Classroom to Careers. On December 27th, he publicized the initiative on various other social platforms.
Following his announcements, families took to social media to express their alarm.
X user @kdtravelsss replied to Stitt’s initial post, “So this new “plan” of yours will make trade schools and universities free to apply and attend? Because this seems awfully fishy to me, like forcing kids that can’t afford those options without financial assistance to the military.”
OKCollegeStart.org, a website used to assist Oklahoma students with preparing and paying for college, reports that the most affordable option for a full-time, in-state secondary education program is community college, totaling $11,801 per year. This price tag is an unmanageable and unwanted expense for many Oklahoma graduates.
Project 2025 concerns
Many Oklahomans are concerned that Stitt’s initiatives are connected to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 endorsed by President Donald Trump. Project 2025 recommends requiring all students to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, also known as the ASVAB or the military entrance exam.
The Department of Defense (DOD) reports that military recruiters missed their goal by about 41,000 recruits in 2023, with their total goal at 200,000 recruits. A reason listed by the DOD for lower military recruitment is that “Generation Z has decreasingly followed a traditional life and career path.” The DOD also noted that over half of United States youth say they have never thought about joining the military.
However, in 2024, the total raised to 225,000, and many individual branches had met their yearly goal. This increase in recruiting numbers was brought about through the Future Solider Prep course, located at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. This program allows new recruits to more quickly meet military requirements through a 90-day program to better equip them for basic training.
Abegail Cave, Director of Communications for Stitt, later claimed that his comment had been misinterpreted. “To clarify – Governor Stitt is not suggesting that we mandate military service. He wants to see that every kid graduating from high school has a plan, whether that be college, career tech, military service, or the workforce.”
ICAP
Oklahoma currently has a graduation requirement with a focus on college and workforce readiness. The Individual Career and Academic Program (ICAP) is a multi-year process in which students take assessments and make career goals and long-term plans.
Through the ICAP process, students learn more about how their skills and interests could apply to the workforce and various career paths. Students are also shown the recommended courses per selected career cluster to be best prepared for their chosen vocational path. Additionally, students are required to have one recorded professional experience before graduating high school.
As of this year, the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is also a graduation requirement for Oklahoma students.
Accessible education
Many Oklahomans are also concerned about the fate of disabled students.
In a Facebook comment, Mackenzie D. Cooper, asked, “Why are you forcing our special needs relatives and children into the military for sacrifice, Kevin?”
Others are worried about how Stitt’s ideas may affect students who do not plan to attend a post-secondary institution. One concerned Oklahoman replied to Stitt’s Facebook page, “I keep asking how this affects rural areas – farmers whose kids want to follow the family business.”
Oklahoma House District 62 Representative Daniel Pae responded to Stitt’s comments, “Such a mandate is difficult to envision in terms of implementation and constitutionality. I hope the Governor will share more details in his State of the State address.”
Under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment it is stated, “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
The Governor’s annual State of the State address is scheduled for February 3rd.
