Thursday, February 26, 2026 • Sunny, low 70s, perfect. ☀️

Enjoy it, because rain is forecast for Sunday and much of next week.

By Jennifer Palmer, Oklahoma Watch
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On nearly every important measure of academic success, Oklahoma now sits at the bottom. 

That hasn’t always been the case. 

In the 1990s, Oklahoma ranked in the top half of states in reading and math, but began to fall in 2000. The slide quickened from 2015 to 2024 as Oklahoma dropped from 37th to 48th. 

“People in our state have always said things like ‘thank God for Mississippi,’ meaning that otherwise our schools would be in last place,” said Adam Tyner, a researcher at the Oklahoma Center for Education Policy. 

As Oklahoma fell in the rankings, Mississippi has soared, from dead last to around the middle. 

Using federal data, Tyner documented Oklahoma’s educational decline in a report released this month: The Fall to 48th. The report shows Oklahoma’s student outcomes are at the lowest level on record, ahead of only West Virginia, Alaska and New Mexico. 

👉 Click here for the full story.

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By Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice
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OKLAHOMA CITY — After a nearly two-year delay, a preliminary hearing in the prosecution of Epic Charter School’s co-founders restarted Wednesday with a star witness testifying how they planned “retribution” against Oklahoma’s state auditor.

Josh Brock, 43, spent the entire day on the witness stand at the Oklahoma County Courthouse, testifying about his tenure as the chief financial officer for both Epic and the co-founders’ private company that investigators say profited at least $55 million from running the school.

He said the co-founders, David Chaney, 46, and Ben Harris, 50, encouraged him to run against State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd after her office’s 2020 audit of Epic reported financial wrongdoing. The audit caused a storm of controversy and led to the school cutting ties with Chaney and Harris’ company, Epic Youth Services, in May 2021.

“It was about getting our story out there, our side of the story and retribution,” Brock said of the plan to run against Byrd. “The audit led to the breakup of the school and Epic Youth Services. The audit did us no favors from a business standpoint.”

👉 Click here for the full story.

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• ICE expanding operations in OKC, recruits local attorneys | Exclusive (The Oklahoman)*

• Tulsa Public Schools investigating after student walkout ends with pepper spray from campus police (Tulsa Flyer)

• Students stage ICE protests at Bixby, Rogers (Tulsa World)*

• Parents concerned after handgun found in student's backpack at Edmond school (KOCO)

• Bill to delay ex-lawmakers from becoming lobbyists fails committee vote (KFOR)

• ‘A terrible idea’: Teachers say Senate plan for education reforms with retirement money creates bigger problems (Tulsa Flyer)

• Rob Miller suspends campaign for Oklahoma state superintendent (Oklahoma Voice)

• Delayed retirements may soon hit understaffed Tulsa police as accountability concerns persist (Public Radio Tulsa)

• Tulsa councilors to consider adding teeth to ordinance on racing, excessive speeding (Tulsa World)*

• MORE FUNDING: Tulsa unlocks $47 million for housing initiatives (2 News Oklahoma)

• Tishomingo mother grieves infant death after premature birth amid boyfriend’s assault allegations (KXII)

• Oklahoma lawmakers advance anti-DEI higher education bill impacting university accreditation (Oklahoma Voice)

• Extended moratorium on Oklahoma medical marijuana business licenses approved by House (Oklahoma Voice)

• Paycom supports Oklahoma City’s Freedom Center (News 9)

When Oklahoma Memo debuted in Jan. 2025, I tried doing a daily newscast with me as a talking head. All I did was talk, and that’s OK — but I also wanted something with a little more structure, and this is the start of that.

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