Mazzei Minute 05/30/25

Proverbs 23:23 counsels, “Buy truth, and do not sell it; get wisdom, instruction, and understanding.” Now, truth in government may sound like an oxymoron, but a little-known Oklahoma agency—the Commission for Education Quality and Accountability (CEQA)—took a stand for truth on May 21.

In 2024, the State Department of Education (SDE) failed parents and students by adopting “cut scores” that lowered the bar for demonstrating proficiency in math and reading. According to The Oklahoman (May 22, 2025), the SDE provided its committee with benchmark scores to use as guideposts.

Proficiency rates skyrocketed as a result—but school officials and families were immediately suspicious of such dramatic gains. We certainly wish true improvement in reading and math outcomes were the case, but gaming the system to appear successful was outrageous and utterly lacking in integrity.

Such shenanigans remind me of the reprehensible behavior I witnessed in my own industry, when Bernie Madoff falsified account statements to convince clients they were making great returns.

The CEQA—formed by Senator Clark Jolley when I was in the State Senate—was created to prevent the manipulation of cut scores for political gain, a tactic we saw when Democrats ran the SDE. Watching the same playbook unfold under Republican leadership made me as angry as a disturbed hornet.

We need a total transformation of our education system so that Oklahoma students can truly achieve proficiency in reading and math. The mission to help our kids and grandkids “get wisdom, instruction, and understanding” will only succeed if we uphold high standards and measure real results. I’m grateful the CEQA did its job and stepped in to correct the SDE’s disastrous decision to game the system.