Jet out and vote for @JakeMerrick4Gov and watch him in this video WATCH: RSBN's Matthew Alvarez Interviews Jake Merrick, OK Governor Candi... youtu.be/9M9YkzX73M4?is=zIVy… via @YouTube

Out placing signs for our next Governor @JakeMerrick4Gov!!! Get out and vote on Tuesday!!! Rural Oklahoma we are counting on you guys!!! 💪🏽LFG!!!!

Let me address merit pay for teachers... and please read the entire post. (spoiler: I'm not adamantly for or against it. I value the insight from teachers who have largely been speaking up in opposition to it, and always promise to listen - especially to those with boots on the ground.) I know this is a big concern for many teachers across the state due to the factors outside the teacher's control. This is a legitimate concern, and one that should be considered. Personally, I always leaned more toward merit pay - when multiple factors are used to reduce bias from any single metric. I have never believed is should be tied directly to testing or purely from student academic outcomes. The reason I have appreciated the merit pay idea is because it is a free-market approach that is effectively used in almost every other industry to accelerate good performance. In some states, connecting pay to performance has been shown to: - Motivate stronger performance and professional growth. - Help attract/retain effective teachers, especially in challenging schools. - Reward excellence and improves overall workforce quality through better recruitment and retention. I also understand the cons can include: - Can encourage "teaching to the test" (which I would like to move away from). - Evaluation subjectivity or unfairness. - Implementation complexity and cost; mixed research on long-term student gains (positive but modest in many meta-analyses). I would appreciate further dialogue with teachers on this subject. Is there a way to create a model that teachers could be excited about? One that could create opportunity for advancement and better pay? What would this look like for special ed teachers? Of course we have the Oklahoma Teacher Empowerment Program to offer incentives. Teachers, how do you think this is working? If you haven't noticed, my approach is very much about developing policy from the ground up! I know many might be used to that, and it causes many to assume their voice and opinion on an issue doesn't matter. Not the case with me. Your voice matters. If teachers don't want this, we have to listen.

Join the live forum here! youtube.com/live/n2zZXbssyig…

Tonight!

People often ask how I’m qualified to manage a twelve billion dollar budget. The truth is, I wouldn’t be managing it alone — no one person should. A state budget that large is far too complex for any single individual to handle personally. My job as governor is to assemble the right team: top financial experts, economists, and seasoned administrators who live and breathe these numbers every day. Importantly, they will also deeply understand the proper role of government — prioritizing the Constitution, preserving individual freedom, and limiting government overreach.That’s exactly how great leaders operate. Henry Ford built one of the most successful companies in history, yet when challenged in court about his lack of “book knowledge,” he famously replied that he didn’t clutter his mind with facts he could summon experts for. He had a row of buttons on his desk — push one, and the right person appeared with the answer. That’s smart leadership. Know what you don’t know, then surround yourself with people who do. That’s the approach I’ll bring to the governor’s office — strong vision paired with the best possible advisors.

A shift is happening...

This is the issue of this election…

No political fluff! That's what I like to hear! (Thanks to @RoseRockOKC @RoseRockProduc1 for the amazing production!)

God Bless America 🇺🇸

.@JakeMerrick4Gov This is what I’m seeing in my neighborhood on my morning walk in NE Oklahoma! Let’s GO! 🇺🇸

Tune in to News 9 this morning at 9 AM

Honored to have this endorsement from @RogersCountyGOP!

Thank you 🙏

Just finished a great conversation with @HeleyCast podcast. Thanks for the ammo case! Awesome gift!

Any publicity is good publicity

Oklahoma you wake up Wednesday June 17th but because you had to work you went to bed before all the votes are counted. Final count: Mazzei 22% (Trump bump) Drummond 19.1% Merrick 19% McCall 18.8% Keating 18.6% Other 2.5% Now ask yourself if you were a Merrick, McCall or Keating supporter but didn't vote for them because someone told you they couldn't win, how would you feel? Just vote for whoever you think is best and be able to look yourself in the mirror the next day.

FYI. All of the teachers I know personally are incredible people. True conservatives. Authentic believers. Servants at heart. I truly believe most teachers are doing what they’re doing because they are called to serve and they have a heart to educate. I would love to see all of the highly educated and skilled teachers who have left the classroom because of the toxic environment return to the place they would really prefer to be - the classroom. We need to hire high quality teachers, pay them well, and then TRUST THEM TO TEACH. Let’s move away from standardized testing and “teaching to the test”. Instead let’s empower teachers to “teach to the student”