Recent from talks
Carolyn Thompson Taylor
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Carolyn Thompson Taylor
Carolyn Thompson Taylor is an American academic and politician who served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1984 to 1992. Before running for office, Taylor taught AP government at Norman High School from 1979 to 1984. While in the House, she was chair of the Education Committee and Appropriations Sub-Committee on Education. She was a principal author of numerous landmark education bills involving both higher education and public schools. She also authored legislation concerning health care for children and family leave. While in office she was an adjunct professor at Oklahoma Baptist University and the University of Oklahoma. After leaving office, Taylor was vice president of academic affairs at the University Center of Tulsa (now Rogers State University) and later a distinguished professor of political science at Rogers State.
Taylor was born in 1957 to parents Frank and JoAnne Miller in Norman, Oklahoma and is the oldest of five children. Her parents were also born in Norman, and the majority of her family lived in the area. During her childhood, Taylor enjoyed spending time at the library, the Museum of Natural History, and her grandparents' farm. From the first to fifth grade, Taylor attended a private Catholic school, but she finished her education through the Norman public school system, graduating from Norman High School. She then attended the University of Oklahoma (OU), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American history and a teaching certificate. She was also a member of the college marching band, "The Pride of Oklahoma."
After graduating in 1979, Taylor was offered a teaching job at Norman High School. Mrs. Viola Smith, a favorite teacher of Taylor’s, had timed her retirement so Taylor could assume her position as the AP government teacher.[citation needed]
From 1979 to 1984, Taylor was an active volunteer on campaigns of pro-education candidates for state and local offices and participated in chances to lobby Oklahoma legislators at the capitol on behalf of education. In the summer of 1984, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to spend the summer studying politics & government in the Middle East. However, at around the same time, State Representative Cleta Deatherage decided not to run for reelection in Taylor's district. Many encouraged Taylor to run for the seat. After discussing a possible run with the Norman High School principal, she was given a leave of absence to campaign; she also had to turn down her Fulbright opportunity. Paula Roberts, another Norman High teacher, served as her campaign manager for this and her other three campaigns. Taylor was endorsed by the Oklahoma Education Association and other groups.
Education legislation
Running on a platform of strengthening public education, Taylor was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1984. During her four terms, she rose to chair of both the Education Committee and the Education Subcommittee of the Appropriations and Budget Committee.
She was the primary author of several major pieces of legislation enacted into law. One provided state matching grants for private contributions to higher education institutions to endow professorships, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars being donated to Oklahoma institutions.[citation needed] Academic Scholars Legislation gave full scholarships for tuition, room and board, books, and other fees to Oklahoma high school students attending Oklahoma public universities who earned high scores on the ACT, SAT, or similar tests; she argued that Oklahoma institutions of higher education should be rewarding academic excellence as much as athletic excellence and working to keep the brightest students in the state. Other such legislation introduced reforms and/or funding that increased monies for all levels of public education, training and standards for Boards of Regents, and college internship programs.
Taylor was also the main co-author and floor manager of HB 1017, a historic education funding and reform bill that brought Oklahoma out of the bottom of education funding while, for the first time, equalizing funding so every child had the same operating dollars paying for their education regardless of which school they attended. Among other reforms, the bill lowered class size, brought the greatest leap in teachers’ salaries in state history, and strengthened curriculum by adding environmental and geography education programs.
Hub AI
Carolyn Thompson Taylor AI simulator
(@Carolyn Thompson Taylor_simulator)
Carolyn Thompson Taylor
Carolyn Thompson Taylor is an American academic and politician who served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1984 to 1992. Before running for office, Taylor taught AP government at Norman High School from 1979 to 1984. While in the House, she was chair of the Education Committee and Appropriations Sub-Committee on Education. She was a principal author of numerous landmark education bills involving both higher education and public schools. She also authored legislation concerning health care for children and family leave. While in office she was an adjunct professor at Oklahoma Baptist University and the University of Oklahoma. After leaving office, Taylor was vice president of academic affairs at the University Center of Tulsa (now Rogers State University) and later a distinguished professor of political science at Rogers State.
Taylor was born in 1957 to parents Frank and JoAnne Miller in Norman, Oklahoma and is the oldest of five children. Her parents were also born in Norman, and the majority of her family lived in the area. During her childhood, Taylor enjoyed spending time at the library, the Museum of Natural History, and her grandparents' farm. From the first to fifth grade, Taylor attended a private Catholic school, but she finished her education through the Norman public school system, graduating from Norman High School. She then attended the University of Oklahoma (OU), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American history and a teaching certificate. She was also a member of the college marching band, "The Pride of Oklahoma."
After graduating in 1979, Taylor was offered a teaching job at Norman High School. Mrs. Viola Smith, a favorite teacher of Taylor’s, had timed her retirement so Taylor could assume her position as the AP government teacher.[citation needed]
From 1979 to 1984, Taylor was an active volunteer on campaigns of pro-education candidates for state and local offices and participated in chances to lobby Oklahoma legislators at the capitol on behalf of education. In the summer of 1984, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to spend the summer studying politics & government in the Middle East. However, at around the same time, State Representative Cleta Deatherage decided not to run for reelection in Taylor's district. Many encouraged Taylor to run for the seat. After discussing a possible run with the Norman High School principal, she was given a leave of absence to campaign; she also had to turn down her Fulbright opportunity. Paula Roberts, another Norman High teacher, served as her campaign manager for this and her other three campaigns. Taylor was endorsed by the Oklahoma Education Association and other groups.
Education legislation
Running on a platform of strengthening public education, Taylor was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1984. During her four terms, she rose to chair of both the Education Committee and the Education Subcommittee of the Appropriations and Budget Committee.
She was the primary author of several major pieces of legislation enacted into law. One provided state matching grants for private contributions to higher education institutions to endow professorships, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars being donated to Oklahoma institutions.[citation needed] Academic Scholars Legislation gave full scholarships for tuition, room and board, books, and other fees to Oklahoma high school students attending Oklahoma public universities who earned high scores on the ACT, SAT, or similar tests; she argued that Oklahoma institutions of higher education should be rewarding academic excellence as much as athletic excellence and working to keep the brightest students in the state. Other such legislation introduced reforms and/or funding that increased monies for all levels of public education, training and standards for Boards of Regents, and college internship programs.
Taylor was also the main co-author and floor manager of HB 1017, a historic education funding and reform bill that brought Oklahoma out of the bottom of education funding while, for the first time, equalizing funding so every child had the same operating dollars paying for their education regardless of which school they attended. Among other reforms, the bill lowered class size, brought the greatest leap in teachers’ salaries in state history, and strengthened curriculum by adding environmental and geography education programs.
Recent media