OKLAHOMA CITY – Some educators in Oklahoma protest new student performance guidelines.

A group opposed to public education standards known as Common Core rallied at the statehouse hoping to overturn those guidelines.

Common Core is a new set of standards to measure student performance in math and English across all of Oklahoma.

“Many people I think thought this was going to be a great idea,” Jenni White said. “Yes we need accountability but what happens is you can micromanage education out of existence and that’s what we’ve done.”

White, with a group called Restore Oklahoma Public Education, helped put on the protest

Opponents believe Common Core will cost millions to implement with no clear source of funding.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Tragedies involving schools, like what happened in Newtown, Connecticut back in December, have brought school safety to the forefront.

Parents, educators and lawmakers are now asking the questions, what needs to be done? Is there an answer?

A special conference this week at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum Center For Education and Outreach is trying to help answer those questions.

Rhonda Harris, counselor at Lawton’s Learning Tree Academy, said, “Our number one priority is to keep our kids safe and to educate them.”

Harris along with dozens of other educators and members of law enforcement filled a conference room Wednesday morning hoping to learn how to keep Oklahoma students safe when crisis strikes.