Parental choice in education a topic in OEA questionnaire

State Superintendent Janet Barresi's campaign today posted her responses to an Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) candidate questionnaire. Barresi answered questions on several areas of education policy, including school choice.

The OEA is the state's largest teachers' union and opposed Barresi in the 2010 state superintendent’s race. The OEA also consistently opposes legislative efforts to provide greater educational options to parents.

Barresi answered a very revealing question about publicly funded educational choice programs:

Q. What are your feelings about using public money to support private schools through voucher programs, tax credits, and other mechanisms?

A. My goal is to make sure our public schools are the first choice of every Oklahoma parent. Until that day, I want to give parents as many choices as possible. I have worked to increase funding for the Lindsay Nicole Henry Scholarships so that parents of those with learning challenges have better options for their students to have the same success as everyone else. There is still more we can do. Every child, every parent should have the opportunity to choose the school that best fits their specific needs, and no child should be confined to a failing school. I won’t rest until that’s a reality.

The premise of the OEA's question is absurd and a clear example of misplaced focus. The union sees programs like the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships Act as existing to support private schools over public schools. They see education in terms of institutional schools -- not individual students.

My two children attend public schools. We do so not out of a sense of obligation to support the public institutions and provide employment for union members who believe they know better than my wife and I do what is best for our children.

Children are more than mere funding units for educational institutions. Common sense dictates that the institutions exist for the benefit of schoolchildren. The children do not exist for the benefit of the system of public schools.

Following the logic of the OEA's question, it must hold that the per pupil revenue generated by students attending public school is for the purpose of supporting that school, regardless of the service it provides to students.

The OEA’s focus is not on providing children with educational services, but with protecting their turf. The union bosses concern themselves with imagined harm to their dues-paying members while ignoring the very real harm of denying help to students who need a different educational environment.

The membership concerns of the teachers' union should not take priority over the sacred right and duty of parents to direct the education of their children.

As the author of the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program Act, I’m grateful to Supt. Barresi for her steadfast support of this important, student-centered education program.

Barresi, along with the State Department of Education and the State Board of Education, are defendants in a new lawsuit filed by educators challenging the constitutionality of the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Program. I'm working with Barresi and Attorney General Scott Pruitt to defend this law against those who believe that the children exist to support the system and dues paying union members.

Call me naïve, but I think education should be focused on students.

Lawmakers, Parents Express Disappointment “Parent Empowerment Act” Will Not Advance in 2013

OKLAHOMA CITY – Lawmakers and parents who supported a measure that would have allowed parents to “trigger” major changes in their local underperforming schools are disappointed the bill did not receive more support in the House of Representatives. The measure will be laid over until the 2014 legislative session.

Senate Bill 1001, by state Senators David Holt and Jabar Shumate and state Rep. Jason Nelson, would have allowed a majority of parents in an underperforming school to sign a petition that would transition the school to a charter school or terminate the administrators. 

“It’s obvious that we have a lot more work to do, but the momentum is on our side,” said Nelson, R-Oklahoma City. “There is a growing coalition of parents and policymakers who are determined to ensure that the voices of our students and their parents are heard, so that is very encouraging. Parents want choice for their children. The parents are on the front lines; they know whether their local school district is failing their children or not. 

“Blaming parents, as was done by an education organization recently, is not constructive – it’s wrongheaded. It’s ironic that opponents of the bill complained the law would create an adversarial relationship between parents and educators when a statement by a teacher organization pointed the finger at parents by saying ‘Letting parents have more control over the schools when they don't have control at home is not the answer.’ 

“It’s important to remember that the bill only applies to ‘D’ and ‘F’ school sites. That negative and condescending attitude toward parents will create more division than this or any other legislative initiative at the Capitol, and I think it speaks to the need for programs like Senate Bill 1001.”

Under the measure, the option to terminate administrators would only have been available in Oklahoma or Tulsa counties. An underperforming school would be defined as a school that has received a ‘D’ or an ‘F’ for at least the last two years under Oklahoma’s new grading system, or a ‘D’ or an ‘F’ for two of the last three years, as long as the most recent grade was a ‘D’ or an ‘F’. The bill provided that if the parents were to choose the charter school option, the charter school would first serve all students in the existing attendance boundaries of the school.

The measure was based on a concept that has been enacted in at least seven other states. 

“Opposition to this bill has little to do with the merits of the policy, because anyone would tell you that a failing school could use the parent involvement and regulatory flexibility this bill facilitates,” said Sen. Holt, R-Oklahoma City. “Opposition to this bill has everything to do with power – power that some apparently don’t want to share with parents. The title of this bill is the ‘Parent Empowerment Act,’ and I guess there’s nothing that scares some people more.”

Holt said the goal of chartering an underperforming school under the Parent Empowerment Act would be to provide the flexibility needed to improve student performance at the school in a manner led jointly by motivated parents and school district leaders. The process of creating a charter school outlined in the Parent Empowerment Act is designed to create a collaborative relationship between the parents and the school district, rather than an adversarial one.

“It is unfortunate for parents and children across the state that we

have not found consensus on Senate Bill 1001,” said Shumate, D-Tulsa. “I am committed to working with other members of the legislature in the future to bring real empowerment to our parents.  I still believe that people support that which they help create; therefore, I hope that educators in the future will demonstrate better how to plan with and not for the parents and children they serve.”

Tulsa resident and parent Lauren Marshall made the decision to homeschool her children rather than allow them to attend the local middle school.

“I was fortunate enough to be able to quit my job and have been able to dedicate the past five years to ensure my boys had a quality education,” said Marshall. “But very few parents – especially where I live – can afford to quit their jobs in order to be at home with their kids. What about Gaven and Reagan and Evan – real kids in my neighborhood that my own children play with? They deserve better than a ‘D’ or ‘F-rated’ school.”

Nelson, who filed a similar measure two years ago that did not even receive a hearing, said he is encouraged by the progress the bill has made, but that supporters need to put more effort into educating other lawmakers and other parents on the issue.

“We’re trying to make real changes for our communities of Tulsa by giving the parents the power to save their children in places where the schools have failed them,” said Pastor Joyce A. Cooper of World Won for Christ in Tulsa. “We need to keep on standing up for our kids and giving our families the power to make the changes they need. Our children are stuck in these schools with no options, and so it is a shame that this bill is not going to be heard. All we can do is press on for real power for our parents and communities.”


Holt also believes the bill will become law in the near future as long as lawmakers remember who the bill is designed to protect.

“Unfortunately, real parents have no voice in the Capitol, especially parents in the kinds of communities where this bill would do the most good,” said Holt. “That’s why we as legislators have to speak for them. Our job is not to protect failure. Our job is to empower our parents to make positive change, because parents are who we represent, and improvement is what we should demand. I hope that when this bill returns in the future, we’ll remember that.”

Last month, SB 1001 was approved in the Senate by a vote of 30-12. It can be considered in the House of Representatives in 2014.

Senate approves “Parent Empowerment Act”

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- The full Senate has given its approval to the “Parent Empowerment Act.” Senate Bill 1001, authored by Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Jabar Shumate, D-Tulsa, would enable parents to petition to make dramatic changes in their child’s underperforming school. The bill was approved 30 to 12 on Wednesday. Holt said the bill was based on a “parent trigger” concept that has been enacted in at least seven other states.

Under the provisions of the bill, if a majority of parents in an underperforming school sign a petition, they may transition the school to a charter school or terminate the administrators. The option to terminate administrators is only available in Oklahoma or Tulsa counties. An underperforming school is defined as a school that has received a ‘D’ or an ‘F’ for at least the last two years under Oklahoma’s new grading system, or a ‘D’ or an ‘F’ for two of the last three years, as long as the most recent grade was a ‘D’ or an ‘F’. If the parents choose the charter school option, the charter school will first serve all students in the existing attendance boundaries of the school.

“If there is an underperforming school where the parents want to organize and affect positive change, I want us to empower that,” Holt said. “I don’t want to make them wait another year to have that opportunity. Our children can’t wait. The Parent Empowerment Act is an important new tool for parents and students, and I commend the Senate for taking this important step forward in its passage.”

Holt said the goal of chartering an underperforming school under the Parent Empowerment Act would be to provide the flexibility needed to improve student performance at the school in a manner led jointly by motivated parents and school district leaders. The process of creating a charter school outlined in the Parent Empowerment Act is designed to create a collaborative relationship between the parents and the school district, rather than an adversarial one.

“I have consistently been inspired by the parents in my district who have fought for a better education for their kids,” said Shumate. “Oftentimes, this has led them to stand up for more choices and more tools, and I have stood with them. The Parent Empowerment Act gives the parents in my district a new tool, and that’s a good thing for our kids.”

SB 1001 now moves to the House of Representatives, where Rep. Jason Nelson is the primary House author.

Senate Education Committee Passes “Parent Empowerment Act” Feb. 27, 2013

Education film "Won't Back Down" in theaters Sept. 28 Sep. 20, 2012

Senate Education Committee Passes “Parent Empowerment Act”

The “Parent Empowerment Act,” has passed its first hurdle in the Legislature. The bipartisan bill, SB 1001, authored by Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Jabar Shumate, D-Tulsa, will give Oklahoma parents a new tool to accomplish dramatic and positive change in their child’s underperforming school. The bill was approved 7-3 by the Senate Education Committee on Monday.

The Parent Empowerment Act establishes an Oklahoma version of a concept often called a “parent trigger.” If a majority of parents in an underperforming school sign a petition, they may transition the school to a charter school or terminate the administrators. The option to terminate administrators is only available in Oklahoma or Tulsa counties. An underperforming school is defined as a school that has received a ‘D’ or an ‘F’ for at least the last two years under Oklahoma’s new grading system, or a ‘D’ or an ‘F’ for two of the last three years, as long as the most recent grade was a ‘D’ or an ‘F’. If the parents choose the charter school option, the charter school will first serve all students in the existing attendance boundaries of the school.

Holt praised the Education Committee for its action.

“I think the Parent Empowerment Act provides an important new tool for Oklahoma parents,” Holt said. “It won’t be the right answer in every circumstance, but where it is, it has the potential to change the trajectory of thousands of young lives.”

Holt explained that charter schools provide more flexibility, and the goal of chartering an underperforming school under the Parent Empowerment Act would be to provide the flexibility needed to improve student performance at the school in a manner led jointly by motivated parents and school district leaders. The process of creating a charter school outlined in the Parent Empowerment Act is designed to create a collaborative relationship between the parents and the school district, rather than an adversarial one.

Parent triggers have been enacted in at least seven other states, most notably California, where the first schools are now in the implementation process. Oklahoma State Superintendent Janet Barresi, The Oklahoman, and noted education reformer Michelle Rhee have all endorsed a parent trigger law for Oklahoma.

SB 1001 now advances for consideration by the full Senate.

AFP-OK Director Stuart Jolly Resigns, Takes New Position

Oklahoma City, OK – Americans for Prosperity today announced that Stuart Jolly, state director of the organization’s Oklahoma chapter, is resigning at the end of the month to become Executive Political Director of TeamCFA which focuses on the areas of free-market economics, school choice and charter school issues. Stuart’s responsibilities are now nationwide, with special focus on three regions surrounding North Carolina, Arizona, and Indiana.

Stuart has served as state director of Americans for Prosperity for over six years.

Americans for Prosperity is actively looking for candidates to fill the Oklahoma State Director position. You can see more details and apply by clicking here.

State Aid Allocation Increased to School Districts

The State Department of Education announced today that some state aid money previously held back to cover charter school enrollment is now being released to school districts. 

Some public school officials have engaged in unjustified, shrill criticism of Superintendent Janet Barresi over the amount of state aid money held back by the State Department of Education. They have largely failed to acknowledge that recent financial decisions are reasonable and responsible under current circumstances.

Last month the State Department of Education was required to set aside enough money to cover potential enrollment in charter schools, including some charter schools that were still in the application phase. At the time the initial allocations for school districts were required to be calculated the charter school enrollment numbers were not known. 

The Department of Education sent an email today notifying school districts of the amended initial aid allocation.

“As indicated this summer, now that August enrollment counts have been completed for public charter schools, the State Department of Education has adjusted initial state aid allocations and will be allocating an additional $9 million to all Oklahoma public school districts. Several public charter schools had lower enrollment numbers than initially anticipated, and several of the schools that applied for new charters this year will not open this semester.”

School Choice Week Set by Governor Fallin

Oklahoma City - Governor Mary Fallin has declared the week of January 23, 2012 "School Choice Week" in the State of Oklahoma.


Fallin stated in her proclamation, "[A]ll children should have the 'right' to attend the highest-quality schools possible."


Fallin recognized in her proclamation that school choice is a bipartisan issue. She also mentioned that there are great teachers in traditional and charter public schools and in private schools who are committed to educating children.

Advocates call for more public school reform, expanded choice and options

By Patrick B. McGuigan and Stacy Martin at www.CapitolBeatOK.com (Published: 04-Nov-2011) 

Two nationally-known education reformers visited Oklahoma this week, with a stop at Langston University's Oklahoma City campus. They advocated more vigorous forms of school choice, changes in teacher tenure and other policies. 

Joining them to discuss education policy at Langston on Lincoln Boulevard was Brandon Dutcher, a vice president at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. 

Bob Bowdon

Bob Bowdon is the award-winning filmmaker and producer/director of “The Cartel,” a documentary on monopoly practices in public education policy in his home state of New Jersey. 

He pointed to recent news reports that federal education officials estimate barely one-third (34 percent) of eighth graders in American schools are proficient readers. The poor outcomes in American schooling have come even though government spending for education has dramatically increased over the last two decades, Bowdon said. 

Bowdon outlined the surge in support for school options, including even President Barack Obama and his U.S. Education Department, at least when it comes to public charter schools. Characterizing himself as “basically libertarian,” Bowdon said he admired liberals like Davis Guggenheim, producer of “Waiting for Superman” (another successful documentary), who have joined the bipartisan national movement for more effective use of tax resources to support education. 

Fallin, Barresi Appear as Panelist in National Education Summit

OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, Governor Mary Fallin and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi served as panelists during NBC’s Education Nation summit in New York City.  

The summit, held at Rockefeller Center, brought together governors, state superintendents of education, administrators, teachers and other leaders for an earnest discussion about educating children in the ever-changing, knowledge-based economy of 21^st Century.

Governor Fallin and a handful of other governors were selected to participate in a panel titled, “The State of Education:  The Governor’s Perspective.”

The panel of governors, hosted by NBC News’ Brian Williams, focued on education and economic competitiveness.  Other participating governors included:  Gov. Lincoln Chafee (RI); Gov. Nathan Deal (GA); Gov. Bill Haslam (TN); Gov. John Hickenlooper (CO); Gov. Paul LePage (ME); Gov. Jack Markell (DE); Gov. Bob McDonnell (VA); Gov. Sean Parnell (AK); and Gov. Scott Walker (WI).

“It’s great that Oklahoma is being recognized for our efforts to improve education and I’m excited to represent our state at this event,” Fallin said before the event.  “My top priority is creating a business environment in Oklahoma that promotes job creation and economic growth.  Nothing is more essential to accomplishing that goal than ensuring we have a highly skilled, educated workforce.  I look forward to sharing Oklahoma’s legislative reforms to improve student achievement and promote workforce development.”

State Superintendent Janet Barresi participated in the summit as a panelist in a session Monday titled, “Stepping Up: The Power of a Parent Advocate.”  The session focused on parents’ roles as advocates for a variety of changes in education from calling for reforming state laws to overhauling failing schools to amending programs at individual schools.

Barresi urged parents not to give up the fight for the best education for their children. 

“Parents need to put more of a premium on how children perform in schools,” Barresi said. “Parents, don’t give up. Arm yourself with facts. Don’t give up because it’s your child.”

The session focused on parents’ roles as advocates for a variety of changes in education from calling for reforming state laws to overhauling failing schools to amending programs at individual schools.  Moderated by Natalie Morales, a co-host of NBC’s “Today” show, the panel also included Ben Austin, of Parent Revolution; Brenda Martin, Mom Congress; author Peg Tyre; Phil Jackson with Black Star Project; and Dennis Walcott, chancellor of New York City Schools.

Barresi also said schools should be more accountable, having dashboards on their website home pages so parents can see exactly how dollars are spent.

“Accountability for schools, informed parents and more choices are key,” she said. 

Barresi herself was a parent advocate – someone who called for improvements in education not just on behalf of her own children but for many others. Her desire to change the status quo led her to help found two charter schools in Oklahoma City. 

It later led her to run for state Superintendent and to initiate major conservative reforms in education in the state.

Those reforms include a new 3rd grade graduation requirement that ensures students can read on grade level before advancing to the fourth grade; an A through F report card for schools; and the Opportunity Scholarship Act, which ensures children who qualify for free or reduced lunch or who are in failing schools will have a choice of moving to a better school.

NBC News’ says Education Nation is an initiative to engage the country in a solutions-focused conversation about the state of education in America.  While some portions of the Education Nation summit will be covered by NBC television, all the events can be seen online on the Education Nation Web site:  www.educationnation.com.

Digital education and the lessons of history: a conference summary

By Patrick B. McGuigan at www.CapitolBeatOK.com (Published: 01-Aug-2011) 

A provocative and wide-ranging conference on “Education in the Digital Age” unfolded at the Oklahoma History Center last Friday (July 29). A sub-title of “Practices and Policies for Personalized Education” affirmed the historic setting of the event, sponsored by the conservative Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. 

Lee Baxter

Major General Lee Baxter, who holds the distinction of serving on the boards of both the state CareerTech and state Education Department, kicked off the day’s reflections with a brief address in which he referenced the “elite” education he garnered as a youth. 

When Baxter referred, in younger days, to his “UND” training, colleagues in the military assumed he meant “University of Notre Dame” – until he explained it was the University of North Dakota.

Andrew J. Coulson of the Cato Institute  examined ways public policy can protect and enhance development of a digital education marketplace. As did several speakers, Coulson pointed to the excellence of the Khan Academy’s online curriculum. 

He observed, “Public Schools are a $600 billion a year business, with 6 million people employed.” For this reason, it is perhaps not surprising that “change is threatening.” The bottom line, in Coulson’s view, is that educators must “find out what works, and then do the same.”

As part of a recipe for the future, Coulson argues education should become “a free enterprise,” full of dynamic models. He noted the move toward school choice, and robust examples of digital schooling, is a world-wide phenomenon, with examples abounding in Asia. In Chile, robust models of school choice have emerged since 1978. In Sweden, both public and private school choice has met the needs of one the world’s best educated citizenry. 

Coulson delivered a free market review of impediments and opportunities found in educational price, regulation, legal and regulatory threats, vouchers, Education Savings Accounts, tax cuts and policy solutions. 

In the ever-present tension between compulsion and conflict, on the one hand, and reasoned regulation, on the other, Coulson delivered a strong endorsement of the latter. 

Dr. J. Rufus Fears

In introducing the seminar’s luncheon keynote speaker, Dr. J. Rufus Fears of the University of Oklahoma, the sponsoring group’s policy vice president, Brandon Dutcher, quipped, “We are foolish if we think our microchips and bandwidth make us immune to the lessons of history, as I’m sure Dr. Fears will remind us. And unlike previous speakers, he won’t be using a PowerPoint. Dr. Fears is a historian of freedom and, like Lord Acton, he understands that power corrupts and PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.”

Dr. Fears proceeded to deliver a powerful distillation of thousands of years of human history – without either notes or power points. His theme was “The New Technology: Lessons from History.”

Online learning and the theory of disruptive innovation: Recent history, and a hopeful future

By Patrick B. McGuigan at www.CapitolBeatOK.com (Published: 01-Aug-2011) 

Online education is already playing a crucial role in the delivery of educational services, according to Michael B. Horn of the Innosight Institute. 

In his kickoff address at last week’s conference in Oklahoma City on “Education in the Digital Age,” Horn pointed to the wave of dramatic social and educational change driven by high tech. 

The sequence of events following the emergence of computers was one focus of his comments – sketching the years from main frames to mini computers, to smaller devices and finally to handheld notebooks that include telephone ability. Today, as prices drop and capacity soars, a process of “disruptive innovation” continues to unfold, leading to greater affordability and accessibility. 

In his address at the symposium, held at the Oklahoma History Center near the state Capitol, and sponsored by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Horn listed an array of examples of how digital/online education is already “huge”: 

Credit recovery (assisting a study to fill in a requirement on the way to graduation), dropouts, advanced placement/AP classes, scheduling conflicts (providing a means for students to take required classes that would not otherwise fit into a school’s available schedule times), home school education, homebound education (students who cannot attend regular class instruction), small and rural school use of online systems, unit recovery, disaster preparedness instruction, tutoring, professional development for teachers, Pre-K instruction, after school instruction, in the home classes, classes for incarcerated youth, continued instruction during periods of in-school suspensions, school bus commutes, summer school programs, and coping with teacher absenteeism.

Horn projects that by 2019, 50 percent of K-12 courses will be offered online. As it is, he explained, there are now 4 million students who are learning online. In all, 39 states already have some forms of online learning. Of those, 30 have supplemental state-led programs. 

Even after the advent of digital learning is in full swing, he projects that schools will still exist, for at least 90 percent of students. Still, the portion of digital instruction and class work received within schools will continue to rise. 

Pointing to the work of Khan Academy and other providers of online education content, Horn reported the dramatic improvement of the quality and utility of material delivered via the Internet. 

Horn said his study of digital learning has taught him that for most people, there are different learning needs at different times of life. Whereas, “we still build school schedules and school days around the old factory model,” and the “cookie-cutter” directives fail precisely because schools operate under conflicting mandates. 

When people talk about flexibility in teaching, and meeting the needs of individual students, he said, “The truth is that the desirability of flexibility is obvious to special needs educators. Online delivery has allowed that flexibility that it is said we need for special needs students.” 

Horn contends that online instruction will allow “a move toward a truly student-centric model. … As technology improves, the predictability of success of these models also improves for blended learning, schools and student pacing.” 

In perhaps the best quip line of the day, Horn shared the observation that America’s educational system “remains obsessed with ‘seat time’ in schooling. But too often, in that obsession, we’re assessing the wrong end of the student.” 

Rather than seat time, he said, “To meet the needs of students we should instead measure knowledge of the desired content. The system needs to become student-based and outcomes-based.”

In other sessions at the symposium, the Cato Institute’s Andrew J. Coulson focused on “How Policy Can Foster and Protect the Digital Education Marketplace.” 

Dan Lips of Arizona’s Goldwater Institute focused on K-12 online learning, suggesting strategies Oklahoma can pursue to accelerate the pace of positive change. 

Other speakers at the digital-learning symposium included Rose Hernandez of Wisconsin, an educator who is active in the National Coalition for Public School Options. 

She appeared in tamed with two educators from the Oklahoma Virtual Academy: Cheryl Tatum and Audra Carr, as well as academy students Dylan Marshall (12 years old) and David Marshall (10) and their mother, Lauren. 

At noon hour of the symposium, University of Oklahoma Classics Professor J. Rufus Fears spoke about the lessons of history in eras of dramatic technological change. His luncheon address was sponsored by the Foundation for Educational Choice.

Oklahoma City’s KIPP Academy Outperforms Other Eighth Graders

By Stacy Martin at CapitolBeatOK (Published: 30-Jun-2011) 

At 1900 N.E. 10 Street, amid rows of low income neighborhood blocks with blight and abandoned buildings, there is a little brown school building. When school is in session, it is filled with students from homes just like one would expect: poor families, kids with parents in prison, adults who are addicted to drugs, neglectful, absent in their kids’ lives. Some have ceded their parenting to grandparents. These are proven obstacles to student achievement.

The building’s school on the first floor, F.D. Moon Academy, is now one of Oklahoma City’s most troubled elementary schools. Federal law has compelled the district to seize control and turn it around. But go upstairs to the second floor, and you will find irony incarnate.

On that second floor, there are the same kinds of kids from the same backgrounds. But this is (Knowledge is Power Program) KIPP Reach Academy, a charter school. It is the highest achieving middle school in the Oklahoma City Public School District, including those which can, critics say, “cherry-pick” students.

KIPP Reach is a tuition-free, open-enrolment, college preparatory middle school serving 277 underserved students primarily living in neighborhoods near Martin Luther King and NE 10 St. 

Seventy-nine percent of students at KIPP are African-American, and 81 percent qualify for federally-subsidized meals. The school operates from 7:25 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Classes are also held once monthly on Saturdays and for an extra two weeks in the summer.

In the most recently reported year, 2009-2010, KIPP students reached 100 percent proficiency in reading and math, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The school’s science scores were close behind.

Tracy McDaniel

KIPP Principal/Oklahoma City founder Tracy McDaniel believes reading problems are pervasive in schools because teachers are teaching words, not retention and comprehension. Reading is the building block of all successful learning for a child, he believes. 

“We teach reading strategies. Research will tell you that if you teach them at their level, and teach them reading strategies, they will learn,” McDaniel said.

The focus on reading is so intensive, that after three years, students from KIPP intuitively practice several hundred strategies that have given them great reading comprehension and retention.

What is KIPP’s most potent weapon? Follow-through. It trains administrators rigorously. They, in turn, train the teachers rigorously. The students benefit, and the results amaze.

Forty-five students from KIPP Reach’s 8th grade class of 2007 are receiving high school diplomas this spring. Eighty percent of these students have been accepted to two- or four-year colleges, including Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, University of Central Oklahoma, and Hendrix College. Most will be the first in their families to attend college.

Several students now are headed into freshman high school classes at prestigious private schools such as Casady in north Oklahoma City, and elite boarding schools across the nation. McDaniel is asked repeatedly what makes KIPP work so spectacularly. Each time, he gives more or less the same answer. It is a simple one.

A slogan adorns the wall, and it captures part of the answer: “Work hard. Be nice.” He and the teachers at KIPP make that happen. Teachers take phone calls when a student needs their guidance on any given night. 

Critics argue McDaniel has some kind of special parents aboard. McDaniel has been accused of recruiting special parents, special kids. He has families with siblings at F.D. Moon, so that does not seem true. He also has families whose students dislike the rigor and leave his school.

McDaniel says of the assertions he somehow “chooses” kids and parents from the poorest demographic in Oklahoma City: “That’s not giving the credit to the teachers, or the students.”

Oklahoma City Superintendent Karl Springer says he is implementing rigorous programs downstairs at Moon. When Springer’s staff explained the greater rigor and professional teacher development that would now be expected at Moon, many teachers just quit.

Teacher’s union members are discouraged at KIPP; they just aren’t interested, McDaniel said. KIPP has reached out to Oklahoma City school district leadership and his efforts have been received cordially. No accord has emerged yet, but there is dialogue.

“Karl Springer is a good man and is good about reaching out to charters,” McDaniel said. “We are talking about working with him with F.D. Moon.” 

Each summer, KIPP administrators and educators attend a prestigious reading education program at the University of Columbia every summer. The balance of the summer is spent planning for the next year and fund-raising to fill out the school’s slender budget. Chesapeake Energy and the Inasmuch Foundation are substantial supporters.

KIPP Reach, now in its 10th year, is part of a national network of 99 public schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. With a longer school day and year, KIPP students are in classes 50 percent more time than traditional public school children. To date, over 85 percent of students who have completed 8th grade at KIPP have matriculated to college.

As McDaniel tells it, KIPP Reach prepares students for academic success and success in life by providing a rigorous college prep academic curriculum, more time on task, high expectations for all of students and strong character education to build the skills and knowledge necessary for success in school and life.

KIPP, a nationwide program founded by two educators, now boasts 99 sites. The most dramatic change has occurred in Houston school district, where 16 KIPP schools have been established. For now, in the depth of summer, downstairs at F.D. Moon, the halls are eerily dark and quiet. 

If KIPP has proven anything it is this: With the right tools and support, all students can learn. Before long, the halls will be noisy and brighter, as students return for the city system’s new continuing learning schooling calendar. It is clear, at least to some observers: F.D. Moon students are not failing, they have been failed. 

To learn more, visit www.kippreach.org or Alexis Carter-Black, (405) 425-4622 or acblack@kippreach.org

Editor’s Note: Stacy Martin is a researcher and staff writer for CapitolBeatOK. She is also editor of The City Sentinel, where portions of this story were first printed this week. 

New Online Public School Announced

Choctaw-Nicoma Park Public Schools and Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy Announce New Online Public School

School Now Enrolling Students in Grades K-11 Across Oklahoma

CHOCTAW, Okla., June 13, 2011 - Families in Oklahoma now have access to an innovative new public school with the opening of the Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy (OVCA).

OVCA is a tuition-free online public charter school that will serve students in grades kindergarten through high school beginning this Fall.  The school is open to eligible residents of Oklahoma.  

OVCA is now accepting applications to enroll in the school.  The school is planning to host numerous community events and information sessions for parents and students interested in learning more about the online public school.  Families can receive more information about OVCA at www.K12.com/ovca.

OVCA was recently approved by Choctaw-Nicoma Park Public Schools.  The charter school is governed by an independent, nonprofit school board.  

Kristi Gifford, board president, said, "The board is excited to offer this public school option to Oklahoma families.  This school will offer parents an excellent school choice with a focus on personalized learning through the use of a high quality curriculum.  For many families, online schools are the best opportunity for their children to succeed academically.  We thank the Choctaw-Nicoma Park Schools for making this possible."

Dr. Jim McCharen, Superintendent of Choctaw-Nicoma Park Public Schools, said, "Choctaw-Nicoma Park Public Schools is proud to partner with OVCA to expand education opportunities for Oklahoma's students.  Online learning is growing as educators look for new ways to individualize learning.  OVCA will help meet the education needs of students and help foster a close partnership with teachers and parents."

OVCA plans to use the curriculum and program offered by K12 Inc., the largest provider of K-12 online school programs in the U.S.  The K12 program is used by school districts and charter schools across the country and has received numerous awards for innovation and excellence.  

OVCA will offer students the opportunity to receive a personalized learning program outside the traditional classroom, usually at home.  Students will have greater flexibility to work at a level and pace that fits their individual needs.  

Students will benefit from a wide offering of courses including core subjects, world languages, AP and honors courses, and other exciting high school electives. Certified teachers will provide instruction and support and work in partnership with the student's "Learning Coach" – a parent or responsible adult.  

Students will access online lessons, participate in teacher-led web-based classes, and also receive off-line education materials delivered directly to their home.

Students will be required to meet accountability standards, including academic and attendance requirements, and participation in state assessment tests.

SOURCE: Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy