OEA Educators and Clergy Conference

The 2nd annual Educators and Clergy Conference was held earlier this spring and more than 100 people -- teachers, administrators and clergy -- attended. The Conference topic was how schools and churches can work together to battle the dropout problem.

Some faith-based organizations have programs for kids while other groups and schools are looking for help and direction in this area. The speakers shared successes and challenges of their programs and also heard from representatives from the First Amendment Center about how programs can legally assist schools.

Speakers pictured above are of OEA Vice-President Becky Felts, Reverend George Young, Tulsa Schools Superintendent Keith Ballard, Charles Haynes, Senior Scholar at the First Amendment Center, Patrick McPherson of Lawton, Howard Hendricks the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Richard Klinge of Catholic Charities, Julie Roberson of St. Luke's Methodist Church and Officer Wayland Cubit of the Oklahoma City Police.

Safety is the Issue

The safety of our children and staff is the most important issue and we can always find ways to make-up the days.

Prayers, Ice, and Books

It's hard to imagine we are dealing with another ice storm. It seems like we just got out of the wintry mess and now here we go again. Sadly, this storm has produced deaths and damages. My prayers go out to those who lost loved ones on the roads and to the people of Jones who lost their high school to fire early this morning.

There is a regularly scheduled school board meeting tonight in Jones. The board will have some tough decisions to make. I listened to the principal on TV this morning. It will be difficult for kids, teachers, and the community to get over this disaster and get back into the proper flow of school.

I can't imagine what it would be like to lose the school I taught at and all the teaching materials I collected over the years. The high school teachers will have a challenging road ahead and I will keep you informed of how you can help. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Because many of us will be spending time at home with kids, I hope that we can take the time to share time and a book or two with them. Today is a great opportunity to model reading for pleasure to your children. Find a favorite author and spend some time reading. And while I talk about it, I want you to know I'm also walking the walk. I've recently finished "Simple Genius" and "Stone Cold" by David Baldacci and "Catch 22" by Joseph Heller. I'm currently reading "The Legend of Baggar Vance" by Steven Pressfield.

All of us can find books we can enjoy for pleasure. Please pass on this great gift to your loved ones.

Cleveland, Ohio Tragedy

What can we learn from this latest incident?

In the shooting aftermath, experts warn educators to pay attention to threats.

The CBS Evening News (10/11, story 2, 2:30, Couric) reported that educators and community members in Cleveland, Ohio, "where a high school freshman opened fire [Wednesday], wounding two students and two teachers before taking his own life," are asking "could it have been prevented?" According to the Centers for Disease Control, "nearly half of all violence in schools is preceded by warning signs, many times as talk of revenge against bullies."

ABC World News (10/11, story 3, 2:25, Gibson) added that the shooter in Wednesday's tragedy "worried fellow students," because of threats he made. Ronald Bruce, a senior at the school, is one of several classmates who have told media sources that they expressed their fears to teachers or administrators. "I actually talked to a teacher," Bruce said, "about how we could get him out of" the school. The student was serving a suspension at the time of the shootings.

"As school officials in Cleveland revise their security plans," USA Today (10/12, Bazar, Bello) adds, "[P]rofessionals who study youth violence said the solution is simple: Pay attention to threatening behavior and talk." Experts interviewed by USA Today "said educators should learn a key lesson from the more than two dozen school shootings since Columbine in 1999: Troubled teens who plan attacks often warn of their intentions. Schools should teach staff and students to recognize and report threats, and require they be investigated." Northeastern University Criminologist Jack Levin, who has studied school violence, emphasized that "[e]very school should have a program to stop bullying and one to overcome the mind-set that reporting a threat is 'snitching.'" He called installing cameras and metal detectors in schools "a politically expedient solution that doesn't work."

Virginia Tech Teacher Edcuation Scholarhip Fund

In the wake of the horrific events that occurred on the campus of Virginia Tech, you can make a donation to The Virginia Tech teacher education scholarship. The Janet M. and James F. Johnson Teacher Education Endowment Scholarship supports students who are studying to be teachers.

Making a donation is easy and can be done in 3 simple steps:

1. Write a check payable to Virginia Tech Foundation.
2. In the memo line (bottom right hand corner of the check), write Fund #885814 (NEA)
3. Mail checks to the Virginia Tech University Development, (0336) Blacksburg, VA 24061.

Thank you for your support.

True Heroes

Liviu Librescu was more than a hero at Virginia Tech, he was a teacher, a respected professor of engineering. For more on Liviu and his colleagues at Virginia Tech who perished while they were teaching go to http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/04/the_door_to_roo.html?csp=34.

Virginia Tech University

My thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this tragedy.

Safety First Revisited

I've experienced a great variety of winter-weather since moving to Oklahoma City in 1971, but this type of ice storm really ranks up there in the problems it has caused for our entire state. People all across Oklahoma are just trying to survive some of the issues associated with the storm. For some, the closing of their schools doesn't rank at the top of the list.

As I said in an earlier post, the decision to close school is done with the safety of our kids, teachers and school employees in mind. I was in Overland Park, Kansas for the Western Region Leadership Conference when this storm also hit in the Kansas City area. A 16-year old student was killed on the way to school when the vehicle he was riding in rolled over because of the weather conditions. No one wants to see parents bury a child.

All of the parents, teachers, administrators and even some of the students I've talked with, are ready to get back to school. Let's hope that the next snow scheduled for Oklahoma this weekend fizzles out and we don't have to deal with another Oklahoma winter-weather storm.

Safety First

Oklahoma is in the middle of the first snow storm of the school year. Snow, sleet, ice and high winds have really hit our state in full force. Many people wonder why schools are closed at various times of the year due to weather. The bottom line is that the safety of our kids is the most important reason.

It's not always easy for superintendents to know how weather will effect the school, but the safety of the kids in their charge will win out. For additional information about this kind of decision, you can call your superintendent or check on your school's web page for their policy.

When it comes to our kids, we want them to be safe.