Oklahoma
It's time to think differently about how we educate Oklahoma children. Community schools would help • Oklahoma Voice
Oklahoma’s dismal bottom 10 rank in education outcomes highlights a need to think differently about how we’re educating our children who continue to struggle with academic performance, chronic absenteeism and emotional and behavioral issues.
It’s time for our education leaders to take a hard look at the evidence-based benefits that come from increased investments in the community school model.
Community schools provide students with “wraparound services.” They focus on holistic approaches to educating children, understanding that for a child to thrive in school an integrated support system is also needed for their families at home. The model focuses on student and family engagement, collaborative leadership, enriched learning opportunities and integrated support systems.
Fortunately, in part by the pandemic and federal Covid funding, the Federation of American Scientists found that in 2023, “60% of public schools were utilizing a “community school” or “wraparound services model.” That was up from 45% the year prior.
If you think this model won’t work in a state that has an abundance of charter and private schools and is known for perpetually underfunding our public school systems, think again.
Tulsa Union is an example of an Oklahoma public school district that has successfully integrated the model. As one of the earliest adopters, the district received national attention for its student success.
Education expert, David Kirp, wrote in a New York Times opinion piece that contrary to the pressure to focus on rapid academic test score growth, former superintendent Cathy Burden understood that “focusing entirely on academics wasn’t enough, especially for poor kids.”
Instead, Union, which at the time reported 70% of students received free or reduced-price lunches, laid a foundation for meaningful learning by offering a “cornucopia of activities — art, music, science, sports, tutoring — that middle-class families routinely provide.”
Kirp wrote that the district opened its schools early. It helped families access health care. It worked to connect parents with job-training opportunities. It provided clothing, furniture and food to struggling students. It even offered daycare for teen mothers so they could graduate.
U.S. News and World Report now ranks Union High School as one of the nation’s top high schools. It is over 70% minority, and nearly 50% low-income, but it is basically tied with Oklahoma’s high schools for academic achievement.
Other districts have also experimented with the model.
In 2017, when a bus load of Oklahoma City partners visited Rosa Parks Elementary School, we toured their health center, the “Tinker Lab” for hands-on learning, and their organic gardens built around the theme of “Peace.” The key to success was teamwork. The students selected the crops they wanted to grow and built a kiln in the garden. A teacher created “Wind Wonders” to teach aeronautics.
My favorite story was about the Rosa Parks teacher who rushed out of the building, saying she had to go to Jiffy Lube. The teacher had been trying to track down a parent for a conference and she’d just learned that the mom was about to take her lunch break.
Drawing on Tulsa Union’s success, a scientific consensus, and the work of Linda Darling-Hammond’s Learning Policy Institute regarding the benefits of community schools, a grassroots movement created the David R. Lopez Community School at Edgemere.
Despite its great success, Oklahoma City School Public Schools shut it down during the implementation of its Pathway to Greatness plan.
In spite of that setback, I see the community school model as being one that could increase our academic outcomes by acknowledging a holistic model is needed for our children — and their families — to thrive in a post-pandemic landscape.
But in order to achieve greatness, we’d need visionary leadership. We need leaders who are patient enough to lay the groundwork today in hopes of netting substantial gains years down the road.
The model won’t succeed if our leaders are looking for a short-term, easy political victories and immediate results because wraparound services are more expensive and take considerable resources to get off the ground.
I’m hoping we have some visionary education leaders.
Because I don’t see a path forward for improving the academic and social outcomes for low-performing schools until we commit to implementing community schools statewide.
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Putnam City West High School will shift to virtual learning on Tuesday after an incident involving two students prompted an investigation by the district and Oklahoma City police, according to Putnam City Schools.
District officials said administrators were alerted near the end of the school day Monday to an altercation involving two students in the school’s arena area.
Officials said the students left campus, and the case was turned over to Putnam City Campus Police and the Oklahoma City Police Department for investigation.
District officials said no students or staff were harmed and there is no ongoing safety threat related to the incident.
What we know
Putnam City West sent the following email to all families and staff at the school:
All PCW students and staff will transition to virtual learning for Tuesday, April 21st.
Today, an isolated serious incident involving two students occurred on school grounds. Near the end of the school day, administrators were alerted to an altercation between two students in the arena area. The individuals involved quickly left campus, prompting an initial fact-finding response by school administrators before the matter was turned over to Putnam City Campus Police and the Oklahoma City Police Department for further investigation. Because this is an active investigation involving students, no further information will be released at this time.
We understand this information may be concerning to students, staff, and families. Please know we are committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for all students. At Putnam City Schools, student and staff safety remains our highest priority. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution and to allow for a thorough investigation, all PCW students and staff will transition to virtual learning for Tuesday, April 21st. Students will need to check Google Classroom for updates from teachers.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of PC West.
Putnam City Schools
All students and staff at Putnam City West will transition to virtual learning on Tuesday, April 21, while investigators continue their work, according to the district.
Students were told to check Google Classroom for instructions from teachers.
The district said it is withholding additional details because the case involves students and remains under investigation.
School officials have not said what triggered the incident or whether any arrests have been made.
This is a developing story. Updates will be added as more information becomes available.
TULSA, OKLA (KTUL) — A new program in Oklahoma is giving adults another way to finish high school by allowing them to use past credits and test scores to earn a diploma, an option officials say could help thousands of people and strengthen the state’s workforce.
For years, adults in Oklahoma who did not finish high school largely had one main option: earning a GED. Now, Oklahoma CareerTech is rolling out the Career Readiness Diploma, a pathway designed to build on what students have already completed rather than requiring them to start over.
“So in Oklahoma right now, if you look at the demographics, we have about 279,000 people in our state without a high school diploma. So it’s almost 10% of our population doesn’t have a high school diploma,” said Lance Allee, an adult education and family literacy specialist with Oklahoma CareerTech.
Allee said the program allows adults to apply previously earned high school credit and combine different assessment scores into a single record to qualify for a diploma.
“It allows the student to use previously earned high school credit. So, it’s kind of like a portfolio where you can take multiple assessment scores and put them into one portfolio to get your high school diploma,” Allee said.
The program is open to adults 21 and older. In some cases, officials said, participants can finish in just weeks, depending on how many credits they already have.
CareerTech officials say the program is also aimed at improving job prospects for individuals while helping Oklahoma remain competitive when attracting employers.
“When you’re a company and you’re looking at moving into Oklahoma, you look at the demographics and say, is there a workforce there that we can employ? And you say, well, about 10% of the population doesn’t have a diploma, they may start looking at states that surround us. So, we definitely want to get as many diplomas out there as we can,” Allee said.
The program started issuing diplomas in recent weeks, and officials said dozens more people are already in the process. For more information or to sign up click here.
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NORMAN — Cord Rager’s return comes at a pivotal time for Skip Johnson’s Oklahoma Sooners. Not only do they get their day three starter back in time for big road matchups against Auburn and Arkansas on the horizon, but the Sooners pitching strength, their rotational depth, is primed and ready for the test.
The freshman lefty finished with eight strikeouts and only gave up one hit in only 65 pitches before his day ended in the sixth.
No. 14 Oklahoma earn its first conference sweep of the season, defeating Missouri 8-4. It was OU’s fourth conference series win.
Oklahoma (27-12, 10-8) put their best foot forward as they turn the page to the meat of their schedule where they will do battle against No. 13, No. 20 and No. 16 over the next three weeks — two of those series’ on the road.
Four runs in five hits in the second got things rolling for the Sooners.
Camden Johnson continued his brilliant play of late with a triple in the second. This came after a Brenden Brock solo home run to put OU up 1-0. Deiten LaChance grounded out to short but scored Johnson. Dasan Harris and and Nolan Stevens each found home before the inning ended.
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OU found fortune from the plate again in the fourth. Four runs off of four hits highlighted by a three-run home run by Johnson put Oklahoma up 8-0. It was Johnson’s seventh home run of the season, second on the team behind Brock’s nine.
Trent Collier got the nod in the sixth to relieve Rager.
In the seventh, Missouri finally got on the board for the first time since the ninth inning of Friday night’s Sooner victory. Cam Durnin hit a solo shot — his fourht of the season — to make the score 8-1 in favor of the home team.
The Tigers got their third hit of the game shortly after. From there, Collier’s short day was done. Gavyn Jones came on to relieve
LaChance missed a home run by inches when Tiger center fielder Kaden Peer made a leaping catch, jumping into the fence.
In the eighth, the Tigers continued to chip away. With bases loaded, Blaze Ward hit a basehit to score two Missouri base runners. OU led 8-3 heading into the final inning.
Harris led the Sooners with three hits. His day was accented by an RBI, stolen base and a run.
Oklahoma will travel to Auburn to take on the No. 13 Tigers for a three game series starting on Friday. Before that, they will host Oral Roberts for a midweek game at Kimrey Family Stadium in Norman. The Sooners won 4-0 against ORU earlier this season.
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