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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OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Authorities say one woman was taken to the hospital following an early morning house fire in northeast Oklahoma City.
Around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Oklahoma City firefighters were called to a house fire near N.E. 13th St. and Missouri.
When crews arrived, they found the victim on the front porch of the home.
“When they got off the rig and initiated offensive fire attack, found one victim on the front porch. Appeared she was maybe suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire was relatively small. It was contained to one bedroom in the back. The patient was transported, was treated here, and then transported to OU,” said Batt. Chief Brad Smith, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
Officials said the fire originated in the back of the house, in a back bedroom near the closet.
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However, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Kaysville (Utah) Davis athlete Bode Sparrow cut his list to four back in May and has now locked in his commitment date.
Sparrow is a tremendous player on both sides of the ball and checks in as the No. 77 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
He will make his long awaited college choice this Friday, May 25 from a final four of BYU, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.
In handicapping this race, two schools jump out for us. The first is Oklahoma. I put a commit prediction in for the Sooners back in March and there was some buzz that he could commit around that time.
Sparrow decided to hold off making an early decision in order to take his official visits. Oklahoma was the first visit locked in and for awhile, the only visit that was set, giving even more credence to the Sooners being the team to beat.
“They really believe in me and have a vision for me there,” Sparrow told us after his official visit. “They show me so much love and I have such great relationships with the coaches there.
“I also really like the town of Norman and the plan in place for me from a safety/scheme standpoint. They really have everything I’m looking for in a school. Brent Venables is great, a defensive minded head coach and I just love the all around fit.”
Sparrow followed up his visit to OU with trips to Oregon, Utah and BYU. The Ducks made a big impression and should be considered a dark horse. They are easily one of the toughest schools to recruit against and it would surprise no one if Sparrow ends in Eugene.
Saying that, the school that is gaining a lot of momentum and looks to be Oklahoma’s biggest challenger is BYU. For months we talked to some close to Sparrow, college coaches and trainers who all said the same thing, ‘don’t rule out BYU in the end.’
No one has recruited Sparrow longer than the Cougs. He has been on campus more than any other school, he’s strong in his LDS faith and he has a great connection with the BYU staff including head coach Kalani Sitake.
BYU was able to get the final visit over the weekend and there is some quiet confidence in Provo as well as from a few other recruits/commits who were also on the visit. With the church connection, we’ve long said in a head to head battle, BYU is very tough to beat, especially for an in-state player.
Saying that, there are still Sooner commits we’ve talked to convinced Sparrow is still headed to Norman. That’s why this recruitment has become one of the more fascinating ones to follow this cycle, it’s one of those rare instances where days away from a decision, it could still go in multiple directions.
For now, my commit prediction remains on Oklahoma but BYU is closing fast and this one close to a toss up with a decision quickly approaching.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Officials with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are remembering a dedicated K-9 officer who passed away earlier this month.
K-9 Dak was born in 2014 and began serving with the OHP in 2015.
Throughout his distinguished career, officials say Dak’s exceptional instincts made a significant impact on public safety across the state.
During his career, Dak was instrumental in the seizure of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana, 46 pounds of cocaine, 151 pounds of methamphetamine, and 99 pounds of fentanyl.
“These remarkable accomplishments represent countless lives protected and communities made safer through Dak’s service,” OHP wrote.
Dak worked his final shift on June 3 before peacefully passing away from natural causes on June 7.
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“More than his statistics and accomplishments, Dak was a loyal partner, trusted teammate, and beloved member of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. His legacy will live on through the work he accomplished, the bond he shared with his handler, and the many lives he touched throughout his career,” OHP said.
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