Sandy Garrett’s Column for Oct. 19
Cooler temperatures and shorter days of fall soon will bring superheroes, cartoon characters, movie stars and more to our doorsteps, as boys and girls dress up to celebrate Halloween.
Dating back 2,000 years,”All Hallows Eve” has roots in an ancient Celtic harvest festival and the Christian holy day of All Saints Day. During the past century, Americans have helped shape Halloween into more of a whimsical, community event for children.
While Halloween is a festive and fun time, it is also one of the most dangerous celebrations of the year for children. According to Safe Kids USA, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than the rest of the year.
This year, families can help make Halloween less scary by following a few safety measures, such as these for a “SAFE HALLOWEEN” from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
S – Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
A – Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
F – Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
E – Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them.
H – Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you.
A – Always test make-up in a small area first and remove before bedtime to prevent irritation.
L – Look both ways before crossing the street! Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
L – Lower your risk for bacterial infection or eye injury by NOT wearing decorative contact lenses, unless they are prescribed and fitted by a medical professional.
O – Only walk on sidewalks or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
W – Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
E – Eating factory-wrapped treats is best. Avoid homemade treats unless you know the cook.
E – Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult; otherwise, stay outside.
N – Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.
Here’s to a safe and happy Halloween!
Sandy Garrett’s Column
On any given school day, more than 369,000 children in Oklahoma ride to and from school on yellow buses that together travel 67 million miles each year. With so many miles to cover and thousands of boys and girls to transport safely, practicing school bus safety is a must at all times.
It’s one reason we observe National School Bus Safety Week each fall. This year, October 19-23, “Avoid Harm, Obey the Arm” is the national theme to stress the need for drivers to obey the rules of the road and for students to follow safety rules.
Motorists, parents and students alike are reminded that:
• Yellow lights will flash when a school bus is preparing to stop.
• Red lights will flash and a red stop sign arm will unfold from the side
of the bus when cars must stop because a bus is loading or unloading.
• Never pass on the right side of a bus where children board. It is also
illegal for motorists to pass a school bus that is stopped.
• Motorists may proceed only after the red lights have stopped flashing,
the stop sign arm has been folded up and the bus moves.
• When the bus approaches, students should stand at least three giant
steps (6 feet) away from the curb, and line up away from the street. Also:
1. They may board only after the bus stops, the door opens, and the
driver says it’s okay to step onto the bus.
2. They should never walk behind the bus but rather several feet in front
where the driver can see them.
3. If something is dropped near the bus, children should tell the bus
driver and only retrieve the item if the driver can see them.
The school bus continues to be the safest form of transportation to and from school. In fact, it is eight times safer than passenger vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In a 2002 report by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies for Science (NAS), children were found to be at more risk traveling in private passenger vehicles to and from school – especially if a teenage driver is involved – than in school buses.
The most dangerous part of the bus ride is when students load and unload from the bus. So please review safety rules with your children. Together – students, parents and communities – we can help ensure a safe and secure ride to school for boys and girls.
Sandy Garrett’s Column for Oct. 1
Thirty-four-year-old Brian Grimm, an English instructor at Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, has been named Oklahoma’s 2010 Teacher of the Year.
I was honored to make this announcement this week before a standing-room-only audience of educators, friends and family members at the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City. Grimm repeatedly motioned “thumbs up” while accepting a “prize package” valued at more than $60,000.
The prizes from numerous, generous sponsors includes: Teacher of the Year trophy; $11,000 in cash awards and stipends; a laptop computer; a year’s lease of a Toyota Prius; thousands of dollars in Oklahoma college tuition fee waivers; a $500 credit toward a classroom makeover; specialized training; and software and computer equipment for the classroom.
As Teacher of the Year, Grimm will spend the next year as “Oklahoma’s Ambassador of Teaching” and will represent our state in the National
Teacher of the Year ceremony.
A native Oklahoman, Grimm attended school in Sapulpa before relocating to Texas with his family. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha. He credits his family’s influence as educators, and the mentoring of two college professors with his dedication to his profession. “I never considered anything but teaching,” he said.
Grimm returned to the Tulsa area in 2004, when he was employed at Will Rogers, a Title I school beset with problems common to urban schools in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
He says he was challenged to make the curriculum “relevant to kids with so much on their plates,” and credits his success and that of his students as a joint effort between school administrators, fellow teachers and district officials.
He admits his career as an educator was almost derailed by frustration and disillusionment. Nothing in his earlier experiences—teaching well prepared students in affluent schools—had prepared him for the students plagued with generational poverty he found at Will Rogers High.
After much thought and contemplation that first year at Will Rogers, Grimm became determined to reach deep in his educator’s toolbox to do whatever needed to reach his students and be an effective teacher. He hasn’t looked back since.
While Grimm says his message is simple, “You can do it!,” he says success with challenged students required him to think beyond traditional methods.
“In a contemporary classroom filled with students from diverse backgrounds…there is no particular formula, no exact equation for success,” he says. Teachers just need to “go to school every day and be prepared to try something new.”
I wholeheartedly agree, Mr. Grimm. Congratulations!
Becky Felts’ Column for Sept. 24
Why don’t our teachers stay: Providing the right learning conditions for new teachers
Today’s efforts to improve teaching and boost student achievement are almost exclusively focused on punitive measures or short-term cash incentives. While the classic motivators of fear and money may be effective for a little while, that is not the answer for long-term retention of our teachers. Many teachers feel called to do this job, so motivation is not what our new teachers need. They are motivated, but what is missing are working conditions that provide an opportunity for success.
Nationally, in the first five years of teaching more than 60 percent of teachers leave the profession. Research by the New Teacher Center suggests that the reason teachers leave the classroom is poor working conditions.
A teacher’s working conditions are a student’s learning conditions. If the environment is not conducive to effective teaching, it certainly is not conducive to effective learning.
If the quality of the teacher is the single most important determinant in a child’s success, we have to dedicate more time and resources to creating successful learning environments.
Poor working conditions that lead to attrition
• Large class sizes- Each student is an individual with different learning styles and talents. Teachers, especially our new teachers, need small class sizes that allow them to know and work with each student individually. Research conducted by the National Education Association has shown the positive benefits of being in small classes of 13-17 students in the early grades continued after students were placed in larger classes in secondary school. It is absolutely essential for our elementary students to receive the individual, specialized attention they need to create a foundation for success throughout their academic careers. With large classes, teachers cannot provide individual support. They also spend large amounts of time managing the classroom as opposed to engaging students in active learning. Large class sizes contribute to poor student achievement, thus lowering teacher satisfaction and contributing to increased turnover.
• Heavy workloads – In 2006, the average workload for a secondary teacher in the United States was five classes a day, teaching two different subjects. The more excessive the workload, the more problems new teachers will incur. On top of providing engaging and effective instruction to students during school hours, teachers go home and continue to work by grading papers and calling parents. In my small community of Tahlequah, I would end up holding a parent conference on the fly at the discount pharmacy or the local grocery store. People sometimes forget that you are a teacher 24-7. It is a very consuming job, especially paired with heavy workloads and no support.
• Insufficient resources and materials – The average teacher spends about $500 out-of-pocket a year on instructional materials, but the average first year teacher spends $700 out-of-pocket a year on classroom supplies. I recently heard a story of a parent who could not help her child with his homework because he was not allowed to bring his book home. The mother’s challenge was helping her child complete a math worksheet with no examples from the textbook. While she understood the information, the way she learned how to solve the problem and the way the teacher showed her son how to solve the problem was different. The mom was confusing the son and needed a textbook example to help. We have to have sufficient classroom supplies at a bare minimum, to help our teachers and parents educate our kids.
What can we do to provide working conditions conducive to teaching and learning?
• Provide extra support for new teachers- The sink or swim induction new teachers typically experience is causing our new teachers to drown. A high-quality, multi-year mentoring system helps provide the extra support new teachers need. The Oklahoma Education Association has partnered with the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University to create an intensive two-year mentor training program. A 2005 study by the New Teacher Center showed that retention can rise to nearly 90 percent, 30 percent above national retention rates, after implementing a rigorous instructional mentoring and induction program. Ensuring that there are dedicated resources to implement a quality, multi-year mentoring program should be the first step in a comprehensive and sustained effort to ensure Oklahoma’s most important educational resource, dedicated teachers, are available and able to help every child learn.
• Provide time to work collaboratively with colleagues- In strong professional learning communities, teachers help and support each other, develop innovative approaches to instruction and accept responsibility collectively for student achievement. However, the workplace culture and structure has to promote it. New teachers need time embedded in the workday to exchange ideas and solutions. New teachers cannot be isolated.
• Provide additional help to work with students and parents – Schools must provide extra support to students with additional needs and for teachers working with students with additional needs. School must try to create a culture of collective teacher responsibility for student achievement and provide comprehensive student support services. Nurturing school, family and community partnerships also creates multiple support systems for teachers and students.
- Becky Felts is president of the Oklahoma Education Association
Sandy Garrett’s Column
With the school year in full swing, boys and girls are busy learning new things and completing classroom assignments. Backpacks are chock full of pens and pencils, books and paper, and most likely homework.
A great resource for homework help, project research or general knowledge is called the Digital Prairie. A set of statewide databases, the Digital
Prairie has a collection of full-text reference materials available for all Oklahomans to use for free, 24/7. All that is needed to get started is a computer connected to the Internet, a username and password, which you can get from your local school or public library.
Digital Prairie is a service of the Oklahoma Library Technology Network and is funded by the state Legislature through the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. Federal funds are also provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Great resources for school reports are available for any grade level and include articles from a wide variety of professional and popular journals, magazines, and newspapers. There are also historical and current maps of states and other countries, and pictures that can be downloaded.
Digital Prairie includes:
• EBSCO has thousands of complete articles, from both professional
journals and general interest magazines, as well as an encyclopedia, dictionary and an image collection. It has more than 1,000 national and international publications. There are search tools in place for students of all ages, parents and educators as well. “Searchasaurus” is designed for lower elementary, “Kids Search” is for upper elementary and middle school students, and “Student Research Center” is for middle and high school students.
• SIRS Discoverer is geared toward Grades K-8, with articles and Web
sites that are age-appropriate and selected by a team of former teachers.
It includes articles and images from more than 1,600 newspapers, magazines, government documents and appropriate Web sites.
• FirstSearch/WorldCat is a comprehensive bibliography, representing many
languages, and including information that is available in libraries around the world.
Access to Digital Prairie is available on the State Department of Education’s Web site http://www.sde.state.ok.us/ from the Library Media/Instructional Television office. Call your local school library or public library to get your username and password, so you can start exploring Oklahoma’s Digital Prairie – today!
Becky Felts Column for Sept. 9
Dropout Prevention is Everybody’s Business
The number of students dropping out of school warrants everyone’s attention because it touches every area of society. It is heartbreaking to see so many young lives prescribed to a greater likelihood of impoverished living or even worse, prison.
As an elementary teacher, it crushes my heart to know that some of my bright-eyed, bushy-tailed young fourth-graders won’t finish high school.
According to research by America’s Promise Alliance, dropouts are:
• Two times more likely than a graduate to be unemployed.
• Three times as likely to live in poverty.
• Eight times as likely to go to prison- In Oklahoma, nearly 70 percent of inmates under 25 are high school dropouts.
Cost of Dropouts
• 14,600-the yearly average number of students in Oklahoma who don’t graduate in four years.
• $3.8 billion-the amount of money the class of 2006 dropouts cost the state in lost wages, taxes and productivity over their lifetimes.
• $96.4 million- the combined savings and revenue from reducing crime-related costs if we increase both high school and college graduation rates of male students in Oklahoma by only five percent.
(Information provided by Alliance for Excellent Education, June 2007)
While Oklahoma’s statewide graduation rate is four percent above the national graduation rate of 74 percent according to the U.S. Department of Education, only half of the kids in Oklahoma City and Tulsa graduate. Educators must provide personal, individualized attention to our at-risk students. We must build positive and respectful relationships between staff and students as well as support fair discipline policies. It will take parents, educators and community leaders to share the responsibility for making sure all students stay in school.
OEA has adopted a 12-point plan for creating programs that are effective in reducing the dropout rates. The first five points are below. For the remaining points, download http://okea.org/12%20point%20action%20plan.pdf or visit www.okea.org.
1. Mandate high school graduation or equivalency as compulsory for everyone below the age of 21. Just as we established compulsory attendance to the age of 16 or 17 in the beginning of the 20th century, it is appropriate and critical to eradicate the idea of “dropping out” before achieving a diploma. To compete in the 21st century, all of our citizens, at minimum, need a high school education.
2. Establish high school graduation centers for students 19-21 years old to provide specialized instruction and counseling to all students in this older age group who would be more effectively addressed in classes apart from younger students.
3. Make sure students receive individual attention in safe schools, in smaller learning communities within large schools, in small classes (18 or fewer students), and in programs during the summer, weekends, and before and after school that provide tutoring and build on what students learn during the school day.
4. Expand students’ graduation options through creative partnerships with community colleges in career and technical fields and with alternative schools so that students have another way to earn a high school diploma. For students who are incarcerated, tie their release to high school graduation at the end of their sentences.
5. Increase career education and workforce readiness programs in schools so that students see the connection between school and careers after graduation. To ensure that students have the skills they need for these careers, integrate 21st century skills into the curriculum and provide all students with access to 21st century technology.
- Becky Felts is the Oklahoma Education Association president
Sandy Garrett’s Column for Sept. 7
With classrooms now full across our state, boys and girls want to know how long until recess, not how to prevent the flu.
However, with the return of students for the fall semester, health officials are expecting cases of H1N1, also referred to as the “swine flu,” to increase. Unfortunately, many cases have already been confirmed in universities and schools in this state, and many more are likely as flu season approaches.
While the normal flu season in Oklahoma is trouble enough from November through March, cases of the flu were reported during the spring and summer this year. The regular seasonal flu vaccine will be available this month, but is not expected to protect against the H1N1 flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The H1N1 vaccine could be available sometime in late fall.
Health officials still advise that the best way to prevent the spread of any illness is to:
• Wash hands often with soap and water
• Cover coughs and sneezes
• If possible avoid close contact with someone who is ill
Anyone with a flu-like illness and running a fever of 100 degrees or more is advised to stay at home until they are symptom-free and have had no fever without the use of medication for 24 hours.
Also, there are people who are more at-risk of 2009 H1N1 complications, including those who are pregnant, have asthma or diabetes, have compromised immune systems or have neuromuscular diseases, such as cerebral palsy or Down’s Syndrome. Parents of high risk children should consult their pediatricians to discuss what actions they should take if an outbreak of flu or H1N1 occurs at their children’s schools.
The State Department of Education continues to work with the Oklahoma State Department of Health, the lead state agency on this issue, to help guide schools in case of outbreaks. We have been advised by state and federal health authorities that school closure for H1N1 will likely be a rare occurrence. With what we know about the virus now, only if an outbreak increases to an extreme level and the disruption to learning is great will health authorities recommend to school administrators that they temporarily close schools.
We have asked Oklahoma public school leaders to work closely with their county health departments in an effort to prepare and prevent. A letter detailing our guidance to schools can be found on the State Department of Education’s Web site,
Many school districts are training personnel to look for specific symptoms and how to monitor for illnesses. And, school leaders have been asked to set up plans to ensure that ill students will not fall behind because of missing classes. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses should be exchanged between parents and teachers, and school Web sites could perhaps be used to post assignments.
With increased awareness of this flu and the use of common-sense prevention steps, hopefully together we can help keep students healthy and in school!
Becky Felts’ Column for Aug. 31
More effective teachers start with good leadership
I am a firm believer that a teacher’s working conditions are a student’s learning conditions. A good principal can create a culture of achievement and empower the teachers. More effective teaching starts with good leadership at the building level.
From Good to Great
According to Oklahoma Best Practices What Works printed by the Oklahoma Commission for Education Leadership in 2005, here are some key attributes of high-challenge (low-income, varied ethnicity and limited English proficiency) high-performing schools in Oklahoma:
• Instructional autonomy. In the past, the school principal has been viewed as the instructional leader. Today, teachers are assuming ownership of the development and application of the curriculum while principals are becoming facilitators of instruction.
• Encouragement. In great schools, the principal looks for the strengths of each teacher and builds on those strengths.
• Shared accountability. Accountability is shared by both the principal and the teachers across all disciplines including special education and English language learners.
• Instructional support. The principal provides time for teachers to plan together and provides instructional support such as support personnel to help in the classroom.
A Model that Works
The National Center for Educational Accountability named Huston 4th-5th Grade Center in Blackwell, Oklahoma as a high performing school based on their challenges and achievements in 2005. During the time of the study, nearly 70 percent of students qualified for free or reduced lunch.
Consistent Higher Performance
Huston Center Elementary School was higher performing than demographically similar schools in mathematics, reading, U.S. History, and science in an analysis that included all fifth-grade achievement data from 2002 to2004. Huston Center Elementary School demonstrated overall performance ranks of 97.1 in mathematics, 94.4 in reading, 85.1 in U.S. History, and 98.7 in science on state tests.
According to the case study, it started with the leadership of their superintendent. District teachers referred to her as someone who truly understood instructional leadership. Her leadership style included team-based curriculum development and shared responsibility for student success. The assistant superintendent identified people and programs whose methods and materials were researched-based and pertinent to the challenge of educating a changing population. Teachers district-wide worked as grade level teams. Teachers were in and out of each other’s classrooms sharing best practices. Eventually, Huston teachers started vertical curriculum planning with another grade center. District support was listed as a key ingredient for teacher retention and appreciation for instructional support was abundant.
Last year, the Huston Center Elementary School had a total Academic Performance Index of 1486.
For more information on the Huston case study, visit http://www.nc4ea.org/files/Oklahoma_Best_Practice_Executive_Summary_2004-05-06-01-06.pdf.
For years we have had models in our state of collaborative and effective relationships between superintendents, building principals and teachers that are centered on student achievement.
In a time where the pressures of “reform” and testing are at an all-time high, we must remember the key to transformational learning is for school leaders to trust, support and build the capacity of the teachers.
-Becky Felts is president of the Oklahoma Education Association
Sandy Garrett’s Column
Some of our fondest memories growing up involve grandparents—the smell of fresh baked pies, big family dinners and lively rounds of board games. I certainly wouldn’t trade anything for that time together or all of the lessons learned.
Times have changed of course, and Americans live longer, commute easier and faster, and technology allows us to stay in touch instantly by phone, email, and even video. The traditional grandparent-child relationship also has changed.
Today, more than six million children in the United States are being raised by grandparents, a dramatic increase in the last 20 years. In Oklahoma, more than 57,000 or 6 percent of all children live in grandparent-headed households. There are only a handful of states with a higher rate than ours, which is attributed to the shocking number of mothers in this state who are incarcerated and/or who are substance-abusers.
While the role of grandparent has changed through the years, senior Oklahomans are an even more essential part of families and it is important as ever we honor them.
A special day has been set aside to celebrate. Sunday, September 13, is National Grandparents Day. It has been observed annually on the first Sunday following Labor Day since 1978.
The day was first proclaimed by President Jimmy Carter and founded by Marian McQuade, a West Virginia housewife to honor grandparents, give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and help children become aware of the strength and guidance older people can offer.
Here are some helpful reminders (from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) for grandparents raising grandchildren that are also great for caregivers of all types:
Ø Daily routines for meals, bedtime or other activities help everyone.
Ø Children need to know that they can always talk to you about problems they have.
Ø Doing things such as reading, walking and playing let children know you value your time with them.
Ø And, don’t forget to take care of yourself by attending a support group, enrolling in a parenting class and taking breaks to relax.
Resources for “grandfamilies” are also available online at www.aarp.org, www.okdhs.org and www.usa.gov/Topics/Grandparents.shtml.
Whether celebrating together as a small group or at a large family reunion, I hope all Oklahomans will honor grandparents for all that they have done and all they continue to do.
Read to a child – the benefits last a lifetime!
Becky Felts’ Column
The old saying, “everything I needed to know about life, I learned in kindergarten” holds a good amount of truth to it.
As I scan my bookshelf, I still have the old books my mother used to read to me before I was in school. In my office, are the “Becky” books my aunt bought for me. Bless her heart, whenever she saw a book with my name Becky on it, she bought it and signed it with an inscription that said “As the twig is bent so the tree grows.”
These childhood books remind me of the enriched family environment in which I was raised. An environment surrounded by special books just for me, stimulating places that provided spontaneous learning and rich conversations and words that my three-year-old mind soaked up like a dry sponge. My childhood was filled with love and learning for which I am grateful.
I am proud to say that in Oklahoma, we recognize and acknowledge the value of early childhood education. By January 2011, every district must offer full-day kindergarten and many of our schools will have four-year-old programs.
Economically disadvantaged families are least likely to have monetary or social resources to provide the development every child needs as a BASIC opportunity for success in school.
The problems start early if they are not addressed early. According to PAES, Partnership for America’s Economic Success (www.partnershipforsuccess.org),
• By age 3, children of parents using social services like public housing or food stamps have a vocabulary of about 500 words compared to 1,200 words for children of college-educated parents.
• By age 5, a child’s brain reaches 85% of its adult weight and develops 700 neural synapses every second-the connections that help him learn.
Providing that development through early childhood programs pays dividends by providing better social and economic productivity later in life. Quality early childhood education for at-risk children can produce an annual rate of return as high as 16%, according to Art Rolnick, Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
All children should have effective early childhood development. Not all families are able to provide that development at home. That’s where, together as a public, we step in.
Here’s what a quality early childhood program looks like:
• A learning environment staffed by four-year degree teachers with specific training in early childhood education.
• Families and teachers exchanging information about the child’s development and learning progress.
• Well-balanced nourishing meals and snacks.
• Small teacher child ratios
• Teachers on bended knee speaking to children at eye-level and showing appropriate affection
• Children receiving a variety of stimuli in their daily routine using indoor and outdoor spaces, appropriate language, literacy, math, science, art, music, movement and dramatic play experiences.
• Children participating with teachers in individual, small-group and large-group activities.
Quality early childhood education is essential and helps give every child the firm foundation needed to be successful at each stage of their education and life. The love and learning I was exposed to early in my life has no doubt helped facilitate my success as an adult. This school year, support a great public school for every child.
- Felts is the Oklahoma Education Association president.
