One Teacher Made a Difference for the Governor of New Hampshire

The teacher who made a difference in the Governor's life to teach him how to read represents a lot of teachers who do not get enough credit for what they do outside the classroom.  Good teachers are found in many elementary, middle, and high schools who prepare our children for college or a career in what they want to do.  College professors are found everyday who go outside their normal routine to help a student who comes to them and asks for help.  Their doors are always open.
The Governor of New Hampshire wouldn't be where he is today except for a teacher who took an interest in him and was determined he would learn to read.  
How many children today fall behind in poor school districts in States like Oklahoma whose legislature cannot seem to get their act together to fund education.  Oklahoma teacher's are 49th in pay which brings up the question of why are Oklahoma Republicans are so much against paying some of the best teacher's I have met a fair wage for teaching?

How many kids like the NH Governor are going to be left behind because GOP State Legislatures keep cutting education.  Oklahoma ranks as the #1 state in the amount of cuts to education since 2008 when the GOP was in full control of the legislature.  Why do Republicans hate education?  Don't our children all deserve a quality education with good teachers?
A lot of questions but few answers in Red States.    
My first effort at volunteering to teach reading at Yucaipa Elementary in CA, almost made me not try again.  I had this little boy who all he wanted to do was count ceiling tiles no matter what you said.  I finally had it and told him to count tiles on someone else's time because he was there to learn to read and if he didn't want to try, then why should I waste my time.  He looked at me with wide eyes and said I want to get better at reading and every time after that he was ready to spend extra time on reading and never counted any more ceiling tiles.  By the end of the semester he had already caught up.  
I tutored reading for years as long as my children were in elementary school.  Had one little girl in Ohio who couldn't read a word at the beginning of first grade and by the end after working with her three days a week for an hour she read a book the to class and had tears running down my cheeks.  In Boerne, TX, they had mentoring program for elementary schools to help students with reading and math.  
Being a stay at home Mom I could volunteer in the schools which I did until my children graduated doing different things the schools needed after my children were older.  One of the worst things I ever had to do was to record the Edgar Allen Poe book For Whom the Bell Tolls which was a real pain to read out loud into a microphone.  That tape was used for English is a Secondary Language High School Literature Course.  Worst thing I did in the schools was becoming the President of the PTO -- had to have rocks for brains to take that when no one else would come forward.  Found out you not only cannot please everyone but you can please very few people in the long run.  
Oklahoma loses teachers all the time who go to surrounding states who pay more.  You would think the Governor would spend as much time on education as she did on making sure two men were executed on the same night which was botched.  The State School Superintendent Barrisi's answer was to ask the Legislature to give teacher's a $2,000 raise while Gov Fallin gave the heads of her agencies tens of thousands in raises.  Something is very wrong in Oklahoma and it starts in the Governor's office. Thought that she would make a better Governor then she has -- she is the worst Governor I have ever had in all the states we have lived and have had some pretty bad ones but nothing close to this.  I hear all the time people asking who is advising her because she sounds like a puppet.
How did the Governor's Association made her the Chair?  Wonder what they think now with all the bad publicity of the last few weeks.  
Oklahomans need to get out to vote and elect a new Governor who is a man who supports all the people of Oklahoma just not oil and gas along with wealthy donors.  He is very big into supporting teachers and education for our students at all levels.  Time to turn Oklahoma Blue because frankly Red is not working for the average Oklahoman.  We need better schools around the state not just in places like Norman where schools are excellent.  Every Oklahoma child should have access to that same type of education we give our kids in Norman.  Please get out to vote for Joe Dorman for Governor!

25,000 Oklahomans rally for Education at the State Capitol

Will Republican dominated State Legislature and State Government Listen?

My guess is no -- hope I am wrong.

Yesterday while Oklahomans were rallying for education at the State Capitol to protest Oklahoma being the #1 state in cutting education funding since 2008 and 49th in teacher salaries, our illustrious hard right legislature was passing this out of Committee:

A bill that would have school children reciting the pledge to the Oklahoma flag as well as the pledge to the U.S. flag at least once a week was advanced by a House committee. 

Went to the link at the Tulsa World and most people who commented couldn't believe such a bill was coming up for a vote.  Are some Oklahomans still fighting the Civil War even though Oklahoma was not a state?   Someone needs to tell this legislature that state's rights do not override the federal government no matter how much they want it to happen.  I, for one, will not recite a pledge to any state flag and if I still had children in school, neither would they.  The arrogance of some of the people in Oklahoma State Government astounds me.

So happy every day that I live in Norman and not other places in Oklahoma because I would never make it in some places.  I am not delusional enough to think I would.

A former Congressman Mickey Edwards from OKC who was very conservative while he was in Congress now says he would be considered a liberal by today's standards. Know how he feels.

It was great to see so many people turn out for the rally!  Still cannot believe they have cut so much from the education budget in Oklahoma but now want to give another tax cut.  Thought education was supposed to be funded first and fully not last and under funded but then I never lived in a state with so many hard right elected officials in the legislature and state government.  The lack of common sense out of a lot of the legislature is disgusting.  We have a shortfall of $188M and they want to reduce taxes because today's GOP cannot raise taxes no matter what.  They instead give more tax breaks or keep ones like for horizontal drilling that should have gone off years ago.

Not impressed with Republicans in charge of state government -- this group here is the worst I have seen in all the states we have lived and I thought New Hampshire was bad on education -- caused us to move down to MA but today they look good compared to Oklahoma where Republicans seem out to destroy public education in their support of charter schools owned by hedge funds and GOP donors. Are some Republicans in this state for sale to the highest bidder like ALEC and the Koch Bros/Rove? Draw your own conclusions but these Republicans have changed since being elected to state government with common sense going out the window.

Really appreciate the facts we get from Oklahoma Policy which is a non-partisan group.  Here is another example on education and the shortfall on the budget.

For Immediate Release from Oklahoma Policy Institute: 

March 31, 2014 

Oklahoma Policy Institute Executive Director David Blatt released the following statement in response to the rally for education funding today at the State Capitol: 

The tens of thousands who rallied at the Capitol today should be a wake-up call to legislators. Almost no one is clamoring for another tax cut, but Oklahomans do want to restore our state's investment in education. The popular support for education funding matches what economic experts and business leaders say is most important to boost the economy. 

Lawmakers are considering automatic tax cuts that would be triggered whenever revenue grows modestly. But we need a better trigger. How about no more income tax cuts until per pupil funding climbs back to where it was in 2008? How about no tax cut until our teacher salaries are no longer among the lowest? How about no tax cut until our students are no longer being taught from outdated textbooks? How about no tax cut until our college graduation rate reaches the national average? The message from Oklahomans is clear: "Don’t cut our taxes until you fund the services we need." 

In comments at the rally, Blatt emphasized that choices made by legislators to repeatedly cut taxes and let tax breaks expand have contributed to the state's current budget problems. "If we can start making the right choices, the money will be there to do the things that we know will strengthen our schools and ensure the next generation has even greater opportunities than this one," he said.  

A full transcript of Blatt's remarks at the rally is available here.

A recent OK Policy issue brief laying out options for filling the state's budget hole is available here.

We are extremely fortunate in Oklahoma to have the non-partisan Oklahoma Policy which gives us facts not spin on what is happening which gives all of us the opportunity to make up our own minds.  When my son recommended Oklahoma Policy he did me a huge favor and been a fan ever since.

Education has always been near and dear to my heart and have spent countless hours volunteering in various places we have lived and have to admit I have never seen such an anti-education legislature I have seen with the Republicans here in Oklahoma.  Took me a long time to admit even here in Norman that the people against the school levies were Republican when I ran into problems because I supported school levies and bond issues while fellow Republicans at the time did not.  

Our children's education should NOT be a partisan issue but every child should have the right to a very high quality education.  When we moved to Oklahoma, I checked out schools and Norman came out so far ahead of anyplace else there was never a doubt we were moving here -- no place else in Oklahoma. Our state legislature should ensure that every student is afforded a first class education and that our teachers do not rank 49th out of 50 in teacher pay.  Maybe if the legislature quit wasting our tax dollars on social issues trying to determine how we live, we would have more money for education -- just a thought.

Something needs to change on education funding in Oklahoma.  If it doesn't, then we need to change who runs the legislature and state government.