WAX ON; WAX OFF
/This is not political, it's not personal. I hope it's practical, and if it's prophetic; so be it.
Remember when The Beach Boys gave us this:
When some loud braggart tries to put me down
And says his school is great
I tell him right away
"Now what's the matter buddy
Ain't you heard of my school
It's number one in the state"
So be true to your school now
Just like you would to your girl or guy
Be true to your school now
And let your colors fly
Be true to your school
My personal experience with loud braggarts was to give them my lunch money and hope for the best. I'm still haunted by the memory of a couple of bullies at Jenks Elementary School.
This time I'm taking them on.
We had the privilege of being a part of a small community for many years. Our boys grew up there and now some of our grandkids are too. We are so happy for them and for an on-going connection there.
There is a greek word that you might hear at church. It's koinonia. It means fellowship, community, communion. In some communities it is palpable. I hope you've experienced it. It is a beautiful thing and we will miss it as church attendance wains and our lives become more separated and segregated. As our communication happens in text messages and "social" media, our human connections will weaken.
There is a place of community in towns, and neighborhoods that has been and can still be a place where ties are bound, where you can "let your colors fly." It is our public schools. Think I'm exaggerating? Watch what happens to a town when its school and churches close. The local public school is often the hub, the cultural catalyst, the pulse.
There are those in the political races right now who would say I am misguided and ignorant, accusing me of using scare tactics to sway voters. They would be wrong: I don't have that kind of influence. But, my message is true and urgent. Our public schools are essential to our culture, to our communities, to our koinonia. There is an attack on our public schools that is wrapped in false virtue, high-mindedness, and an arrogant claim to know deep spiritual truths. They believe that our teachers and local education leaders are too stupid or driven by an evil agenda to the point where THEY need to step in and take control. They want us to believe that public education is subpar and fraught with immorality and therefore a danger. Their solution: take public money and give it to unaccountable institutions under the guise of "parental choice".
Hold on. I'm not anti- private schools, christian schools or home schools. I have dear friends who have chosen one of these options for their kids for a variety of reasons. It's their choice, and it has been the best one. I also know of kids who have come from church schools and home schools who have been cheated of proper educational opportunities. I know that can also happen in public schools. This, though, is about state government meddling in local affairs and diverting public money.
Our kids, our grandkids, our communities and towns need our schools--our public schools. We need the school carnivals, the bake sales, the school plays, the band and choir, we need Friday night football and Monday afternoon softball. We need the lifeblood of education and socialization. We need the job opportunities for aspiring teachers. We need the gifted people who teach and lead in our schools to also teach and lead in our communities.
OUR OLDEST GRAND-GIRL, KARLEE, BEING TRUE TO HER SCHOOL
I'm not naive, or a fear-monger, and I'm not going to be bullied by Ryan Walters' doomsday message for public education. His platform in the run for State Superintendent is built from scare tactics. He's afraid our kids will read "The Outsiders" or "To Kill A Mockingbird". I'M AFRAID THEY WON'T!
He loves to talk about “critical race theory.” My guess is he couldn't explain it if he had to. It's just a trigger for him to use in speeches to fire up people who don't understand it and won't take the time to. And, there's his threat that if you don't elect him there will be a "boy" trying to play on your daughter's soccer team. If we go down this crazy path that the likes of Walters are blazing, our daughters won't have a soccer team to play on. He and his ilk love to talk about "woke". He doesn't understand that either. It is time to wake up.
He reminds me of those revivalists that used to travel from church to church with sermons meant to scare the hell out of kids. As the old saying goes: their message held kids over hell like a wiener on a stick. Don't let Ryan do that. I'm sure he's a nice young man; as I said, this isn't personal. I know he has an (R) after his name. I know he's endorsed by the governor and beholden to him. He's hoping to ride that R and that relationship into a position he's not prepared for, and for which he has a wrongheaded vision and questionable business practices.* As I said this isn't political it's practical.
I worked in youth ministry longer than Walters has been alive. I can tell you in no uncertain terms that kids are much smarter and more resilient than we credit them for. Let's focus on strengthening families, giving teachers the support and resources they need to offer the best and bring out the best. Let's work as communities to sustain the values that have served us.
BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL!
*From Wikipedia: On May 2, 2022, The Frontier and Oklahoma Watch reported on a United States Department of Education report which found the “Bridge the Gap” program Walters oversaw was implemented with few safeguards to prevent fraud or abuse and that federal auditors were investigating the distribution of COVID-19 relief money through the program.
On May 11, Oklahoma House of Representatives Democrats called on Governor Stitt to call for Walters resignation. The Governor's office responded "Secretary Walters is doing a great job fighting for parents’ right to be in charge of their child’s education and advocating for funding students, not government-controlled systems.” (In other words, according to Stitt: local school boards can't be trusted.)
Later in May, Oklahoma newspapers reported that while working as Secretary of Education, Walters remained Executive Director of “Every Kid Counts Oklahoma,” an Oklahoma education non-profit. Walters was paid approximately $120,000 a year by “Every Kid Counts Oklahoma” compared to his state salary of $40,000. The Frontier and Oklahoma Watch reported that “Every Kid Counts Oklahoma” was funded by national school privatization advocates and charter school expansion advocates, such as the Walton Family Foundation and another group founded by Charles Koch. (In other words, Walters serves at the behest of special interest groups rather than in the best interests of our schools and communities.)
The parentheticals are mine. --Pops.