The Last Christmas Story of 2016

   As a public school educator, I sometimes write about the kids in Blanchard, kids I knew while coaching high school football, or kids I went to school with in Lindsay, Oklahoma. Every now and then, I even write about a child I once knew well, but neither coached nor went to school with - so this tribute is dedicated to one such child.
   Twelve year old Austin was all boy in 1994 - he played on his 6th grade football team, had a girl he liked in school, and asked for all "boy stuff" at Christmas time. For all of his twelve years, Austin had grown up in a farm family as he had shown hogs in 4-H and FFA, and owned a horse (Risky). He lived, played, and worked in the Rush Creek area, which is how I got to know Austin... and also grew to love him. Austin and his best friend Evan ran the hills of Rush Creek, basically having the time of their young lives, as they both attended Lindsay Elementary School, and were preparing to begin jr hi, just one year away. He helped his grandparents in Erin Springs with their livestock, and helped his grandfather on Rush Creek, who was blind, feed the cows. Austin was just an all-around farm boy and had planned to always be a farmer/rancher. Christmas, 1994 was fast approaching and Austin had bought the girl he liked in school (Lexington) a pair of jeans. It was pretty forward of him to buy something so personal for a girl, but he really liked this girl - she was not just any girl. Austin had played organized football for the first time that fall of 1994, and told me stories about how good a player he was. He played running back, as I remember, and told me he broke several long runs during the season. I was very proud to know Austin back then. Finally, Christmas Day arrived and Austin opened his several gifts. One of the things he had asked his parents for was a gun, so he received a .22 pistol as a gift from a relative. Like I said before, Austin liked hunting, so for him to receive a gun as a gift was quite normal - even though he was only 12. The pistol was probably his favorite gift, as he began loading and unloading it. He was also quite aware of the importance of gun safety, and always handled it appropriately, being sure to always keep it unloaded unless actually firing it. The following day, December 26, Austin walked down the street to his friends house, taking along his new gun to show it off to his buddy. Austin arrived at about 10 AM and showed the gun to his friend who also began to show Austin the gifts he had received. It is very unclear as to what happened next, as Austin and his friend were probably the only ones home. His friend had the gun, and thinking it unloaded, pointed and fired directly into Austin's face. It was not unloaded . The .22 caliber bullet struck Austin just below the right eye, traveling into his brain and finally lodging in his sinus cavity. Even though I was not there, I have the scene burned into my lifelong memory, and it plays over and over... forever. At this point, in the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that the young man shot was Austin Beckham, my nephew, as many close friends already know. Austin's father is Johnny Beckham, Baptist Minister (and my brother) and his mother is the former Kaona Lane.
   Kristi Beckham (Austin's older sister) and Kaona began to call his grandparents to tell them of the tragedy and tell them Austin had been rushed to Norman Regional Hospital (NRH), as he was still breathing. They were hopeful that life still remained. Sherrie (my wife) and I passed by my father's home to pick him up, and hurried on to the hospital. When we arrived in the parking lot of NRH, Austin's best friend from Lindsay, Evan Lowe, was also arriving. Evan's mother told us she just couldn't keep him away from seeing Austin, so she had to bring him. We all were ushered in to the ER waiting room where about 25 other friends and relatives waited. After about 2 hours, at approximately 3 PM on December 26, 1994, Austin's dad came into the room from where Austin was, and told a few family members they could go in and "say goodbye to Austin". I went in alone, and said "Goodbye Austin" as I touched his hand, and "I'll see you a little later".
   Austin was Johnny's only son, and was like a son to me - as Sherrie and I have no children. Although I know it broke Johnny's heart to lose Austin, I never saw him shed a single tear, as his faith in God was his strength. I, on the other hand, have never stopped crying, and did so again while writing this tribute. I also know that Kristi, Kaona, Ray (Austin's grandfather), Mary (Austin's grandmother), Dana (my sister), and Babe (my mother) will forever remember and love Austin, as will many cousins and other friends and relatives.
   Austin's best friend, Evan Lowe, died of lymphoma 7 years later, so I know the two of them are now running the hills of Rush Creek somewhere up above.
     

Christmas Time 1964

   Once again, Christmas has come and gone – until this time next year. Many people are counting their Christmas gifts and are giving thanks for all that’s been received from the Father as well as friends and relatives. Many are also thinking about the joy they’ve created for others in the gifts provided to them. Still others become a little depressed during the Christmas holiday in reflecting back on loved ones lost. It’s only natural for a tear to be shed during Christmas, when we think about those not with us. We think about those we loved most, especially if they were lost during Christmas time.

   My thoughts of friends lost during the Christmas holiday season go back to my seventh Christmas, 1964, in Lindsay, Oklahoma. My friend, Ray Snelson, who went to elementary school with me, was an ordinary first grader by anyone’s standards. He was one of the first friends I ever had, which is why I still think of him, usually around Christmas time. As a matter of fact, I was thinking of Ray just this past week when another friend posted a yearbook picture of him on facebook. He was smiling like kids do when the photographer says “say cheese”. The photo was taken during the Fall of 1964, 52 years ago, and Ray would never see Christmas that year. I remember “playing army” at recess time in the early Fall of that year with Ray. In my mind’s eye, I can still see him clearly with his rolled up levis (probably hand-me-downs) and dirty (from “hitting the dirt” at recess) white T-shirt. No boys could keep clean clothes in those days. We had no electronic games, no computers (I don’t think “computer” was even a word in 1964), no specialized sports gear, and usually only one ball (not a football, basketball, or softball) a dark red, round ball – used only for dodgeball. The girls usually played on the one slide, merry-go-round, or swings, while the boys who didn’t have access to the ball each day played “army”.

   We got out of school for the Christmas holidays that year on around the 18^th of December. On December 20, 1964, Ray Snelson fell through the ice on a frozen farm pond. He never made it out, and died that day so long ago. I’m not real clear on the details, since I was very young at that time. I remember my mother coming home from a grocery trip (and it WAS a trip, since we lived seven miles from the nearest grocery), and telling my sister, brother, and me that Ray Snelson had fallen through the ice on a pond and had not made it out. Many people remember where they were and what they were doing when hearing that a famous person, such as John F. Kennedy or Elvis Presley has died. I remember where I was (in my grandparents front yard, on Rush Creek), and what I was doing (kicking a football to Johnny, my younger brother) when I heard that Ray had died.

   I still visit Ray’s gravesite in Green Hill Cemetery north of Lindsay, every now and then, and still shed a tear when I think of him. Ray will stay a seven year old child forever to those that knew him, and will be a seven year old child when we see him again. Merry Christmas to Ray Snelson...  from those that loved him..

Taxpayer Christmas Gifts

   A week ago, before Christmas, I wished my friends, family and relatives, friendly groups (teachers), and even not so friendly groups (politicians, corporate groups, dark money groups) a very Merry Christmas. After Christmas, I'd now like to relate some groups which did not get what they wished for, and reveal some individuals and groups who did receive a very Merry Christmas.
   Oklahoma teachers did not receive a much needed pay raise, when the one-cent sales tax went down to defeat on November 8, 2016, so they only got a lump of coal in their stockings. Many lawmakers and political candidates contributed to this lump of coal for teachers, when expressly stating they would be voting "NO" for a teacher pay raise. These same legislators and candidates received over $4.5 million in dark money Christmas gifts, for election and re-election to the Oklahoma House and Senate. The dark money groups Catalyst Oklahoma, Oklahoma United, and the American Federation for Children provided Christmas gifts for several Oklahoma House and Senate candidates this past year, but also provided a "lump of coal" for several teachers who ran for office. One recipient of a handsome Christmas gift of over $33,000 (the House candidate for District 42) didn't even thank the groups, as he said 'he didn't know about it'. By the way, his opponent in district 42 received $33,000 in "lumps of coal".
   In addition to the legislators and candidates receiving Christmas gifts of dark money, one politician (Dan Kirby of the Oklahoma House of Representatives) received a very special gift from Oklahoma taxpayers - a $44,500 payment for legal fees he incurred, as a result of his "sexual harassment" of a former aid. The now ex-speaker of the House, Jeff Hickman, should really be given credit for Mr. Kirby's very merry Christmas, however, as he alone provided the taxpayer gift. It is doubtful that any Oklahoma taxpayers even knew about the "gift", so should not be given credit for providing it. Dan Kirby was also provided a merry Christmas from voters as he was handily re-elected to the House of Representatives on November 8, even after the taxpayer and Hickman payoff of legal fees and hush money. Whoever said "crime doesn't pay" didn't know what they were talking about, for as we see - sometimes crime does pay if you're a politician.
   Update: Dan Kirby resigned from the House of Representatives on December 23, 2016.
 

Proof of Stupidity

   This blog / column is mostly dedicated to education and politics, so I thought I'd throw out my opinion of how to determine just how stupid our elected officials are. A news article appeared a couple days ago which detailed that our Oklahoma budget hole will be more like $900 million, instead of the governor predicted $600 million. Following the article, many readers' comments lamented that our governor and elected officials must really be stupid, to create the budget crisis we now have - and to miss the projected budget deficit by $300 million. In using the very small part of my brain dedicated to analytical research, I thought that none of the reader comments are valid or reliable - unless some sort of regression analysis is conducted which would indicate a predicted stupidity level among legislators and the governor's office. This blog / column is therefore dedicated to Dr. Keith Gaddie, Chair of the Political Science department at O.U., and all the other political science professors in Oklahoma. Maybe they can forward it to any political science student contemplating a doctorate degree in politics, and just do the required research. I will also forward it to Dr. Gregg Garn, Dean of the College of Education at O.U., for possible research into school related political issues. Of course, you now know this published piece will be partially "tongue in cheek" and partially serious, with just a touch of dry humor.
   The first thing I would do in researching the effects of stupidity upon the budgeting process and stupid bills passed by the legislature in recent years (and ineffective bills signed into law by our governor) - is to dust off the old "analytical research" book (720 pages). One could then determine which type of research methodology would be best in determining the effect that stupidity has on the budgeting process, and even the effect that stupidity has on stupid legislation, or the correlation coefficient which is calculated from data involving the dependent and independent variables. I'm probably beginning to lose a few readers by now, so I'll move along at a faster rate. One method that may be utilized to link any particular stupidity level (semi-stupid, really stupid, morbidly stupid) to the morbidly stupid budget deficit or to the fact that lawmakers don't know their math, is to consider a simple correlation coefficient. One may even link the stupidity level of lawmakers to the fact that Oklahoma teachers are among the lowest paid in the nation using this scientific methodology. Like I said before, my analytical research knowledge is also a little dusty, as I haven't conducted a real study since 2001, when I published my doctoral dissertation - An Examination of the Influence of Technology Inclusion in Determining the Outcome of School Bond Issue Elections in Oklahoma. Of course I've published hundreds of opinions since 2001, such as "uneducated and ignorant lawmakers are responsible for the giant budget holes of recent years" - but no real research.
   The two measured factors, the independent variable and the dependent variable, could be run through the simple correlation formula in order to determine the r (correlation coefficient), or the degree of the relationship between the variables. For instance, we could use the average IQ of all lawmakers (independent variable)  and correlate it with the depth of the budget hole(s) (dependent variable) over the past several years, we could then determine Pearson's r, or the degree of linear correlation. A high correlative degree degree might be .75 and indicate morbid stupidity and a low degree might be .1 and indicate mild stupidity. OK, I'm beginning to bore myself now, so I'll wrap it up.
   So let's say we determined the correlation coefficient between "level of average stupidity among elected lawmakers over the past several years" and "the depth of the state's budget hole over the past several years" is r = .99. We could then assume that stupidity is directly correlated with the size of the state budget hole. For instance, last years budget hole was $1.3 billion (the deepest ever recorded, not only for Oklahoma, but for all states), so, with a correlation coefficient of .99, we could reasonably assume that we had excessively stupid lawmakers in 2015. I'll go one step further (something statisticians should not do) and assume that stupid lawmakers have caused the giant budget holes. At this time, I will disclaim once again that I'm no statistics expert - so I might be wrong in my assumptions and calculations. I'd be willing to bet though, that if the r = .99 - lawmakers in Oklahoma really are stupid. Lastly, I'd like to remind everyone once again, that this blog is intended humor - but could be all to real...

Education and Politics - Loyalty and Commitment

   As many friends know, I'm the superintendent of a medium sized school district south of OKC, but I also ran for public office just a short time ago. Many friends believe I have a fair amount of knowledge concerning our public schools, but not much when it comes to politics - and they would be right, as I was handily defeated during the last primary election. I learned much about the dark side of politics, though, thanks to my campaign for office. I was a member of the teacher caucus (40 teachers and other public school supporters) who ran for office this last season. Of the 40 public school supporters who ran, only 3 or 4 were elected, so the "uprising" of the caucus was stopped dead in its tracks. Of course, there are many reasons this overall loss for public schools occurred, including the fact that public school opponents had much more money with which to campaign, were polished politicians, and supported out-of-state corporate interests (which typically provides dark money to chosen candidates).
   I'd like to relate a personal story that illustrates my newly discovered political enlightenment. Sherrie (my better half) can corroborate these facts along with many personal friends and public school officials. About five years ago, many public school officials came to the realization that to improve our schools, we should make sure the present state superintendent lost the next election for that position (which occurred in 2014). Many public school supporters believed they should support a candidate other than the present state superintendent, in order to attain that goal - so many supporters personally donated huge sums of money in the effort to oust the state superintendent.
   Specifically, many public school supporters were committed to the present State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister as well as being committed to public schools in general. Supporters attended numerous fundraisers set up for Mrs. Hofmeister in order to provide the much needed financial support. Many supporters also suffered personal retribution when it became known they supported Hofmeister over Janet Barresi in the republican primary of 2014.
   Joy Hofmeister,with the support of many public school officials, won the 2014 primary in a land-slide victory, then won in a much closer general election to John Cox, the democratic nominee. It was about this time, that several public school supporters, emboldened by the ousting of Barresi, began to consider running for office to help our public schools. I decided to run for a 2016 position sometime after Hofmeister was elected in 2014. My decision to run was the same as all public school candidates - for our public schools, teachers, and students. The self-sacrifice we all knew would be great, but the result if we won would be an improvement for our public schools, teachers, and students. Many public school candidates were relentlessly attacked by Washington D.C. dark money groups, such as the American Federation for Children, in an effort to assist "voucher candidates". Personally, I visited with Mrs. Hofmeister and asked her if she could support me in my future race for the District 42 House seat. At that time, Joy Hofmeister replied that she could not support any candidate until after the primary election at the end of June. indicating I must win the primary for her support. have to win the primary for her support. A couple weeks after my request for support and well before the primary, a pledge of support appeared in a few publications, including the local newspaper. The pledge of support was from Joy Hofmeister - to an opposition candidate (a suspected voucher supporter) for the District 42 House seat. I immediately called Mrs. Hofmeister to ask her why she endorsed any candidate before the primary, as she told me that only after the primary could she endorse or provide support for anyone. Her response was that since he (or his consultant) had told her that I had dropped out of the race, she felt obligated to support him. BTW, I never dropped out. Since she reasoned her endorsement to the fact that I had dropped out of the race, surely, she could right the wrong with a simple endorsement of my candidacy? I asked her at the end of our meeting for just such a statement, but she said nothing. In the news endorsement for the corporate conservative, Mrs. Hofmeister lamented that only "he" supports public schools and teachers, while other candidates do not. I believe news stories appearing since the spring of 2016 attest to whom Joy Hofmeister owes allegience. I'll give everyone a hint - none were members of the teacher caucus, but in fact included dark money groups and candidates who are controlled by a consultant now charged with a felony.
   I learned the following lessons by running for public office during the summer of 2016:
1) "Loyalty" doesn't mean the same thing for all people. What is ethical behavior for politicians is certainly unethical for many non-politicians.
2) Many politicians are loyal to a party (democrat or republican) rather than to a political philosophy (conservative or liberal). In other words, there are liberal republicans (corporate conservatives) and conservative democrats (traditional conservatives).
   These are but 2 of the lessons I learned while running for office. I'll list many more over the next several months, but in the interest of time, and the fact that I'm beginning to irritate some, I'll stop this blog.. P.S. if you'll click on the colored words, it will take you to a verification article or site. It's something I just learned about blogging, as I'm quite technologically illiterate - but I learn fast..

Merry Christmas and Lindsay All-Stars

   I'd like to wish all my friends, both known and unknown, a very Merry Christmas. Christmas is a time Christians recognize the birth of Christ as our Savior, and remember to thankful to God for everything good. It is a time that we should remember that we are very blessed, and that no matter how hard life is for us, that someone else is suffering more. No matter how many bad things happen to us, there are people and living beings that have it much worse. In addition to my friends, I'd like to wish my family a Merry Christmas: to Mom, Mary Beckham - known as "Babe" to close friends and family; to Dana (Heatly), my sister, who I love and respect more than I could ever say; to Johnny, my brother, a Baptist Minister who has always taken care of me; to daddy, John (Dale) Beckham, who now lives in Heaven - the greatest man I've ever known; and to my wife Sherrie, who has always taken care of me through good times and bad. I'd also like to wish a Merry Christmas to my extended family - the Henson, Ramsey, Freeman, and Robbins families of Lindsay, and the Beckham families of Nashville and parts unknown. Merry Christmas to other family members too numerous to mention, also from parts unknown all over the world, and to all my Facebook friends. I'd also like to wish a Merry Christmas to those who have only disagreed with me politically, because you are still my friends - even though you may not believe so.
   Those of you who read my columns in the Lindsay News (my hometown is Lindsay, but I have lived and worked in Blanchard for the last 10 years), know that I published a tribute to the greatest Leopards ever to play Lindsay High School football during the decade of the '70's. I also published a tribute to the greatest Leopardettes ever to play high school basketball from 1954 through 1995 (the 6-on-6 era). I acquired the names and facts from fans of Lindsay High School sports and through searching newspaper archives. The only players whose names appeared in the columns were provided by those fans who sent them to me. I'd like to recognize now, the greatest boys high school basketball players ever to wear a Leopard uniform.If fans of Leopard high school basketball will send me the names of players for Lindsay High School, from the beginning (1908?) to present (2016), I'll write and publish a tribute to the "greatest ever to play the game" - for Lindsay High School. You may send your nomination and player facts to my personal e-mail sbeckham@pldi.net or send me a personal facebook message. You may also text your nomination to my cell phone if you're a "friend" and have my number. If I receive enough names of players, I'll publish the tribute sometime after the New Year.
   Once again, Merry Christmas to all, and to all - good night...

Lindsay Leopardette All-Stars 1954 - 1995

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column for The Lindsay News which named the greatest high school football players ever to wear a Leopard uniform during the decade of the 1970's. The column was actually a re-print of the Leopard football column I wrote about two years previously. Today, I believe it's fitting that I re-print a Lindsay Leopardette basketball column which was originally published about one year ago in the Lindsay News. After all, Leopardette high school basketball has been just as influential in the history of Oklahoma high school sports as Leopard high school football, maybe more so. The Leopardette basketball teams and players or "Legends of the Courts" first became prominent during the 1950's when the Team won a State Championship in 1954. Leopardette teams continued to win and other State Titles were garnered in 1962 and 1968. From 1954 through 1968 and all the way to 1995, when six-on-six high school girls basketball was dropped for 5-on-5, Leopardette basketball was the talk of the town. During this 5 decade span, the Lindsay Leopardettes won over 80% of their games, and three State Championships in classes A and 2A. An invitation to nominate the all-time greatest 6-on-6 Leopardette basketball players ever, was sent out a year ago. The following players, as determined by Lindsay fans, were judged to be the greatest ever to play the game: 1) Diane Davis – Lindsay’s number one all-time player hit a “jump shot” with 13 seconds left in the championship game with Spiro to propel the Leopardettes to the 1962 Class A championship. The unlikely comeback victory (the Leopardettes were behind by as much as 10 in the first half) was unique for two reasons: Lindsay had lost the championship the previous year (Cordell 38-Lindsay 35) and vowed to win it all in ’62, and did – thanks to Davis. Diane Davis was one of the few “girl” players that could actually shoot and hit a “jump shot” at that time. She was the highest scoring Class A player in 1962. 2) Mary Henson – Our number two all-time all-star was instrumental in “overcoming near insurmountable odds” in leading a comeback state championship victory over Seiling in 1954. The 5’2” forward set a state tournament record for assists while scoring 6 points in leading the Leopardettes, who were behind 29-23 with 2:45 remaining, to a 33-29 state championship victory. 3) Patsy Bray – The number three all-time player was also a forward on that 1954 State Title team. The 6’0” Bray scored 22 points in that championship game, hitting all the field goals scored by Lindsay, as the team scored the last 10 points from a 29-23 deficit to a 33-29 victory. 4) Jessie Banks – A guard on that ’54 championship team, Jessie Banks was perhaps the best all-around athlete to ever play Lindsay basketball. She went on to play for Central State University and The Redheads, a semi-professional team, after her high school days. 5) Toni Beckham - A 6'0" forward who contributed heavily to the '68 State Title as only a sophomore, Toni was also an all-stater in 1970. 6) Ranae Estes - A daughter of our number one player of all-time, Diane Davis, Ranae is also the daughter of Leopard football legend H.O. Estes. She was a post player who took the Leopardettes to the state tournament finals in 1982. 7) Jacque Estes - Another daughter of Diane and H.O. Estes, Jacque may have been the only all-stater in two sports (basketball and track) who Lindsay ever produced. 8) Vickie McCann and Becky Knapp - This forward combination received an equal number of nominations, and were probably the most effective shooters who ever passed through Lindsay High School. They were both starters as true freshmen on the 1975 and 1976 Leopardette squads. 9) Mitzi Baker - An all-stater in 1971, Mitzi may have been the best guard ever to play at Lindsay. Mitzi, like Diane Davis, also is married to a legendary football great, Mike Terry. There are many more Leopardettes who received nominations, including Lois Henry 1962, Jill Street 1966, Joyce Henry 1967, Sharon Lindsey 1967, Gaylyn Armstrong 1968, Linda Green 1968, Suzie Knapp 1969, Sue Lynch 1974, Rhonda Bryant 1980, Teresa Jones 1983, Leanne English 1984, Misty Simonton 1995. Several more "greatest Leopardettes" are pictured in the Lindsay High School trophy case located in the hallway leading to the Charley K. Heatly Arena. I hope this recognition of the greatest Lindsay Leopardettes ever to play 6 on 6 basketball brings back many memories of a time when Leopardette basketball dominated Oklahoma high school sports, and when "Legends of the Hardwood" played the game.

The A-F School Grading Scheme.. and Corporate Politicians

The headlines of a state newspaper read “Invalid and unreliable: 2016 school report cards released” on November 3, 2016. The public school article went on to say “One final time, the Oklahoma State Department of Education released school report cards based on a much-maligned calculation method even the state’s top educator has deemed invalid and unreliable. Across the state, there were 196 A’s, 455 B’s, 582 C’s, 319 D’s, and 213 F’s this year. That means there were 16 percent more “F” schools and 8 to 9 percent fewer “A” and “B” schools, respectively.”

   As one who has conducted extensive public school research over the years, and published valid and reliable analyses concerning school financial issues, I believe these school grades are essentially meaningless and completely flawed. Many experts believe the public should dismiss these school report cards as nothing more than rubbish. The “grades” are deemed meaningless because the prevalent factor which determines each school’s letter grade has been proven to be the poverty level of citizens in each school district. This “controlling” factor is completely outside the “control” of each school. For instance, if within a school district a high level of poverty exists based on the average income level of student parents, the school letter grade is lower – corresponding with the low average income. The school letter grades also rise to A’s and B’s when the average parent income is higher. This direct inverse correlation between parent income and school letter grades is the mitigating factor which invalidates the grades. The school letter grades, A thru F, would be a very good measuring stick of a school district’s poverty level, however. The “A-F” school letter grade system would be comical as an attempt to grade schools, if it weren’t so sad – or it weren’t so devious. Devious and calculating is now how many public school experts describe the system.

   Many public school supporters believe the A-F school letter grade system is one way that corporate education reform groups such as the American Federation for Children (AFC) are using to “prove” that our public schools are failing. They, like all corporate reform groups, believe they can access public tax dollars, if they can get rid of the competition. The AFC along with their legislative accomplices (lawmakers they’ve supported with monetary contributions and mudslinging on election opponents) believe they can more easily pass voucher legislation if they can sling mud on our public schools - with an invalid and unreliable A-F grading scale.

   The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) and State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister have continued to say that we “must have a school letter grade system” because the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary of Education (formerly Arne Duncan, but soon to be Betsy DeVos) forces states to have A-F grading schemes. While this was true before Duncan resigned his position a couple months ago – it’s not at all true now. As a matter of fact, on Monday, November 27 the U.S.D.E. released final regulations that reveal states will not be required to grade schools with A-F letter grades or any other single indicator score of school performance after all (State to push ahead with A-F update, even though new federal regulations don’t require school grade cards, Tulsa World, Nov. 29, 2016). When questioned about the new federal guidelines, Superintendent Hofmeister said “Our proposed accountability system DOES include an A-F summative indicator”. It appears as if Superintendent Hofmeister was not being completely truthful when she blamed the A-F grading scheme on the federal government. Public educators and many other public school supporters believed when the federal government released the pressure of the now discredited A-F system, it would disappear. We believed Superintendent Hofmeister when she said it was the federal government’s fault. But now, that excuse for not dumping it is gone, and we more fully understand the truth. The truth is probably this: When President-elect Trump’s new Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (an avowed voucher wolf) takes office in January, 2017 - the federal government required A-F systems will be once again the rule of the land. DeVos is an avowed voucher wolf because she is the former Director of the AFC, the dark money group out of Washington D.C. which supported state voucher candidates over public school candidates during the 2016 elections. I’ll reveal more specific facts in a later column. The bottom line for our public schools is this: The invalid and unreliable A-F school grading scheme is with us now, and probably will be forever…  

     

H.S. Football - Leopard Legends of the Fall, the 50's and 60's

   Last December, I ran a blog/column about Lindsay Leopard high school football of the 1970's and how tradition rich high school football programs such as Lindsay has helped shape America. That column is as follows: 

   Out of the mist on a cold evening in November of 1973 at exactly 7:55 PM, a group of young men walk slowly towards a football gridiron. Dressed in battle regalia – helmets, shoulder pads, and shivers, the only sound heard is the clatter of steel-tipped cleats as they cross the street headed into the east end-zone, finally gathering to rush the field of play. Elementary and Jr. Hi kids strain against the sideline fence as they try to get a glimpse of their heroes as the players take the field. The team will defend the school’s honor as well as the whole town as it does on each Friday night from September through November each year.

   Scenes such as this, burned into the collective memory of small towns and high school football supporters statewide, is Oklahoma’s version of “Friday Night Lights”. Tradition rich, high school football towns such as Ada, Clinton, and Thomas were consumed with their own Friday night heroes back in the fifties, sixties, and seventies. The coaches and players were considered celebrities by the town citizens, and community success was most often judged by the team’s success. One such traditional high school football program, coached by the legendary Joe Tunnell, exemplified “Friday Night Lights” and “Legends of the Fall” – the Lindsay Leopards of the 1970’s. The Leopards won a higher percentage of games than any other class-2A team in the state during the decade of the seventies, and were coached by the same staff – Head Coach Joe Tunnell and assistants S.J. Foster, H.O. Estes, Charlie Heatly, and R.V. Hayden. This coaching consistency was one of the contributing factors to the success of the program. Another contributing factor for the Leopard’s ‘70’s success was that it stayed with the same offense – the wing-T and slot-I, and the same defense – wide tackle- six and split-six which guaranteed consistency during their seventies reign. The Leopard All-Stars of the entire decade follow:

   The quarterbacks, led by #16 Rick Dorman 1975, also included #11 Tony Cruse 1971, #12 Cliff Krcha 1972, #10 Danny Heatly 1973, #12 Dean Edzards 1977, and #10 Kevin Foster 1980.

   The marquee tailbacks, usually the best all-around athlete on the team, were led by #16 Mike Terry 1970, and followed by #35 Scott Rose 1971, #45 Bobby Simonton 1973, and #47 Gary Dew 1979.

   Fullbacks are listed as #43 David Orr 1972, #47 Johnny Branch 1970, #40 Randy Underwood 1974, #32 Curtis Taylor 1976, #35 Tony Burnside 1981, #20 Billy Welch 1971, and #30 Ray Krcha 1975.

   Centers of the seventies were characterized by extraordinary strength and included #74 Gary Cooper 1970, #56 Stanley Everett 1973, #57 Craig Blankenship 1972, #60 Bobby Bruton 1974, and #50 Randy Haslam 1977.

   The offensive guards were unusually small by line standards but tough, and include #70 Danny Cunningham 1970, #62 Stan McCabe 1970, #74 David Shahan 1973, #79 Carl Franklin 1975, #77 Kelly Hart 1976, #60 Jeff Davis 1977, and #67 Scooter Sturdivant 1980.

   The massive offensive tackles are led by #78 Mike Flesher 1970, and followed by #78 Damon Clagg 1973, #62 Mark Newey 1970, #61 Danny Simonton 1970, #72 Wesley Wilson 1975, #73 Scott Gentry 1977, #67 Jeff Bates 1973, and #57 Chris Tate 1978.

   Tight ends listed include #87 Bruce Jones 1976, #85 Royce Freeman 1980, #88 Rick Billingsley 1972, and #85 Dewey Webb 1973.

   The wide receivers include #82 Billy Gibson 1970, #84 Steve Ford 1971, #33 Ron Jones 1976, and #86 Jeff Ardrey 1973.

   Wingbacks, with speed to burn, are led by #30 Bud McGuire 1970, #24 Johnny Beckham 1977, and #82 Scott Dickerson 1975.

    The Leopards of the seventies were noted for their ferocious defenses and shape up like this: The guards are led by #94 Rick Lawson 1974, perhaps the biggest player ever to suit up at 6’5”, 315 lbs. and followed by #64 Tony Wilson 1972, #74 Ricky Blankenship 1977, #67 Bill Bates 1976, #61 Blake Mashburn 1979, #66 Jerry Howton 1979, and #90 Mark Young 1976.

   Tackles include #78 Marlin Clagg 1979, #51 Toby Boydston 1979, #78 Corky Robertson 1977, #77 Burt Hall 1978, #75 Chris Ramsey 1977, and #40 Rodney Bryant 1979.

    Defensive ends were usually excellent athletes and are led by #85 Mark Loman 1970, #32 Doug Baker 1970, #77 Bruce Condit 1971, #35 Terry Winn 1977, and #30 Bill Hall 1978.   

    The linebackers, characterized by an unmatched toughness, are listed as one, #66 Kyle Lackey 1971, followed by #85 Joe Keith Foster 1977, #64 Greg Hinkle 1980, #37 David Taylor 1975, and #61 Steve Simonton 1976.

   The safeties include #15 Stoney Robbins 1976, #35 John Sharp 1974, #15 Benny Chambers 1972, and #10 Mark Terrell 1977.

   Cornerbacks are #33 Larry Johnson 1980, #20 Rocky Robbins 1974, #84 Kevin Newby 1976, #37 Ronny Clements 1972, #16 Barry Foster 1978, #23 Chris Gentry 1979, #22 Todd Carr 1980, #22 Joe Brent Stephens 1977, and #25 Robert Carlton 1978.

   The kickers of the seventies are #41 Damon Padgett and #20 Bobby Bruner 1972 – and punter #12 Roger Dodd 1974.

   The trainers are led by the NFL’s Don Moseley and followed by Kent Baker, Charley Bryant, Charles McGuire, Dennis Thomas, John Cunningham, and Dewayne Atwell.

    Although the Lindsay Leopards won no state titles during this phenomenal run in the seventies, the accomplishment of being class 2A’s “winningest” program was nonetheless exceptional. One unique characteristic of these Lindsay squads was they were old-style, 3 yards and a “cloud of dust”. They relied on being the toughest team, not the quickest on the field, for success. Most Lindsay ”legends of the fall” went on to lead successful lives after football as they became doctors, lawyers, oil company executives, and yes, even football coaches. I can also tell you, knowing most of these Leopards, “you’ve got to be a football hero” was true in the seventies just as it is today, and "I Need a Hero" echoed through the minds of many Leopardettes as they watched Friday Night Lights.

Update: The "conservative tradition" that is Lindsay Leopard football didn't start in the 1970's, however, as Lindsay won state titles in 1955, 1958, 1962, and 1963. The coaches and players from the 50's and 60's were truly the Legends of the Fall in Lindsay, and like all high school football participants in Oklahoma - are America's heroes. I know many of these Leopard legends, but many I'm not familiar with, since I grew up during the 1970's. For this reason, I'd like anyone with any information on any '50's or '60's  Leopard player or coach - please send me that story or name to my facebook page, text, or email, and I'll post a column which will be highly entertaining and informative... 

Traditional Conservatism... or Corporate Conservatism, and Our Public Schools

   As a traditional conservative, I was hoping President-elect Trump would appoint a traditional conservative as the new U.S. Secretary of Education. Constitutional conservatives had hoped that Trump would abolish the U.S. Department of Education entirely, as the U.S. Constitution in Amendment 10 states that "powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the states, are reserved to the States ...". It is unconstitutional, therefore, that the federal government dictate anything concerning our state public schools. Constitutional conservatives (traditional conservatives) believe the U.S. Constitution forbids the federal government from meddling in our public schools. Liberals and corporate conservatives, however, believe the federal government should control our public schools and spend massive amounts of tax dollars in doing so. I was shocked and dismayed, as were many traditional conservatives, when President-elect Trump nominated "Bet$y DeVo$" (a devout corporate conservative) to the post of U.S. Education Secretary.
   The differences are vast between traditional conservatism and corporate conservatism. As a matter of fact, the only similarity the two political philosophies share is that they both claim republican party. Traditional conservatives believe in low government spending, while corporate conservatives spend tax dollars profusely. Traditional conservatives believe the tenets of the U.S. Constitution should be strictly followed ; Corporate conservatives believe the U.S. Constitution can be bent, when it comes to controlling state and local government. Traditional conservatives believe in retaining traditional social institutions, such as public schools; Corporate conservatives believe in the corporate transformation and privatization of public schools. As a matter of fact, corporate conservatives are very closely related to corporate liberals, as they both share the same basic political philosophies.
   According to "A View from the Edge" (a traditional conservative's blog about our public schools and politics), Bet$y DeVo$ is a billionaire who has no education degree, no teaching degree, no experience working in a school environment, never attended public school or state university, never put her own children in public school, does not believe in or support public education, believes that public school teachers are overpaid, supports for-profit education, invested $200 million in religious schools and corporate charter schools, and doggedly advocates funneling state tax dollars out of public education and into for-profit, private education. As a matter of fact, "for the past 15 years DeVo$ has used her family money and influence to push an agenda to transfer public tax dollars over to international and foreign corporate schools".
   DeVo$ has spent the last few years as Chairman of the American Federation for Children (AFC), a "dark money" group out of Washington D.C., which has as its vision "the transformation of public education by breaking down the barriers to vouchers". In an AFC memo entitled "2016 Election Marks Historic Wins for Educational Choice (vouchers), DeVo$ bragged about the dark money group's successes in Oklahoma this past election season by saying - voucher "opponents in Oklahoma (public school supporters) chose to make this year's primary and general elections a litmus test on parental choice (vouchers) issues. It backfired as we beat their (public school) candidates soundly in the primary and ran the table in the general election races. These efforts create the perfect narrative (Perfect Storm) ... leading into next year's legislative session to enact robust ESA (voucher) legislation and expand (corporate) charter schools."
   DeVo$ and the AFC then name their voucher candidates who won election to the Oklahoma House and Senate this year: Rob Standridge (R) Senate District (SD) 15, Julie Daniels (R) SD 29, Nathan Dahm (R) SD 33, Dan Newberry (R) SD 37, Kevin McDugle (R) HD 12, Tim Downing (R) HD 42, and Elise Hall (R) HD 100. Bear in mind, each of these winners are corporate conservatives, not traditional conservatives - identical to Bet$y DeVo$. The AFC poured more than $100,000 into the mudslinging of these candidate's opponents. "Yes, money talks ..., so we can count on each of these legislators to answer back to the AFC and Mr$ DeVo$ with their future (voucher) votes."
   While I believe Mr. Trump is a traditional conservative, he has nominated a corporate conservative to be the next Secretary of the Department of Education. Traditional conservatives believe he would have been much better off by abolishing the U.S.D.E. altogether. Here's hoping he will re-consider, and do exactly that...  

Voucher Wolves and the Un-level Playing Field in H.S. Athletics

   The biggest issue our public schools face today are the “voucher wolves” currently serving in our state legislature, both in the Senate and the House of Representatives. A “voucher wolf” is a state legislator who tells the general public that the only way to save our public schools is to allow the public’s tax dollars to be siphoned off by private schools and corporate charter schools. A voucher wolf tells us that this “choice” of allowing the legislature to spend tax dollars out of state on corporate charters such as the Gulen Charter Chain will increase competition among schools and make public schools better. The ONLY thing that vouchers do, however, is to take our public school students’ funding. More than $1 million tax dollars were spent by our lawmakers on vouchers last year, but they (voucher wolves) want to expand the voucher program exponentially in the years to come. They tried to expand vouchers during this year’s legislative session, but both Senate and House bills went up in smoke, much to the dismay of the two authors, both known voucher wolves. They will not give up on vouchers, though, as their next plan is to seek re-enforcements in the form of newly elected House and Senate members also in favor of vouchers.

   So how do these “voucher wolves” obtain voucher legislation to be considered by the full House and Senate? They belong to a secretive organization called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) which provides cookie cutter legislation for state lawmakers to take back to their respective states for consideration. ALEC matches state lawmakers with corporations (privately managed corporate school chains, for example) so that the out of state education groups can have more and better access to Oklahoma students’ public school dollars. Knowledgeable citizens sometimes call this type of legislation “corporate welfare” or “crony capitalism”, because it funnels the public tax dollars directly to corporations and private schools. The legislators who belong to ALEC only pay $50 to become a member, but in return, they get an all-expense paid family vacation to resort cities such as San Diego or Las Vegas. The corporations that belong to ALEC pay much higher membership fees, often as high as $10,000 to $25,000, but get access to state lawmakers who take their bills back to the states for passage (the voucher bills are good examples).

   Voucher wolves are now working diligently on bills which will funnel state tax dollars to private schools across the state. If passed by the legislature next session, private schools will be able to offer “scholarships” to high school athletes – funded by public tax dollars at the expense of your local public school. The un-level playing field will be tilted even more, between public and private school competition, than it is now. Just think of it: a private school will be able to offer a scholarship to a public school athlete – and force the public school to pay for it. Let’s just hope the OSSAA implements field-leveling rules for private and public school competition before these new voucher laws take effect. Like I said before, though "the OSSAA will never implement any rules which adversely affect private schools, and that’s too bad…