Public School Favored By Locals

By Teddye Snell, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla.

Jul. 13–Most parents are gearing up to send their children back to school soon, and for most people living in Tahlequah, that means public education.

With a slumping economy and mandates such as No Child Left Behind, some may be wondering if their child is best served by public school.

According to a recent survey sponsored by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, the Friedman Foundation for Educational choice and other organizations, Oklahomans would prefer an alternative, whether it be private secular education, private religious education, homeschooling or charter schools.

According to the OCPA survey, 83 percent of Oklahomans participating indicated they would choose private education or another mode over public schools.

The Daily Press conducted an informal, online survey asking the same question, with much different results. Of 101 respondents, 40.59 percent said even if they had access to scholarships, they would prefer their child be educated in public schools.

Private, secular school followed, garnering 24.75 percent of the vote, and 21.78 percent of respondents said they would choose private, religious education. Only 3.96 percent prefer homeschooling, and 8.91 percent would choose a magnet or other special school.

Linda Richardson is the principal and administrator at Shiloh Christian School Inc. in Tahlequah, and provides parents looking for education alternatives an outlet. The 17-year-old school has 50 enrollees in kindergarten through the eighth grade, and is taking new applications weekly.

“We offer a variety of Christian-based curriculum,” said Richardson. “We have a curriculum specialist that has been helping us with curriculum for the past 10 years.”

Richardson said her staff works to educate the whole child: mentally, physically and spiritually — a concept that public education lacks in modern times.

“Our mission is to partner with the family to cultivate academic excellence, integrate godly principles for daily living, and guide every child toward maturity in Christ,” she said.

While Richardson welcomes new applicants, she recommends parents research their reasoning for changing from public to private education carefully.

“Is their child a disciplinary problem, do they just not like a particular teacher, is there an underlying problem?” asked Richardson. “If this is the case, solve the problem, don’t school hop.”

Richardson said Shiloh is not a school for all the unhappy parents and undisciplined students from other schools.

“We are here to encourage families to be a big part of their children’s education, and come along side us to help provide the best education for the their children, not only with high academics, but teaching biblical aspects in all subject areas.”

Richardson believes public schools have failed students by taking corporate prayer and reading the Bible out of schools.

“There is very practical wisdom in the Bible for daily living, such as how to get along with others,” she said. “Today’s public school children are not getting the benefit of that wisdom. Shiloh’s purpose is to set high standards for life and learning, as well as the pursuit of excellence in all of life.

That said, Richardson also believes today’s public schools are able to offer a lot of subjects that smaller schools lack resources to provide.

“And that is a great asset,” she said. “Tahlequah High School is one of those schools that offers their students a great variety of areas to explore, and I commend them,” she said.

Since the school’s inception 17 years ago, Richardson believes the community is now reaping the benefits of Shiloh’s brand of education.

“We are seeing the fruits of our labor,” she said. “Many of our graduates are pursuing careers in medicine, engineering and business, and are also being a positive influence in the communities in which they live.”

Local parent Cherry Scott said, living in a smaller community, she isn’t certain how many options we can realistically expect, but would choose public education regardless.

“We have been very pleased with the quality of instruction and the commitment of the teachers in Tahlequah,” said Scott. “I think [public educators and administrators in Oklahoma] are doing the best they can under trying circumstances.”

Scott said she believes the quality of education is limited by several factors.

“Education in all states has been hurt by [President Bush's] overly simplistic ‘No Child Left Behind’ policy, and Oklahoma is no exception” said Scott. “In addition, the state in recent years has passed a series of ill-considered tax cuts that has permanently eroded our revenue base for education. Right now, education is facing a stand-still budget, but unfortunately, expenses associated with education of not standing still.”

Scott believes the biggest change needed is attitudinal.

“The public needs to understand education as an investment, and support proper funding for schools, even if that means paying more taxes,” she said. “When you are continually in the bottom five of all states in funding education, we shouldn’t be surprised that we have problems.”

Becky Felts, Tahlequah teacher for 27 years and acting vice president of the Oklahoma Education Association, believe students in this state receive a quality education, despite economic setbacks.

“What I can tell you is that 95 percent of Oklahoma’s school-aged children attend public schools,” said Felts. “Our parents do have a choice, and they overwhelmingly choose public schools.

“Oklahoma teachers are near the top in quality, year after year, according to Education Week’s Quality Counts survey. Oklahoma education graduates are so well prepared, they are highly recruited by other states. The biggest reason those states give is that our graduates are ready to walk into a classroom and teach.”

Tahlequah Education Association President Chuck Pack is a veteran math teacher at Tahlequah High School, who recently earned national board teaching certification. He disputes the information contained the OCPA survey, saying it runs counter to his everyday experiences, as well as other Oklahoma polling data he’s reviewed.

“This makes me question the results,” said Pack. “As you may be aware, my master’s degree from OSU is in statistics. I am well aware of biases that plague poorly designed studies. It would be interesting to know whether the [OCPA] poll mentioned is, in fact, a scientific poll and whether the organization the Associated Press cites as conducting the poll has a history of supporting or opposing public education.”

Pack provided anecdotal evidence supporting public education. He is the father of two children, Mason, 9; and Morgan, 5. Both attend Sequoyah Elementary School.

“From the level of rigor of the curriculum, to the exceptional quality of the staff, to the genuine caring and nurturing environment fostered by the administration and support staff, we could not be more satisfied with the outstanding education they are receiving,” said Pack.

Pack said when his son was in kindergarten, he and a classmate had been working through a bug unit with their teacher, Tobi Kuly, as well as honing their math skills.

The two 5-year-olds discovered, without any intervention, that the word “spider” has six letters, just like they have six legs, and that “arachnid” has eight letters and eight legs.

“Principal Dr. Tom Barlow chose to ‘spotlight’ their findings for the entire school through their internal television station,” said Pack.

“Just last night, Morgan mistakenly left the door of our van open as the family entered Runt’s Barbecue,” he said. “When I pointed out her mistake, she said, ‘Dr. Barlow says if you can’t make mistakes, you can’t make anything.’ What a wonderful life principal! That’s the kind of place I want my kids; a place where high standards are taught by quality individuals and innovations are celebrated by all.”

For Pack, teaching is a way of life and he finds the bottom line quite simple.

“If I didn’t believe in public education, I wouldn’t devote my life to it. I certainly wouldn’t send my children somewhere I thought was less than best for them. My kids, and all kids in Tahlequah Public Schools, are receiving the best possible education in Oklahoma.”

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Copyright (c) 2008, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla.

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