It's All about Control!

January 30-31, 2016

Days 216 & 217 as an Oklahoma Teacher

     I graduated from Big Pasture Public School located in Southern Oklahoma. Big Pasture is a consolidated school; sometime around 1965, Devol, Randlett, and Cookietown schools consolidated and became Big Pasture Public School. The total student population was around 250, and there were 19 other seniors who graduated with me. Seven of us earned college degrees in business, education, and law.  The support of the community, the teachers, and parents influenced all of us to do our best. Everyone expected us to do our best, and the whole community supported every fundraiser and sporting event for the school.  We were not a rich school, but what made us rich was the community support. The school is the heart of the community; the community is the heart of the school. One cannot survive without the other. 

     The push to consolidate schools has come roaring back like a lion. This idea of consolidation of small schools has been around for over 25 years, but this year, it has some bite to it. With the budget crisis, teacher shortage, test scores, and the A-F schools grades, consolidation will be one of the ways to solve the budget crisis, to give teachers a pay raise, and to finally fund charter schools. The agenda that was started a few years ago would become reality. This idea is nothing new; it's just right time to try it again. It's just a distraction from the real problem that has caused the budget crisis.

     What are the problems that could arise with consolidating schools? Has anyone thought this far down the road? I don't think so because everyone's focus is on consolidating schools no matter the issues that will occur. Here are a few problems with consolidating schools: money, bigger class sizes, and more issues than we have now. Money will not be saved; there will be more transportation costs, and paying for more teachers, building upgrades, and resources. Bigger class sizes will occur because of the teacher shortage. Transporting students to the new school will cost more money, and the resources will have to be upgraded to accommodate a bigger student population. The community support will be disconnected because the school will not be the heart of the community anymore. Everyone says that it takes a teacher in the classroom to help students, but it takes a community, teachers, and parents to support a school. Bigger schools like Duncan are having financial difficulties and deleting extra-curricular activities could be the next areas cut the school. Would consolidation of the smaller schools help Duncan? It wouldn't because the student population would increase which would mean that more money would have to be spent to accommodate those students. It's time to correct the real problem with the budget crisis and quit picking on schools and rural communities.