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The Oklahoma Teacher Connection
A Division of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
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| Director of Teacher Education |
| Expect GREAT Things!
Greetings Teach Link Readers!
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Dr. Goldie Thompson |
We have almost concluded the semester and so many great things have happened that reflect the hard work educators have completed in recent months. I hope that you will take time to read about this important work and reflect on your own role in supporting education. As always, our goal is to highlight teaching and the positive impact of this profession on the lives of students. Expect great things in the coming months!
Please enjoy this edition of the TeachLink!
Warm Regards,
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| Direct from the Editor's Desk |
Your Work Matters!
Educators from the classroom to the boardroom are making a tremendous impact statewide and abroad, paying it forward to future generations.
Read about it! Celebrate! Your work matters!
M
aking the Connections,
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| Oklahoma Education Hall of Fame Inductees |
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Oklahoma Hall of Fame Inductees Impact Generations
The tiered levels of education from elementary to a terminal degree attainment are the catalysts fueling and mobilizing leaders to envision, construct, shape and facilitate a plethora of teaching and learning communities and agencies.
Their impact is generational within the Sooner State and abroad.
The 2016 visionary education inductees of the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma African American Hall of Fame are stories of passion in concert with purpose.
The Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame
Glen D. Johnson is a dignitary gifted with timeless talent.
Johnson serves as the eighth chief executive officer for the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education (OSRHE). As OSRHE's Chancellor, he provides leadership to 25 state colleges and universities, 10 constituent agencies, two university centers and independent colleges and universities coordinated with the state system.
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| Glen D. Johnson |
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The son of a former U.S. Congressman, the late Glen D. Johnson Sr., and the late Imogene Johnson, he became the youngest speaker of the House in the state and nation's history at age 36 in 1990.
Johnson told more than 300 guests at the ceremony, it has become increasingly clear that the principles and the very foundation and system of higher education are currently under attack from some quarters.
"It is imperative that we in the higher education community join hands and stand tall behind the proposition that our work is vitally important for Oklahoma's future," he said.
The honoree said OU President David Boren reminded him and others that Oklahoma's college campuses are special places of possibilities.
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Johnson makes comments at the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame ceremony. |
"On a daily basis, our work opens doors for students. It builds their careers, and frankly, we see it every day, it changes their lives. If we don't stand up at this critical juncture, then who is going to do it," Johnson said.
The chancellor petitioned the audience with a pledge to continue the work, saying, "Regardless of students' station in life, if they are willing to work hard and persevere, the opportunity to fulfill their dreams can be accomplished by earning a college education."
Johnson serves on a myriad of boards and posts. In addition, he has received and is continuously being recognized and celebrated, which is a true testament to an impressive lineup of his awards and honors.
Johnson's career tracks his unwavering commitment to create, to sustain and to advocate for educational opportunities for Oklahoma's degree completion.
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Regent Ronald White
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Ronald White, M.D., has been an OU Foundation trustee for 25 years, an OU regent for 14 years and is currently serving a second nine-year term as an Oklahoma State Regent for Higher Education. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at OU and began his medical career working as a physician in the First U.S. Marine Corps Field Hospital in Da Nang, Vietnam. He later returned to Oklahoma City to become a cardiologist and a founder of the Oklahoma Heart Hospital. He is also a clinical associate professor of medicine and a member of the Governor's Council for the OU Health Sciences Center.
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Ann Ackerman
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Ann Ackerm
an, Ph.D.,
dedicated 28 years at Oklahoma City Co
mmunity College, initially as a professor and closing
out her tenure as the institution's vice president. After retirement, she spearheads Leadership Oklahoma, a nonprofit organization, providing leadership education and training for adults and youth. She was named the 2016 CEO of the Oklahoma Business Roundtable, which is a private economic development support organization to the governor and the state Commerce department.
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Marcia Bennett
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Marcia Bennett, Ph.D., began her career as a financial director for the College of Engineering, progressing to the position of executive assistant to the president of the University of Oklahoma. She provided leadership as OU Health Sciences Center's associate vice president and vice provost for health sciences for 27 years in Oklahoma City.
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Robert Fulton |
Robert Wesley Fulton, DVM., Ph.D., rendered 33 years of service at the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine as a teacher, mentor and administrator. The McCasland Endowed Chair and research scientist is known internationally for his work in bovine respiratory disease virology, which has increased economic value to agriculture.
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| Jane McGrath |
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Jane McGrath, D.M., is a teacher, keyboard master, performer, and is the director of piano pedagogy at the Oklahoma University's School of
Music. The sought after piano clinician and guest lecturer has shared her skill set with hundreds of local, regional, national and international conferences, master classes and public performances. In addition, the celebrated musician has rendered adjudicator of piano performances at music festivals and competitions. She is also the author of piano pedagogy literature.
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George Nigh
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George Nigh's untiring years of service as a public school teacher, state representative, lieutenant governor, governor, and distinguished statesman-in-residence for higher education and president of the University of Central Oklahoma has helped countless Oklahomans. For six decades, the public servant has been and remains a steadfast advocate for higher education.
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Shivakumar Raman
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Shivakumar Raman, Ph.D., is the manufacturing education giant, who has taught over 2,000 undergraduates and mentored 60 or more graduate students at OU School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. In 1988, he secured $7.5 million in research funding, providing support to the manufacturing communities. As the science committee chair for the North American Manufacturing Research Institute of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Raman revolutionized manufacturing education.
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Ramesh Sharda
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Ramesh Sharda, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized scholar in business analytics and data science, leading Oklahoma State University's interdisciplinary graduate program in telecommunications management. The Business for Executives program founding director's efforts at OSU is on the forefront as a leader in cyber security program. Because of the cyber security program, a doctoral degree was established. The terminal degree program is groundbreaking and pushes forward executive education and academic preparation.
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| Barbara Stoecker |
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Barbara Stoecker, Ph.D., is a pioneer and is internationally renowned for her work in nutritional sciences, which has flowed to Ethiopia, with roots embedded in Oklahoma's red dirt. Her nutritional sciences research connects mineral deficiencies in expectant mothers to delayed or missing cognitive development in infants. In partnership with a Ethiopian former student and other collaborators, she developed programs to disarm malnutrition and its long-lasting health complications through nutritional education. OSU cooperative programs have become a model in Africa, the Middle East and in the United States.
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Jerry Vannatta
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Jerry Vannatta, M.D., has worked as the dean of the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, an internal medicine doctor, master teacher, researcher,
administrator, education innovator and visionary leader. He now serves as medical director of the Oklahoma City University physician assistant program, as well as a clinical professor of medical humanities at OCU.
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| Gerald Williamson |
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Gerald Williamson, Ph.D., has been a mainstay at East Central University for nearly 40 years, giving leadership to the positions of marketing professor, student services,
senior advancement officer, mentor and advocate for student achievement and success. He is the face of expanded student services in higher education and the Oklahoma Council on Student Affairs within the state and for the regional and national student personnel and counseling organizations.
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The Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame
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Jo Pettigrew
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Jo Pettigrew received the Future Teachers of America award at Cushing High School, because she knew early on that she wanted to be a teacher. She committed 35 years to education, working as the executive director of the United Suburban Schools Association for nine years and the assistant executive director and legislative director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association for 12 years. Former Governor Brad Henry appointed her to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. Governor Mary Fallin reappointed her in 2012, and Pettigrew served two terms as chairman and remains active today.
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Kathryn Turner
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Kathryn Turner
served as the superintendent of Fletcher Public Schools from 2004 -12, leading the staff in vertical alignment of curriculum to enhance student achievement. During her career, she has mentored instructional leaders' statewide, lending support to various progressive programs, namely the Adult Education, Business and Industry Services at the Moore-Norman Technology Center. Her compassion and inner strength was modeled when she facilitated an 18-hour triage and morgue in several locations in the Bridge Creek Elementary during the May 3, 1999, tornado aftermath. Today, she is an empowered advocate who continues to help military and rural school children. She tirelessly works as a board member for Positive Tomorrows, a school that serves homeless children.
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Kate Frank
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Kate Frank (posthumously) began teaching at the early age of 18 in a one-room school house in Missouri, instructing eight grades, while working as the janitor. In 1919, she took a business education position with the Muskogee schools. She taught for 40 years. She became the first female president of the Oklahoma Education Association. Retiring in 1954, she became known as Muskogee's most active retired teacher. She is a founding member of the American Association of Retired Persons. In 1972, she was named the National Retired Teacher of Year and continued to support retired educators and senior Americans until her death. Her legacy continues to live on through the NEA Kate Frank/ DuShane Fund that provides legal assistance for teacher rights and education issues within state and federal trial and appellate courts.
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Oklahoma African American Educators Hall of Fame
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Jerry Lee Belton Sr. |
Jerry Lee Belton Sr. became the first African American coach in the Boynton district, following his dream of achieving an associate's degree at Northeastern A & M College. He earned his way through college as Oklahoma's leading basketball scorer, with a three-game scoring record of 100 points in the tournament of champions in 1973. The first generation college graduate continued his education to earn a bachelor's, a master's and administrative degrees from Northeastern State University. For 19 years, he coached at Okmulgee Junior High. Later, he moved to Boynton to become the boys' basketball coach, winning 17 district championships, 16 regional championships, 15 area championships, and six state championships. His teams won more state championships than any Class B teams, with 452 wins and 91 losses. He also served as Boynton's principal and interim superintendent. Later, he landed the position of director at Indian Capital Technology, retiring in 2009.
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Karen Marie Clark
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Dr. Karen Marie Clark (posthumously) devoted 20 years of her life to community advocacy and education as a print and photo journalist, a community organizer, an education administrator, a college professor and as an academic department chair. She taught and mentored communication students at St. Gregory's University and Langston University. She was the first recipient awarded the National Association of Black Journalists in 2005, which was one of the many accolades celebrating her contributions made to the communications profession locally, as well as nationally.
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Leon Edd Jr.
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Dr. Leon Edd Jr. contributed 12 years to Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) as a teacher and as an administrator. He also dedicated 10 years as Millwood Public Schools' superintendent. His civic and community involvement rendered numerous awards and honors. The retired New Jersey administrator attributes his success to mentors Dr. Melvin Todd, former OSRHE vice chancellor of academic affairs; Dr. Betty Mason, former OKCPS superintendent; and Dr. Tom Payzant, past superintendent for OKCPS.
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Jo Ann Goodwin Gifford
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Jo Ann Goodwin Gilford is a woman of firsts. She taught in Des Moines, Iowa, Washington, D.C., and Heidelburg, Germany before returning to her home state and accepting a position as the first African American to teach in Tulsa Public Schools (TPS). Her first task was to integrate Burroughs Elementary. During her tenure with TPS, she successfully held the position of director at Post Elementary School Youth Center for Visual and Performing Arts and Alcott Elementary principal. She was also TPS's first African American reading supervisor of junior and senior high schools. The accomplished educator is recognized for her contributions made to education, community and civic development.
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Claudette Goss
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Claudette Goss was educated in the desegregated Dunjee Public Schools and was mentored by her former teacher and the late civil rights activist Clara Luper. Goss participated in the historic Oklahoma City sit-in movement. A champion of equal access, she began her career with OKCPS in 1971, teaching English at Capitol Hill high school during the day. However, at night, she worked for KOCO Channel 5, writing nightly and morning broadcasts. In 1978, the Oklahoma State Department of Education hired her as a language arts specialist. She elevated her career by facilitating professional development locally and nationally.
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Cedric Johnson
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Cedric Johnson started his career in 1959, instructing social studies at Sadler Junior High School in Muskogee. For 27 of his 38 year education career, he served as an administrator for multiple schools within the Muskogee Public Schools district. His civic and community activities ranged from serving as Muskogee's former NAACP president to his ongoing work as a charter member of the Muskogee Organization for Narcotics and Alcohol Referral, Inc.
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Anquanita Kaigler-Love
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Dr. Anquanita Kaigler-Love launched her career teaching fifth grade with Lawton Public Schools (LPS). After earning her doctorate in education administration, curriculum and supervision from the University of Oklahoma, she was promoted to the position of executive director of all title programs for LPS. As the title director, Kaigler-Love says she garnered lifelong respect and understanding, having worked with Native American and English language learners from marginalized communities. She dedicated 38 years to LPS. Her community outreach initiatives continue to represent as an extension to her service to education.
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Wallace Owen Jr.
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Wallace Owen Jr. was born on a ranch in Summit, Oklahoma, and his fascination with life and nature, coupled with his natural artistic skills, opened up a window of opportunity for him to study aboard as a Fulbright Scholar at the University in Rome. His travels permitted him to also explore art history in Florence and Venice, Italy; West Africa; Ghana; Togo; Dahomey; Nigeria; and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He taught art in Greenville, South Carolina, and San Jose, California, returning to Oklahoma to take the helm as Langston University's art chair. He concluded his career as an associate professor at the University of Central Oklahoma. He retired in 1988 after 26 years as an art educator.
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Herman Cornelius Robbins
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Herman Cornelius Robbins (posthumously) is a 1951 vocational agriculture and science graduate of Langston University who began his career as a handyman and truck driver at Hanna Lumber Company in Tulsa. In 1952, he was promoted to building engineer. With 23 years of experience with Hanna Lumber Company under his belt, he was prepared and sought out and landed the position of mid-management coordinator and business instructor for Tulsa Community College (TCC). After 25 years of service, he retired as TCC's vice president of business and auxiliary services. His list of professional, civic and community organizations positively impacted those he served.
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Lena Lowry Sawner
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Lena Lowry Sawner (posthumously) was known by both black and white segregated communities in 1902 as the polished, well-dressed, distinguished principal of the all-black Douglass High School in Chandler, Oklahoma. Defying stereotypes of women, she was a master educator, activist, humanitarian and an elegant role mode. She insisted upon and received the very best academic and social outcomes from her students and teachers. During her tenure in 1916, Douglass High School became one of only six separate high schools to receive accreditation in Oklahoma. She was one Oklahoma's first pioneer African American activists who worked with the Black Dispatch newspaper editor, the late Roscoe Dunjee and the late Thurgood Marshall, the former U.S. Supreme Court justice. Her 40-year career empowered and improved the lives of Chandler's community.
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| Northwestern Oklahoma State University |
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Northwestern's Division of Education Plays Host to Enid, Woodward High School Students For Teach Oklahoma Program
The Division of Education at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva recently played host to high school students from Enid and Woodward in the "Teach Oklahoma" program.
A grant funded the opportunity for this program through the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. This allowed for members in Northwestern's Division of Education to work with the high school students to provide immersive teacher-education activities to enhance their high school curriculum program.
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| Future pre-service teachers |
The day served as an opportunity for high school students who are interested in a teaching career to have immersive activities that provide firsthand experience of taking Northwestern's classes, including education classes, and meeting with Northwestern student teachers who are majoring in education.
This event also provided preliminary information for an investigative research study in which the high school students asked the question "why teach?" The collaboration on this project between Northwestern education faculty and the respective high schools hopes to bring important research findings to the "why teach?" question.
The culminating event for this project will be the students presenting their findings at the Oklahoma Higher Education Research Day in Enid in March 2017.
"This event, and the overall grant project, is ground-breaking as a collaboration among Enid High School, Woodward High School and Northwestern," Dr. Christee Jenlink, associate dean of the School of Education and professor of education, said.
For more information on teaching degrees and certifications at Northwestern, contact Jenlink at (580) 327-8450 or cljenlink@nwosu.edu.
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| Southwestern Oklahoma State University |
| Southwestern Oklahoma State University's STEM Professor
Paid It Forward Kirkland Gave Back What Was Given to Him
The Southwestern Oklahoma State University's (SWOSU) professor, who once stated if he were to write a book about his life, he would title it $18.50. His final life's chapter came to a close.
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Henry Kirkland
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Dr. Henry Kirkland died at age 82. Kirkland's life story had been shared by a variety of vehicles of communication, but not one media outlet could adequately convey the impact the STEM teacher had on his students, his community and his family.
"I have lost my friend," Dr. Wade McCoy, said sobbing.
Kirkland's former SWOSU students and mentees, McCoy and Patrick Chalfant, co-authored the award winning novel, a Rainbow in the Dark, based on Kirkland's life.
The book unfolded a fictional story, mirroring Kirkland's life of a young African American teenage boy, growing up in the segregated Atoka in the 1940's. To take care of himself, he earned his living at Carney Drugstore, owned by F.K. "Skeet" Carney, a pharmacist.
The novel shares how Carney, a former teacher, who returned to school to earn a pharmacist degree, befriended Kirkland. During Kirkland's high school years, Carney served as a surrogate parent and later funded his undergraduate, masters and terminal degrees, stressing the need for more education to properly take care of his family.
Kirkland, the first African American professor to integrate SWOSU, was indebted to Carney and paid it forward by investing in the lives of his students. He proudly professed countless former students, who entered a wide array of STEM fields. Many of his former students were present at his funeral service, paying tribute to a man they said who gave so much.
"I would not be what I am today if it were not for Dr. Kirkland," McCoy said.
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Draped in the U.S. flag, the former U.S. Army medic was honored during his home-going celebration.
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Kirkland dedicated 35 years of teaching on the elementary, high school and college level. He gave leadership in his community, his church and was a devoted husband and father. The former U.S. Army medic was the recipient of a long inventory of awards and honors.
"Kirkland grew up and entered higher education at a time when it was a difficult for African Americans. However, he never lost his joy," Rev. Dr. Victor T. McCullough of the Quayle United Methodist church said at Kirkland's homecoming celebration. "Kirkland gave God all the glory, treating those he encountered with love."
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| Feed the Children Teacher Store |
| Feed the Children Teacher Store, Whataburger Donate $15K to Oklahoma's Classrooms
Teachers often use their own money to purchase necessary merchandise to meet the needs of their students.
To supplant teachers' desire to spend their own cash to supplement their resources, Feed the Children, the world's largest relief distributors of basic necessities, came to the aid of Oklahoma's children and teachers from low-income schools. The nonprofit organization and other collaborative partners constructed a reservoir stockpiled with classroom supplies - just for the taking.
The storehouse filled with free resources for preapproved Title I districts is called the Feed the Children Teacher store, which has been operational since 2009. There are four other Feed the Children Teacher store locations across the U.S.
Two continuous lines of more than 1,000 teachers from across the state wrapped around the Feed the Children's headquarters in Oklahoma City for an opportunity to check off items on their shopping list, filling their bags with a variety of goods.
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Title I teachers from around the state stand in line for free classroom supplies.
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Educators stuffed containers and their cars with supplies that included dividers, labels, notebooks, filler paper, envelopes, pens, pencils, age appropriate books, toys, hand sanitizers, seed packets, chairs, mats and much more.
Special education teacher, Lisa Cornwell, from Crutcho Public Schools says she has been coming to the Feed the Children Teacher Store for the past three years.
"As teachers, we are constantly pulling money out of our own pockets to pay for supplies for our classrooms to help our kids, so anything that is free is always good for us teachers," Cornwell said.
This year's primary sponsor was Whataburger. The restaurant chain donated $15,000 to the Feed the Children teacher store. Other partners included Office Depot, Excelligence, Avery, First Book, Hachette Book Group, Disney Publishing, The Creative Company, Readers Digest and Bic.
"Feed the Children is committed to supporting teachers and students, breaking the cycle of poverty to feed bodies, minds and futures. What better way to accomplish this than to partner with our state's teachers to help provide them with the resources and materials they need to ensure a successful start to the new school year," said Erin Carlstrom, Feed the Children director of education partnerships, corporate donor relations.
Whataburger's Field Marketing Coordinator Laura Danser says this was the hamburger franchise's second year participating in the project.
Then-president and CEO for the Feed the Children J.C. Watts said, "We are also concerned about feeding the minds of our kids and the people we come in contact with. Teachers hold the most important job in our state - educating our children. We are delighted to help in some small way by investing and sharing."
Whataburger has over 30 locations in Oklahoma and has been a part of the Oklahoma market for 45 years, according to Mark Wallace, Whataburger director of operations for Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas, and the franchise continues to grow he stated.
"Wow - the lines are just growing," Wallace, said. "We are a part of the community, and we enjoy giving back! We will have over 2,000 teachers that will go throughout the store and over $1 million dollars in products will go out. That's a great testament to the needs with the budget cuts being what they are. Teachers, I want to give you a round of applause for what you do."
Teachers as far away as Miami stated they could not make ends meet without the assistance of the Feed the Children teacher store and the contributing businesses.
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Former Governor Keating Encouraged Schools of
Character to
Stand Up for Others
To commemorate the global day of character, former GovernorFrank Keating, drew parallels between the injustices committed against Native Americans years ago and the infractions people face today.
At the Schools of Character Gala in Oklahoma City before a crowd of character administrators, counselors and teachers, Keating gave an overview of his book entitled, The Trail of Standing Bear. The award winning author told a story of how Ponca Chief Standing Bear, his family and tribal members were forced from the Niobrara banks in northeastern Nebraska to Indian Territory.
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Former Governor Frank Keating addressed schools of character. |
Keating described Standing Bear as the first civil rights leader of the Native American community, saying he was a family man, a good husband and a courageous leader. Although, Standing Bear faced fierce opposition, Keating stated the Indian Chief fought and stood up for what he believed in to protect his people.
"What is your Standing Bear moment?" Keating asked. "Our character moment is to be a brother and a sister to all people."
Since the first State and National Schools of Character in Oklahoma were recognized by Character.org in 2011, the movement has steadily grown in the Sooner State. In the past five years, Oklahoma has gathered 18 recognitions, and eight of the total were named National Schools of Character, stated Madison Tomlinson, Oklahoma schools of character coordinator.
"During the same timeline, 55 schools have earned Promising Practices recognition, an honor noting the schools for their unique practices in character development. In the 2015-2016 school year alone, a total of 13,710 students attended schools of character, which implemented the 11 Principles of Effective Character Education. The character movement is continuing to grow quickly. As the Oklahoma affiliate of Character.org, OKcharacter.org is privileged to work closely with schools across the state as they develop strong cultures of character," Tomlinson said.
In 2016, Character.org based in Washington, D.C., awarded Oklahoma three state and national schools of character; two emerging schools of character; and 11 promising practices schools of character.
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The Oklahoma Teacher Connection TeachLINK
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| The Oklahoma Teacher Connection, a division of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, will electronically publish the TeachLINK E-newsletter three times a year. The purpose of the E-Newsletter is to promote, market, and showcase news stories, creative features, curricular highlights, research data, and technological updates, which impact Oklahoma's Colleges of Teacher Education, common education, higher education faculty, students and communities. We welcome all comments, opinions, and/or concerns. Please forward your remarks to Deena Thomas at dthomas@osrhe.edu. |
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