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8/8/2019 Joe's news features

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THEEDUCATIONI S S U E

GARDEN

MASTER

GOVERNOR


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3/9 43AUGUST 2010 | WWW.OKMAG.COM


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out his last legislative session in late May, after discussions to produce a $6.7 billion budget for the

2011 fiscal year were nearly derailed.

Throughout his two terms, Henry pestered legislators and challenged both educators and students,

increasing expectations and accountability for both.

My whole approach to education is all about children, he says. Our children are our future

leaders, and our goal should be to make sure that every child in Oklahoma has every opportunity to

succeed and every opportunity to go to college.

Cutting EdgeAmong the first orders of education business when he took office, Henry in 2003 appointed the

Economic Development Generating Excellence, or EDGE, task force, a panel of public and privateleaders who later recommended establishing a $1 billion research endowment to fund projects and

private-public partnerships throughout the state.

With conservative estimates on the return of monies invested in the endowment, Henry says the

state could give out $40-$50 million in research grants every year, to universities, businesses and

entrepreneurs who have a good idea.

Alfred G. Striz was among those with an idea in need of funding. Striz, a professor at the school

of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Oklahomas School of Engineer-

ing, applied for EDGE funding with a plan that involved the research, testing and production of

unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used for commercial applications. Strizs pre-proposal ap-

plication was approved by the EDGE Policy Board, although his project wasnt among those finally

approved for funding.

Since its formation, the EDGE Endowment Grant is among the most sought funding sources for

researchers in Oklahomas aerospace and high-tech industries, says Striz, who expects to apply for

the grant again in the future.Theyre huge. What you have is a real boost to the companies that are involved, Striz says,

adding that the EDGE program helps combine the resources available on public campuses and in the

private sector. In our case, its a combination of the university doing the research and some of the

development, but also the companies who already have developed stuff all getting together and

working together.

By working together, schools, researchers and companies have the best chance of establishing

new industry in the state, Striz says, especially in fields like his commercial UAV program that

are so cutting edge, they dont exist until built.

Universities and colleges benefit from the research component, but also in workforce develop-

ment, which Striz says extends beyond where a classroom ends.

Youre training students for a future in research and development in the industry, and thats a

good thing, he says, noting that the educational and economic benefits of such research funding

dont just apply to the major research universi-

ties like OU and Oklahoma State University.

High level academic institutions.

It goes further than that. Were also inter-

ested in getting vo-tech involved, he says.

Somebody needs to train the people that are

going to be working on these things to service

them and to maintain them. In aviation, in our

case, somebody needs to train the pilots that fly

these things remotely. Its larger than just highereducation.

We have a lot of advantages in Oklahoma

because the labor force is cheap, we have good

laws for startup companies, he continues, the

states really supportive. We have a really good

climate here in Oklahoma.

The legislature in 2006 invested the first $150

million in the endowment, which is a far cry

from the amount Henry and the taskforce hoped

for, unfinished business that Henry laments as

he prepares to leave office.

Im disappointed that we havent found a

permanent funding mechanism for the EDGE

research endowment, he says. I made sure wehad the initial deposit of $150 million, which I

was only able to do because we had some years

with big surpluses, but Ive been pushing the

legislature every year to help dedicate a revenue

source so that we can initially reach that billion-

dollar mark.

Bright, Young MindsWhile higher education and increasing the

states number of college graduates has been a

cornerstone of his education policy, Henry, in

his 2010 State of the State Address, noted the

importance of focusing on the states youngest

students, strides that have led to the adoptionof both full-day kindergarten and a voluntary

pre-K program that he said is becoming a model

for other states throughout the country.

Henry says its easy to lose focus on invest-

ing in early childhood education because the

dividends arent immediately felt.

Were not going to see the fruits of those

efforts this year or next year, or two or five

years down the road, he says, adding that the

state might not feel the effects for a decade or

even a generation, when it will really begin to

transform the state, and its perception around

the country.

I predict people will be looking at Okla-homa from every corner of this nation, saying,

Whats going on? We want to be like Oklaho-

ma, he says, and thats just a big, big thing.

Ace Up His SleeveIn 2005, Henry signed House Bill 1020 and

Senate Bill 982, which funded teacher pay

raises and the Achieving Classroom Experi-

ence. The ACE Initiative added course require-

ments for high school students and required

incoming freshman in 2008-09 to pass four of

six end-of-instruction exams in certain core

First Lady Kim Henry and Gov.

Brad Henry photographed at theGovernors Mansion. The couplehave been staunch advocates

for public education.

44 OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2010


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subject areas before they were given diplomas.

Henry says that creating a higher stakes

environment helps students raise the bar for

academic standards. One of the ACE Initia-

tives biggest changes was the inclusion of

end-of-instruction exams, rather than end-of-

semester exams, which Henry says didnt offer

much consequence to teachers or students

whether passed or failed.

The teachers really didnt like it becausethe students didnt put as much effort into

it and didnt score as high, he says, adding

that switching the type of testing requires that

schools offer remediation to help students pass

the tests.

Its not enough just to make these exams

high-stakes, so if you fail you dont graduate.

It was more than just, You have to pass these

exams to graduate, Henry says. If you have

trouble were going to help you, and were

going to make

sure you know

this so you have a

basic knowledgeof these core

subjects that are

critical in terms

of going to col-

lege, or even if

you choose not to go to college.

But college preparation is a big component

of what the ACE Initiative was designed for,

the governor says. The program required

freshman entering in 2006-07 to complete

a college preparatory curriculum. Parents

may opt their children out of the program,

but tuition waivers for up to six credit hours

a semester are given to high school seniorswho meet certain eligibility requirements for

concurrent enrollment. Henry says the number

of high school students concurrently enrolled

in college or university courses has increased

to roughly 50,000 from 29,000 since the initia-

tive has been active.

Its been pretty amazing, he says. For the first time in 2005, students could take a college

course tuition free, and so it gave them incentive to do that, even some students who didnt think

theyd go to college.

The tuition waivers gave many students that were unsure of attending college a free shot

at trying out university education, and Henry says many of them did well and were inspired to

continue their education after high school.

The bottom line for me is education is the number one priority of the state of Oklahoma. And

within education, our priority is to create more college graduates, he says.

Taking A ChanceThe states budget shortfall shaped the 2002 gubernatorial race, and Henry was an early and vo-

cal proponent of enacting a state lottery to bring more black to Oklahomas balance sheets.

Funding Just getting more dollars in the classrooms, to the students was just one of a

number of challenges facing education when he took office, Henry recalls.

I set about very early on to try and provide new revenue sources for education and specifi-

cally for the classroom through the education lottery.

After taking office in 2003, Henry moved quickly on proposing and organizing support for

the Oklahoma Education Lottery, which faced strong opposition politically largely along party

lines in the state House of Representatives, which rejected the Governors efforts and on moral

grounds, by groups like the Baptist General Convention.

Henry managed to put the vote to the people in November 2004,

through State Questions 705 and 706, which amended the state

constitution to authorize the lottery and create a correspondingtrust fund. Voters in all 77 counties overwhelmingly approved the

measure, and the first lottery tickets went on sale in October 2005.

The act stipulates that 35 percent of lottery revenues be

directed to education, which has since brought in more than $330

million.

When I first came into office, we were facing at that time the worst budget shortfall in our

states history, and now were leaving on one even worse, Henry says. But weve gotten through

both of those.

Bonds AboundHenry also led the legislature through a $475 million capital improvements bond that added

buildings, classrooms, laboratories and equipment to every college and university throughout

the state, a pool of projects Henry says is still cur rently active. Along with the capital improve-

ments bond, Henry pushed to fund an endowed chairs program that matches private donationsdollar-for-dollar with public funds.

Prior to the endowed chair program, it was difficult for our colleges and universities to com-

pete for the best and brightest professors around the country around the world, really, Henry

says. That really makes a big difference. If you really want to improve the quality of education,

youve got to start with the educators.

First, ForemostBoth through influencing her husband and on her own, First Lady Kim

Henry has helped make an indelible mark on education in Oklahoma. In

the classroom for 10 years, Kim Henry spent most of her teaching career in

Shawnee, where she taught high school history, economics and government,

both regular coursework and advanced placement curriculum.

In the classroom, Kim Henry learned that raising expectations yielded

elevated results, a theme mirrored in her husbands education policy andperspective.

One thing that I found, especially working with teenagers and this is

a generalization, its not all kids I found a good portion of your kids will

only do whats expected, she says from her office at Sarkeys Foundation in

Norman, where she serves as executive director. They wont go the extra

mile, they just do the bare minimum to get by, and if you raise those expec-

tations, the kids perform at what you expect them to do.

Both Kim and Gov. Henry agree that teachers are the first and primary

component of education reform, a first building block in a framework for

students to find high-paying jobs and help fuel the states economy.

We always talk about, We need to bring more jobs in Oklahoma, but

really the number one thing businesses look at before they move, relocate

or build in a state is the number of college graduates. Do you have your

This is beyond my control, and

the people will ultimately decide,but I hope that Im remembered as

the education governor

Surrounded by school children, edu-cator and First Lady Kim Henry, Gov.Henry signs the 2005 ACE Initiative,which raised Oklahoma academicstandards. File photo.



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2010 VISION IN EDUCATION

LEADERSHIP AWARD

The Tulsa Community College Founda-

tion will honor Gov. Brad Henry for his

consistent support of education, access and

excellence for Oklahomans during his two

terms in office at the 2010 Vision in Edu-

cation Leadership Award dinner Tuesday,

Sept. 7 at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel.

Presenting sponsor is Cherokee Nation

Businesses. Media sponsor is Oklahoma

Magazine.

During his two terms in office, Henry

has placed great emphasis on improving

public education by raising teacher salaries

and benefits, putting more resources in

the classroom and setting higher academic

standards for students. He increased stu-

dent participation in Oklahomas Promise,

a college payment plan for low-income

families resulting in a growth of 12,000 to

19,000 students during his terms. Henryalso successfully fought to let voters

decide whether to establish an education

lottery to benefit the states classrooms

which voters overwhelmingly passed in

November 2004.

In addition to his many contributions to

our states primary and secondary schools,

Oklahomas colleges and universities have

also greatly benefited from Gov. Henrys

dedication to excellence in education,

says TCC President Tom McKeon.

The Vision Award is presented annually

to an individual dedicated to education

excellence and community leadership.Past honorees include Montie Box, David

Boren, John-Kelly Warren, George Kaiser

and Paula Marshall.

Event guests will enjoy live entertain-

ment, fine dining and a special tribute to

Henry.Stuart Price, chair of the OklahomaState Regents for Higher Education, will

serve as honorary event chair. Vision

Dinner efforts are led by TCC Founda-

tion trustee and dinner chairwoman, Mary

Shaw, along with the support of her com-

mittee.

Individual tickets are $150. Sponsorship

levels for the dinner range from $2,500 to$20,000. Funds raised by the event will

support scholarships and special programs

for students and faculty. Thanks togener-ous donations the TCC Foundation gives

more than $1 million annually to programs

and scholarships to support students,

faculty and staff.For more information on the 2010 Vision

in Education Leadership Award Dinner

sponsorships or tickets, please contact the

Tulsa Community College Foundation at

918.595.7836 [email protected].

work force up to par for what Im going to need?, Kim Henry says, adding that the benefits to qual-

ity of life extend beyond simple economics.

Go out on the street, stop somebody and ask them to name three people that have really changed

your life, she says. I bet for the vast majority of people, one of those three will be a teacher.

Henry agrees.

Its pretty academic, he says. College graduates earn more money in their careers; they are less

likely to end up in prison; they are less likely to end up on social programs; less likely to end up on

drugs or a life of crime and more likely to contribute to society through taxes, through philanthropic

giving and so forth.

From a fiscal and economic standpoint, Henry says the challenges facing his successor remain tobe seen. He is disappointed by the lack of a permanent funding mechanism for the EDGE endow-

ment, but is optimistic whoever is elected to the governors post in November will see the value in

making it a source for research and entrepreneurial enterprise. Henry was able to raise teacher pay,

but fell short of his goal to match Oklahoma salaries with the regional average.

We got within $1,000, he says. Of course it would be nice to get to the national average, but

the goal is to get to the regional average. We were on track, we were $1,000 short, and couldnt quite

make it. Im disappointed in that.

Henry will leave office this winter, and while his capitol contributions might be over in a direct,

formal sense, he doesnt expect to stop the campaign.

This is beyond my control, and the people will ultimately decide, but I hope that Im remem-

bered as the education governor and the governor who really made strides in education through

funding and reforms.

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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8/9oklahoma Gazette october 22, 2008 2

Therell be new license plates on the road come January,but some letter and number combinations remain banned.

bY Joe Wertz

Aunique combination of letters and numbershave been issued to more than three millioncars and trucks legally registered in Oklahoma tooperate on roadways.

Most license plates bear a random state-issuedcipher meaningless to motorists. Others are chosento convey a message, impart passing wisdom orproject the personality of the driver.

In January, the state will start issuing a new

license plate design. The green and yellow design

featuring the battle shield of an Osage warrior willbe retired in favor of a maroon and blue themeoffset by a bronze Apache archer created by AllanHouser for the Sacred Rain Arrow sculpture.

Its the first statewide license plate redesign in 16years, according to Oklahoma Tax Commission officials.

Motorists whove grown fond of the code embla-zoned on their plates have until Nov. 1 to pay $17to reserve their existing or personalized number, said

commission spokeswoman Paula Ross.

By January 2010, every legal vehicle will havethe updated plate, but hundreds of custom tags still

wont be allowed out on the streets.Heres some plates you wont see on Oklahoma

roads because the tags have been deemed too tawdryfor traffic.

Some of the letter-number combinations on thetax commissions list of license plates unacceptable forissue are really racy, even for Oklahoma Gazette. So

drive by www.okgazette.com to see the full list.>>>


9/922 october 22 2008 oklahoma Gazette

VaNItY car taGS

The Panther has been caged, but The Man also banned

WHITPWR and any other racially motivated political

slogans.

Apparently not everyone enjoys opening their mouth for

a little refreshment after a long, hard day.

It seems like a reasonable question, but the tourism

department doesnt like this, or any other YZ AS remarks

on state plates.

If you wanted this on your place, it certainly SUCKS4U,

SUKS2BU and SUKS4U. Angry drivers cant even SUCKIT or

go SUICDL, which sucks.

Sorry farmers, this license plate idea is udder-ly offensive. Everyone knows Reagan was a Chevy man.

Youll have to find another way to tell your parents

because this tag and LESBIAN have been permanently

closeted.

The highway to hell doesnt lead to Oklahoma. Leave, you

HELLRAZR, and take GODLESS with you.

Okie roads must remain dry, so sop up your soggy

thoughts before you slip and slide off the street.

Some advertising has been deemed inappropriate, so

peddle your DIMEBAG and LSD elsewhere.

Theres no room for lowbrow grooming demands on

Oklahoma roads, but it looks like PLZTWZ is still up for

grabs.

Road rage is discouraged in Oklahoma, as is domestic

violence. And dont try to STRKHER or STROKER either.

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