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THEEDUCATIONI S S U E
GARD
MASTE
GOVERNOR
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Education was the primary component of Brad
Henrys gubernatorial crusade when he hit the
trail in 2002, and though the Governor was
elected nearly eight years ago, hes yet to stopcampaigning.
When Henry took office in January 2003,
Oklahoma was suffering a revenue crisis hailed
by many as the states worst. Such a financial
climate would test any political mission, let
alone a public policy that called for increased
teacher pay and benefits, and extra spend-
ing through new programs proposed for state
schools, colleges and universities.
Henry is leaving office amid much of the
wild political fanfare present when he joined. In
the final stretch to vacating office, Henry closed
Brad Henrymade educationa top priorityduring his tenure asOklahomas governor. By Joe WertzPhotography by Jeremy Charles
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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 univer
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 ar
going to be working on these things to servi
them and to maintain them. In aviation, in o
case, somebody needs to train the pilots that
these things remotely. Its larger than just hieducation.
We have a lot of advantages in Oklahom
because the labor force is cheap, we have go
laws for startup companies, he continues, th
states really supportive. We have a really go
climate here in Oklahoma.
The legislature in 2006 invested the first $
million in the endowment, which is a far cry
from the amount Henry and the taskforce ho
for, unfinished business that Henry laments
he prepares to leave office.
Im disappointed that we havent found
permanent funding mechanism for the EDG
research endowment, he says. I made surehad the initial deposit of $150 million, whic
was only able to do because we had some ye
with big surpluses, but Ive been pushing th
legislature every year to help dedicate a reve
source so that we can initially reach that bill
dollar mark.
Bright, Young MindsWhile higher education and increasing the
states number of college graduates has been
cornerstone of his education policy, Henry,
his 2010 State of the State Address, noted th
importance of focusing on the states young
students, strides that have led to the adoptioof both full-day kindergarten and a voluntar
pre-K program that he said is becoming a m
for other states throughout the country.
Henry says its easy to lose focus on inve
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 th
state might not feel the effects for a decade
even a generation, when it will really begin
transform the state, and its perception arou
the country.
I predict people will be looking at Okla-homa from every corner of this nation, sayin
Whats going on? We want to be like Oklah
ma, he says, and thats just a big, big thin
Ace Up His SleeveIn 2005, Henry signed House Bill 1020 an
Senate Bill 982, which funded teacher pay
raises and the Achieving Classroom Exper
ence. The ACE Initiative added course requ
ments for high school students and require
incoming freshman in 2008-09 to pass fou
six end-of-instruction exams in certain cor
First Lady Kim Henry and Gov.
Brad Henry photographed at theGovernors Mansion. The couplehave been staunch advocates
for public education.
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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 thin
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. A
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 part
lines in the state House of Representatives, which rejected the Governors efforts and on mor
grounds, by groups like the Baptist General Convention.
Henry managed to put the vote to the people in November 200
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 th
measure, and the first lottery tickets went on sale in October 200
The act stipulates that 35 percent of lottery revenues be
directed to education, which has since brought in more than $3
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 throu
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 throughou
the state, a pool of projects Henry says is still cur rently active. Along with the capital improv
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
Shawnee, where she taught high school history, economics and governme
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 wil
only do whats expected, she says from her office at Sarkeys Foundation
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 expe
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 EDUCATIO
LEADERSHIP AWAR
The Tulsa Community College Founda-
tion will honor Gov. Brad Henry for his
consistent support of education, access a
excellence for Oklahomans during his tw
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 salar
and benefits, putting more resources in
the classroom and setting higher academ
standards for students. He increased stu-
dent participation in Oklahomas Promis
a college payment plan for low-income
families resulting in a growth of 12,000
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
our states primary and secondary schoo
Oklahomas colleges and universities hav
also greatly benefited from Gov. Henrys
dedication to excellence in education,
says TCC President Tom McKeon.
The Vision Award is presented annual
to an individual dedicated to education
excellence and community leadership.Past honorees include Montie Box, Davi
Boren, John-Kelly Warren, George Kaise
and Paula Marshall.
Event guests will enjoy live entertain-
ment, fine dining and a special tribute to
Henry.Stuart Price, chair of the OklahomState Regents for Higher Education, will
serve as honorary event chair. Vision
Dinner efforts are led by TCC Founda-
tion trustee and dinner chairwoman, Mar
Shaw, along with the support of her com
mittee.
Individual tickets are $150. Sponsorsh
levels for the dinner range from $2,500 t$20,000. Funds raised by the event will
support scholarships and special program
for students and faculty. Thanks togenerous donations the TCC Foundation gives
more than $1 million annually to program
and scholarships to support students,
faculty and staff.For more information on the 2010 Visio
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.
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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 havthe updated plate, but hundreds of custom tags sti
wont be allowed out on the streets.Heres some plates you wont see on Oklahom
roads because the tags have been deemed too tawdrfor traffic.
Some of the letter-number combinations on thtax commissions list of license plates unacceptable foissue are really racy, even for Oklahoma Gazette. S
drive by www.okgazette.com to see the full list.>>>
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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 m
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 SU
SUKS2BU and SUKS4U. Angry drivers cant even
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. L
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 inappropria
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 do
violence. And dont try to STRKHER or STROKER
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The man who reported downed bird neststo city officials in early June denies anyresponsibility for the deaths of 187 feder-ally protected nestlings at Lake Hefner.
Gregory Owen, of Oklahoma City,said he notified marina officials June 8about the mess of downed nests near themarinas slip area, east of where Owen saidhe docked his boat.
In an e-mail exchange betweenDepartment of Utilities Director Marsha
W. Slaughter and Trust Specialist Marla K.Adams regarding the suspect that killedall the birds, Adams wrote, His nameis Gregory Owen. Documentation wasobtained through an open-records request.
Owen, who hasnt been arrested orcharged in the bird deaths, denied anyinvolvement in a telephone interviewlast week.
I called to report the fact that therewas a big mess down at the end of themarina, Owen said. And they miscon-strued that I killed any baby birds.
I didnt have a problem with thebirds. They are not affecting me. They
were just affecting the slip area thatswhy I called to report it.
Oklahoma City Police Departmentofficers patrolling the boat stalls on June 8discovered about 30 downed nests and 185dead baby birds near a concrete walkway atthe end of the Gate 4 pier of the city-ownedmarina, according to a police report.
Two birds were alive when officersarrived. One died a short time later,officers reported. The other was takento the WildCare Foundation in Noble
where it later died.The harbor master told officers a
man who rents a boat stall had admittedto knocking down the nests with a polebecause he was angry that the birds leftmesses on his boat, according to the report.
Police did not arrest or identify theman and his name was redacted on thepolice report. Master Sgt. Gary Knight ofthe Oklahoma City Police Departmentsaid the case was turned over to U.S. Fishand Wildlife services, which has jurisdic-tion over the federally protected birds.
Wildlife Service Special Agent MattBryant declined to identify the man sus-pected of knocking down the nests, but saidanyone charged and found guilty of killingcliff swallows which are protected by theMigratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 face a$500 fine for each bird killed.
In Oklahoma City, Slaughter sentOwen a certified letter on June 11, revok-
ing his stall rental permit, giving him 10days to remove his boat. The letter doesntprovide a reason for the revocation, notingthat the stall rental contract allows the cityto revoke stall permits at its discretion.
Owen confirmed the permit revocation.
Bird song
Cliff swallows are small songbirds com-mon throughout the state, said TimothyOConnell, an ornithologist and assistantprofessor at Oklahoma State UniversitysDepartment of Natural Resource Ecologyand Management. Cliff swallows are similar
to barn swallows anoften referred to as swallows because ofunique, fully enclosenests the birds fashiofrom mud and grass
OConnell desca period from late Aearly June during wcliff swallows are buing eggs and protect
nestlings. About 23 days after hatchinbaby birds learn to fly, but still return nest for several weeks, he said.
Cliff swallows are loaded withpanache and among the most well-kbirds in the state, even if most peopdont realize it, OConnell said. Wthem all the time in huge numbers bridges and overpasses.
Unlike the more solitary barn swlows, OConnell said the social, greous and active cliff swallows typicanest in large colonies. Collectively, tswallow colonies are considered friefarmers and have a voracious appfor flying insects, including ones thater humans, he said.
Swallows and other small songbwere once prized by early 20th centmilliners who sought feathers and e
whole birds as adornments for womhats, OConnell said, adding that TMigratory Bird Treaty Act was estabin part, to curb this practice.
Jane Cunningham is president oAudubon Society of Central Oklahoa group that has led several wildlifeconservation projects at Lake HefneCunningham said there are easy, noharmful ways to discourage cliff swafrom nesting in areas that might be sance to humans, and several local cnies and groups are capable of remo
nests without harming birds.Cunningham said many birds licliff swallows have been forced to adnew nesting habits, which often timthem closer to people and danger.
They just dont have as many nareas as they once did, she said. Ithuman thing. Weve built shoppingand parking lots and they have to a
But cliff swallows nesting closerto people does bring one benefit,Cunningham said.
We get to enjoy them, she saiThey are really great birds, very usto humans and so full of personalityThey are just beautiful.
Hard to swallowAfter a boater reported the downing of bird nests at
Lake Hefner, officials revoked his marina permit.
The metro man denies any wrongdoing.
bY JOe wertz
newsinVestiGatiOn
Cliff swallows nesttopphoto at Lake Hefners city-operated marina, where theformer stall of Gregory Owen is locatedbottom photo.
shannOn
cOrnman
shannOn
cOrnman
I called to report thefact that there was abig mess down at theend of the marina. Andthey misconstrued thatI killed any baby birds.
Gregory Owen,of Oklahoma City
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