
Ignorance is bliss.
This morning I’m going to assume that you are woefully ignorant of how our state’s education system operates…because I was and in many ways I still am.
I attended public school for thirteen years.
I attended college for eight years.
I have a Master’s degree in school administration.
I taught in private and public schools for twenty years.
Despite my experience and education I’ve spent most of my life with only a vague notion of who sits up there in the offices of the Oklahoma State Department of Education or what they do or how much they are paid to do it.
One of the reasons for my lack of knowledge was the “brief summary” of the system that was taught in my college classes. Far more emphasis was placed on school finance and legal issues. Another reason for my ignorance was an admitted lack of concern. I knew there was system in place and that like most systems it wasn’t perfect, but I just assumed that I would learn more about it once I was a teacher and gainfully employed.
Part of my assumption was correct. I learned about aspects of the overall system that pertained to me. However, as a new teacher I was mostly concerned with my job duties, curriculum requirements, special education laws, and my salary. I didn’t take the time to research anything else because frankly I didn’t have the time.
Now that I’m retired and there are such major problems confronting my former colleagues who are still working, I’ve devoted a little more time to figuring out who is running the Department of Education and why they seem to be doing such an inadequate job. Sadly, I must tell you that I don’t know the answer to the “why” and I’m not likely to ever figure it out. However, I AM learning more about who is in the office and I’d like to share that with you. Perhaps those of you who are smarter than I am or closer to the top of the system or more involved in issues will find the following information useful:
Most of you are aware that your local school board hires and evaluates administrative staff, adopts the budget, sets goals for the district, and generally serves as the oversight committee for anything that pertains to the campus. Board members are usually dedicated residents of the community, but often have little or no background in education. They must meet certain requirements for election. They attend classes in school finance and legal issues once they are chosen. For more information click here.
At the state level we have the State Board of Education, composed of State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister and board members William Flanagan (Mayor of Claremore), Leo J. Baxter (career military), Cathryn Franks (former teacher), Daniel Keating (insurance executive), Bill Price (criminal attorney), and Bob Ross (attorney). I don’t know these people. I don’t know much about them. However, I did notice two things when I read their bios. Most have a limited background in education. Most serve on MULTIPLE boards in addition to having demanding careers. In addition to those careers they are charged with “determining the policies and directing the administration and supervision of the public school system of Oklahoma.” I can only assume that there are a LOT more hours in their day than there are in mine…or that some things are lower on their priority list than others. According to Wikipedia here is what we expect from the board:
“The Board organizes and has control over the administrative and supervisory agencies, divisions, and personnel of the State Department of Education.
It is the responsibility of the Board to formulate and adopt the curriculum, courses of study and other instructional aids necessary for the adequate instruction of Oklahoma students in the public schools of the state.
When deemed necessary by the Board, the Board can require any person having administrative control of any school districts in Oklahoma to make regular or special reports regarding the activities of the schools in their districts. In requiring such reports, the Board has the authority to withhold any or all state funds under its control, to withhold official recognition, including accrediting, until such required reports have been filed and accepted by the Board.
It is the duty and responsibility of the Board to provide for the health and safety of school children and school personnel while under the jurisdiction of school authorities.”
To be fair, I have to add that the State Department of Education has enough departments, offices, and personnel to make you dizzy just reading the lists. There are deputies and directors and officers and supervisors and assistants and secretaries. So I know that the board isn’t attempting to do all of the above single-handedly. Of course if we really delve deep into the structure of the system the “too many chiefs” analogy comes to mind.
As I said earlier…I have no answers. However, I’ve added a little more knowledge to my understanding of the education system. That’s a good first step in problem-solving. Perhaps I also succeeded in helping you become more informed.
You can visit this State Department of Education website for more information about the board members. Also note that on the same page you can access current meeting information.
And for a look at some of the top education staff salaries, click here.