A Tipping Point in Education Policy

Here at ABCTE we do a lunch time book club of sorts. Every six months we pick a professional book to read and then discuss. We meet in groups so that I can get to know our great staff better and they can become more familiar with each other and me. We started with 7 Habits last year and had some great discussions on how we can improve ourselves. The current book we are reading is the Tipping Point.

While discussing the Tipping Point on Friday it occurred to me that I actually saw how working with “mavens” (those experts who influence others) can help change education policy. In Oklahoma, Representative Ed Cannady and Representative Jeannie McDaniel are two Democrats on the Education Committee. We spent some great time with them answering their questions and better explaining our program. Because of their expertise in Education, the rest of the Democrats look to them for their stand on education issues.

Since we had spent so much time with them and because they had heard from some of the teachers in their districts on math and science shortages they voted for the bill in committee and did not debate it on the floor. That was all it took. Because some of the best education experts in the Oklahoma House were willing to vote for it, everyone voted for the bill and it passed 99 to 0.

It was great to use true example of the Tipping Point in our discussions and how it really does apply in the real world.

Is this change we can believe in?

Today in the Oklahoma House, Senate Bill 582 passed by a vote of 99 for and 0 against. A unanimous vote for the ABCTE alternative teacher certification program to be accepted in Oklahoma. This is pretty stunning as our program has, in the past, faced stiff opposition from the education establishment.

We have made a lot of changes to the program and placed a greater emphasis on teacher preparation especially in the pedagogy area. And we have changed to create a more balanced board of directors. And we have been much more accommodating in meeting with education groups to build a program in each state that takes input from all sides. And we have done a much better job at completing research and placing more teachers. And we have done a much better job at publicizing all of those accomplishments.

But 99 to nothing?!?!?.

That is really stunning. From my front line view, the tipping point is a combination of teacher unions looking to work with other groups and stop saying no to everything and President Obama constantly touting alternative teacher certification.

Regardless, it is extremely gratifying to become more “mainstream” and find much more common ground in education.

Unanimous

Yesterday we went around to all the House Education committee members in Oklahoma to ensure passage of the alternative teacher certification bill SB 582. We had some very good questions from all the members. The most striking discussion with one of the Democrat members was that she told us that a math teacher/department head had called her and told her she had two math teachers who needed to be fired because students in their classes were not learning math. But she couldn’t fire them because she had no one to replace them. She asked that the legislature please do something about the shortage to get them the help they need.

So in a first for ABCTE we had a 14 – 0 vote in an education committee. As the program has evolved, become more “mainstream”, added great resources and become much better at communicating our message, we now see true bi-partisan support. It was a great day.

See the vote video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFBcRQlY0M0

More than wind sweeping down the plains

It is not often in your travels that you get to witness an historic event. But I was lucky enough to be in Oklahoma this week when the 2009 legislative session started and it is the first time in the history of that state that the Republicans have a majority in the state senate as well as the house. Considering the political environment of the 2008 elections, this is no small feat.

Meeting the key players who made this happen like Senate President Glenn Coffee it is pretty easy to see why. He is a very smart and yet humble person with a laser focus on improving Oklahoma. From an education perspective, when I congratulated him on this victory, he gave me a firm handshake, looked me in the eye and said – “we will pass education reforms”.

This sentiment was echoed by Senate Education Chair John Ford and Vice Chair Clark Jolley. The Oklahoma House is no less enthusiastic with new Education Chair Ann Coody and Vice Chair Sally Kern. They are ready to get things done and, more importantly, ready to work with the Senate to make it happen. Speaker Chris Benge has made education one of his top priorities. I know that the first day people are always optimistic, but on this day the excitement was over the top.

No less important are Democratic Senator Judy Eason McIntire and Democratic Representative Jabar Shumate who are tired of the old solutions and want to fix Oklahoma schools now. Senator McIntire is in her final two years before hitting her term limits and told me she has been patient for too long. They keep telling her to wait and the schools will get better but she refuses saying “we cannot lose another generation of students”. She does not want to leave the senate until every child in Oklahoma has the chance for a great education. She is determined and not up for reelection – a formidable combination.

Being there for the opening ceremonies and seeing the excitement and determination to create a world class education system in Oklahoma was incredible. Education change doesn’t happen here in DC, it takes dedicated leaders in the states to create that change – so keep an eye on Oklahoma.