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A Few Voucher Questions

By
Tom Deighan
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Yes, I am a public school superintendent, but I have never opposed school choice, be it charters or vouchers. I firmly believe locally controlled public schools – schools truly in the hands of parents and local educators – can compete with any other structure, no matter how epic. As our state barrels toward vouchers, however, I wonder if we have learned from the epic nightmare that allowed millions of Oklahoma tax dollars to be secreted away by an online virtual charter school. If that stuff happened in your local school, it would be an open-and-shut case. 

I do not fear school choice, because frankly, the traditional educational establishment has alienated ourselves from parents and educators at the local level in recent years.  People wonder why educators do not show up at the polls, and I suspect it is because we have allowed radical national voices to shape our message in Oklahoma. Oklahoma parents and educators are not radicals. In such an environment, I cannot dismiss parents’ legitimate concerns and demands for more options. 

Unfortunately, the radical alternative paints all public schools as evil places. And likewise, few local parents see their community schools as evil (it’s those other schools), and they do not wish to see their local funds disappear into some epic sinkhole.  Local parents and educators want the same thing: Safe, Caring, Healthy, Open, Orderly Learning Spaces where kids can learn (S.C.H.O.O.L.S.).  As long as we continue to allow Marxists or Crony Capitalists to sanction our options, however, your local community schools will continue to be either overregulated and bureaucratized or systematically dismantled and sold to the highest bidders. I don’t believe this is the school choice parents envision, either.

Hopefully, our state’s epic journey has taught us that rules for the politically connected and powerful, on either side of the aisle, should be the same.  If that is the case, public schools can compete with anyone. That’s why Public Money, Public Rules must apply to vouchers. This cuts both ways. If the rules are good enough for public schools, they should be good enough for voucher funds poured into private and for-profit schools. Conversely, if the rules are not reasonable for private or for-profit schools, they should not be applied to public schools. I have never encountered a single educator who opposes this logic, for the current rules are killing neighborhood schools.  Likewise, I have never encountered a single private school educator willing to deal with all our rules, tons of cash notwithstanding.

I realize that there is nothing more dangerous than asking questions nowadays, but Oklahomans might consider some as we move forward on vouchers. Will they report four, five, and six-year graduation cohort rates?  Will they be penalized for drop-outs, even if they move to other states?  Must their teachers and principals suffocate under the obsolete, time-wasting TLE Evaluation system?  Will the salaries of ALL staff be reported publicly?  Will their students take all of the irrelevant, state-mandated, federally-driven, Common-Core Friendly standardized tests?  Will they pick-and-choose which kids they enroll?  Will they receive A-F scores? If voucher students don’t “fit,” will these “other kids” be sent packing to their home school district? (As it currently happens.)  Will they return the remaining funds to the home school? (This currently does not happen.) Will they pay their teachers according to the minimum salary? Who will track and ensure the money has been spent appropriately?  How do we avoid thousands of tiny little scandals that could easily create an even more epic disaster for Oklahoma? 

Here’s a suggestion: let’s just pattern the new voucher system after the medical marijuana laws. Let’s invite out-of-state or foreign bad actors to milk the state for all its worth and damage rural communities. When it becomes a political liability, we can courageously and slowly fix those laws to protect Oklahomans.  We could even throw some drug money at the schools (for the kids!). Wait a minute, this all sounds strangely familiar. Perhaps, the real question: Is this some sort of epic template?

Tom Deighan is superintendent of Duncan Public Schools. You may email him at  deighantom@gmail.com and read past articles at www.mostlyeducational.com

Open Schools Versus Preemptive Closures

By
Tom Deighan
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January 7, 2022 by Tom Deighan

Once again , schools across our nation are preemptively closing due to COVID-19.  Yes, closing is always an option for Duncan Public Schools, but we will stay open as long as we can safely do so. We will continue to face this pandemic as we have from the beginning. If we close a single site or the entire district, we will close for a defined period due to actual conditions. Our children need the structure, safety, and normalcy of open schools. We have faced this threat before, and we will face it again, together.  

Hundreds of schools in our nation preemptively extended their Christmas Breaks, and who can blame them? We are in our third school year with COVID, and national educational leaders still exert intense pressure on schools to close, terrifying parents and staff.  Due to endless media reports of school closings, I suspect much of our nation is unaware that schools have been open safely since the beginning of this pandemic.  No wonder parents and educators across this nation are still terrified to fully commit to in-person, full-time instruction in the age of COVID.

We know that schools have been open from the beginning – not just during the current 2021-22 school year but last year (2020-21) – and yes, even during the spring of 2020! Wyoming and Montana reportedly did not preemptively close schools, even as the majority of other states preemptively closed (including Oklahoma.)  Yet, by the summer of 2020, we had solid research from Europe suggesting that schools could be safely open, and it was correct. Why don’t we hear about more research and the thousands of schools that have been open safely during all of this?  Why don’t we reassure these parents, educators, and students with the evidence available at this time?

We now have literally thousands of models available to reassure fearful parents and educators that full-time, in-person instruction is not only safe but also prevents the negative social, psychological, and academic impacts of long term, preemptive closures. I suspect that parents and educators may be unaware of how many schools have offered full-time, in-person instruction. Even if they are in an open school, I suspect they believe open schools are the exception – not the rule 

Rather than focus on the current slate of closures, perhaps we should reframe our national discussion as we prepare for the 2022-23 school year.  If we can somehow raise awareness of open schools (or just acknowledge them) – we may not have to constantly struggle against the pressure to preemptively close schools. Where are the studies, the examples, the research, and the data about all these schools that have stayed open? Why aren’t national leaders helping parents and educators welcome their students back with confidence?  Where is the proof that preemptive closures have worked? 

The fear and reality of COVID-19 is real.  It terrifies me every day at some level as a superintendent, and closure of our sites or entire district for the safety of our students and staff is always an option.  As we prepare for the 2022-23 school year, however, this is the time to settle the issue of full-time, in-person learning versus preemptive closures. 

No school is a model for how to manage COVID, especially not Duncan Public schools, but national experts can surely knit together some best practices from the thousands of schools who have stayed open during this nightmare. Districts who have been open feel alone, and districts who are closing preemptively feel alone. That is not necessary as we face our fourth school year with COVID.  May God protect our schools, children, and staff once again as we enter another fearful time, but may we also face any challenges with confidence, experience and wisdom . . . for that is how we want our students to face the world.

Tom Deighan is superintendent of Duncan Public Schools. You may email him at  deighantom@gmail.com and read past articles at www.mostlyeducational.com

Feeding the Smartphone Pig

By
Tom Deighan
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A few years ago, miniature pigs were all the rage.  Unfortunately, many people couldn’t tell the difference between a normal and a miniature pig, and many entrepreneurial farm kids took advantage of the market.  It didn’t take people long to realize they had been swine-dled, however, for pigs can exceed 250 pounds in six months.  Just imagine your surprise when your little Piglet turns out to be a full-grown Pooh Bear.  Oh, bother!

During the pandemic, we unwittingly invited a similar beast into our homes: the 24/7 Digital Pig.  What started as a convenient smartphone has since grown into a 500-pound feral boar.  Zoom pigs, email pigs, and social media pigs already devoured our lives before the pandemic, but I am not sure we can feed these monsters anymore.  With COVID hopefully waning, maybe it’s time to send this digital piggy to the market.

Remember when computers were supposed to simplify our lives?  Enhanced communications would enrich our relationships.  Technology would declutter our schedules, so we could focus on the people and activities that mattered.  Less stress, less worry, more sleep.  We would even use less paper.  Smartphones were supposed to tie it all up into one cuddly package. Those crafty country kids on the side of the road lied to us! 

We now navigate giant piles of digital clutter (the piglet and Pooh jokes write themselves!).  We even use more paper than ever before. I measure cash register receipts by the foot now, which simply adds insult to injury after self-checking and self-paying.  I missed the training, so I have discovered that not all apples are coded equally. I complained to customer service, but it is self-service, too. Now it’s just a giant mirror and a frustrated bald guy holding a bag of ridiculously expensive honey-crisp apples. 

Unfortunately, all these so-called technological conveniences have crept into education, too.  After the pandemic, we learned that 24/7 instruction, feedback, parent-teacher conferences, and tutoring were all possible and necessary. Online learning has its place, but for most educators, parents, and students, learning is as social as cerebral.  More collaborative than computerized.  Some students and teachers thrive in a virtual world, but most of us hated it, especially when given an option.  

We are now starting to reclaim some normalcy, and virtual school at 2 AM and weeks of quarantines are less necessary, so why are we still feeding this smartphone hog?  Between social media, texts, emails, and midnight snacks, I don’t know how anyone gets any sleep. Families are more exhausted than ever, and I believe it is partly due to the cute little piglet that turned into a 24/7 digital nightmare.  

Families need downtime.  We need to reclaim our nights and weekends (or whenever you can catch a moment of rest). The 24/7 digital pig has gobbled up every spare minute, and what once helped us cope with the pandemic has become our tusked overlord. Life is already hectic enough; we don’t need work and school dominating our homes and family times any more than it already does. 

Unfortunately, this 24/7 digital pig will never go away.  We cannot butcher it, but we can put it in a pen where it belongs.  Social media, texts, and emails will still be there in the morning, and somewhere among those apps is an actual phone, so someone can call you if it’s important. Parents, students, and educators need a break from the digital monster we have created over the last two years.  Let’s unplug, log-off, and disconnect more.  Trust me, no matter how much that 24/7 digital pig squeals the world won’t end if we ignore it occasionally.  And if anyone is thinking of buying a cute little mini pig, consider a layaway plan.  If the little guy adds 40 pounds in a month, you don’t have a pet; you have a pork dinner, and it’s really hard to find a sparkly phone case for one of those.   

Tom Deighan is currently the superintendent of Duncan Public Schools. Email: deighantom@gmail.com  Past articles: www.mostlyeducational.com

The Pre-Eminence of Wal-Mart Parents

By
Tom Deighan
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Somewhere around the age of 2 or 3, children try to leverage pressure on their parents in public. I call those the Wal-Mart years, when children test us with fits, tantrums, and other tactics whenever they have an audience.  The goal is to get what they want, be it a toy or candy, but the larger goal is determining who’s boss, and it doesn’t just happen among toddlers.  I have a friend who admits to losing it in the cereal aisle when her child threw a tantrum during one hectic trip to the store.  She raised her voice, grabbed her child by the arm, and corrected him sternly right there in the store.  She never hurt her child, but it was enough of a scene that a concerned bystander scolded the mom and told her just to give the kid the cereal he wanted. Before the mom could respond to the stranger, her kid popped off, “Mind your own business, lady, or my mom will kick your butt!”  

The lady in this story is a great Mom, but everyone loses it in Wal-Mart eventually.  It does not make someone a bad parent, and kids rarely lose love for parents who correct them.  This is even true when the relationship is not perfect.    Even more remarkable, when the parent is derelict or abusive, however, children will still often defend them with a loyalty that defies logic.  That’s the power of the parent-child bond, and educators know that anyone who dares get between a child and a parent does so at extreme peril.  And when I say parents, I am referring to the caring adults in children’s lives who nurture their education. That role is often filled by someone who is not the biological father or mother.  Every child who has such an adult parenting their education is generally ready for school.    

Educators whom I respect hold the parent-child relationship as sacrosanct, for we know that it is an unbreakable bond. Parents are the preeminent influence in children’s lives.  Teachers know that their jobs are infinitely easier when the parent supports their child’s education, even in the smallest measures.  An educator can never replace the parent as the most important influencer or educator. We can often only enhance and support.  If a parent resists or devalues education or holds hostile feelings toward the teacher, educators struggle, often in vain, to overcome that child’s resistance to learning. On the other hand, when a parent participates or even tacitly supports in the simplest of ways like checking on their children’s grades online, that child enters the classroom with a tremendous advantage.  

Educators assist the parents, but we can never usurp, override, undermine, or replace the roles or responsibilities of a parent.  Contrary to the extreme examples we may see in the news, virtually all educators know that the power of a parent is unparalleled.  It is first biological, which is almost impossible to overcome, and then it is based on simple time and relationship. Think about it, children spend about 15% of their time each year in school, and they get new teachers every year.  The remainder is under parent or guardian supervision, year after year. (There are 8760 hours in a year, and children only spend 1260 hours in school, which is about 15% of their lives: 7 hours each day X 180 days = 1260 hours.) 

Educators assist parents, and I know educators who can help children overcome overwhelming obstacles, even those children who are unsupported in their education, but no educator can completely replace a caring, attentive, and invested adult in the home.  That’s why parents will always be the most important educators, and nearly all educators honor this parental role in a child’s life, especially during the challenging years!  Wal-Mart parents unafraid to correct their children in public are our heroes, for they are making our jobs much easier. Thank you for being the most important educators.

Tom Deighan is currently the superintendent of Duncan Public Schools. You may email him at  deighantom@gmail.com and read past articles at www.mostlyeducational.com

Toby Dawn’s Empty Backpack

By
Tom Deighan
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Nothing makes my lifelong friend and childhood hero, Toby Dawn McIntyre, happier than the start of school, so happy that I always thought he would make a great teacher, but he insists that the summer vacations are too short. Each year he brings me a backpack full of zany school supplies. I never know when or where he will show up, I just know he will somehow interrupt my peace and quiet when I least expect it. This year, he appeared in my backyard as I relaxed on my back porch. “School starts next week, Tommy Boy!” I rolled my eyes as he approached.   

After the last two years, anything normal is welcomed, even Toby Dawn, so I was happy to see my friend. Last year, it was full of Batman masks and hand-sanitizer, so I never really know what to expect. He has brought me everything from an Alf lunchbox to a giant crayon, and one year, he dumped out an entire backpack full of paper clips. Every single one was interlocked with another, which illustrates not only his excitement for school but also his endless joy in aggravating me. I would never admit it to Toby, but I was excited to see what he brought. This year’s backpack was empty, however. 

“I have been thinking,” he said, which are dangerous words for Toby, “that all we needed back in the day were a few Big Chief Tablets, some fat pencils, and crayons.”  I carefully inspected the backpack, for Toby is known for surprises, but it really was empty. “Nowadays, schools already have too much to handle, but on top of it all, you have the COVID . . . again!”  I sighed, a little uncertain about where Toby was headed. “So this year, I knew there was nothing I could bring you. There are no answers. No magic bullets.”  

Toby was right. Once upon a time, back-to-school was simple, and after the last two years, everyone hoped that this year would be normal. Unfortunately, people are now afraid that this year may be even more chaotic than ever. Almost on cue, COVID has reared its ugly head just in time to revive all the anxiety, pressure, and uncertainty. It can be overwhelming for anxious staff and parents, and it is downright disheartening for students. They just want a normal year. 

Before we worry or give up, however, let’s remember that most schools in Oklahoma managed to stay open last year. The studies that many of us relied upon last summer when we decided to open also proved true here: there was very little spread in schools. We went into the year uncertain, but we took those first tentative steps in hope. We decided locally that in-person learning was best, and we would take it day-by-day, keeping school open until it was no longer safe or possible to do so. We had no vaccine and very few treatments last year, but somehow, by the Grace of God, we made it. God willing, we will do so again this year. 

“This backpack is empty this year so you can fill it up, Tom.” I cannot remember Toby ever calling me anything but Tommy Boy. “And at the end of this school year, I expect it to be packed with joyous memories after a full year of school. Because one way or another, I know your schools will once again unite, and once again you will decide together how to serve our children and this community.”  With those words, my tall red-headed friend quietly walked out of my backyard. And somehow, that empty backpack filled my heart. Yes, we are once again facing an uncertain school year, but we are facing it together, and whatever comes our way, we will face it for our kids. And just like Toby Dawn, I am confident that the fear and uncertainty bubbling up this week cannot be compared to the joy set before us this school year. We will figure this out, again, Oklahoma!

Tom Deighan is currently the superintendent of Duncan Public Schools. He may be reached at deighantom@gmail.com You may read past articles at www.mostlyeducational.com

A Tale of Two Sprout Farmers

By
Tom Deighan
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Once upon a time, there were two farmers. One farmer was very old, and one farmer was very young. The old farmer lived alone on her farm after her husband had passed away, and they had no children together. The young farmer inherited the neighboring farm unexpectedly, and immediately made a home there with his young wife and several small children. The old farmer welcomed her new neighbors with fresh vegetables, jars of jelly, and eggs from her henhouse. They became instant friends. 

Very shortly after moving in, the young farmer shared his plans to get the farm producing as soon as possible. “I will grow bean sprouts!” he exclaimed proudly. “No other crop grows faster!”  Within days, the beans sprouted, and the old farmer was genuinely impressed. Before long, the ambitious young farmer could barely keep up, harvesting thousands of pounds of bean sprouts each week. The old lady helped every day with the children and small chores. They grew to love her very much, and she cherished every minute with the young family.

One day, the old farmer did not visit, so the young farmer checked on her at her small farm which connected to his land along a creek bank. Thankfully, he found her happily packing fresh dirt around the base of a sapling behind her house. Fallow fields that had not been cultivated for years surrounded her quaint home, and it was clear that she had no interest in crops since her husband passed. The only vestiges of a farm that remained were her well-tended garden and her beloved chickens which she introduced by name. The old farmer and the young farmer sipped lemonade and discussed grandiose plans for bean sprouts.            

In the coming days, the old farmer still visited regularly, but she no longer stayed as long, “I have important work to do!” she declared as she dropped off fresh eggs, pickles, or warm bread. Very soon thereafter, she died, leaving her small estate to the young farmer and his wife, much to their surprise. On their first visit to the old farmer’s place after her death, they could not believe what they saw. Rows upon rows of young trees had been planted in her final days. Neat labels identified fruit and nut trees of every variety. Within time, the young farmer learned that the old lady had been diagnosed with terminal illness before his arrival, and one day while sorting through her papers, they discovered correspondence with her attorney. She had given a child up for adoption over fifty years ago, before getting married to her husband, and when her husband died, she began searching. Her daughter was dead, but she had one grandson to whom the old lady anonymously gave most of her farm. She kept only the hired hands’ quarters and a few acres across the creek for herself. 

In the coming years, all those trees the old farmer planted blossomed into beautiful groves that sustained the young farmer’s family and countless others. His children returned to establish families of their own on the land, and his grandchildren played in their shade, picked their fruit, and gathered their nuts. He retired very comfortably, deeply satisfied and thankful for the life he lived harvesting seeds as soon as they sprouted. But not a day passed without marveling at his grandmother who anonymously sowed herself as a seed into his life and planted trees she would never see mature. As his great-grandchildren began to be born, the bean sprout farmer became a tree farmer as well, knowing he would never smell the blossoms, taste the fruit, or enjoy the cool shade of the trees he planted. Like his grandmother before him, the old farmer invested in children he would never know and who would never know him. And the last of his days were happier than the first.  

Tom Deighan is currently the superintendent of Duncan Public Schools. You may email him at  deighantom@gmail.com and read past articles at www.mostlyeducational.com

Wacky Waving Toby Dawn

By
Tom Deighan
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Nothing . . . absolutely nothing raises the ire of my lifelong friend and childhood hero more than a school bus drive around. He claims to have once been a school bus driver, but in reality, he merely borrowed one on our 5th grade field trip. Nevertheless, that experience created a sense of fellowship with all pupil pilots, so if he ever sees a stop arm violation, he goes “Toby Dawn” on the driver. He puffs up. He stretches out. He gyrates, waves his arms in the air, and screams like an injured cat. Picture our tall, red-headed Toby Dawn hollering like a fool in the middle of the road at the lowly offenders. “You gotta get their attention, Tommy Boy!”

People occasionally allege that Toby Dawn is fictional, but I assure you that nothing is more real than a wacky waving Toby Dawn defending a school bus. And if it reminds you of something you’ve seen at local used car dealers and tax preparation offices, that’s because Toby Dawn McIntyre modelled the original inflatable flailing tube man. He reportedly even earns a commission from every single one, which might explain why he has been so excited about the recent NOPE movie that features so many Toby Dawns flailing about in the field.

Every August, however, he makes cameo appearances in school districts across the nation whenever some absent-minded driver commits a stop-arm violation. He leaps into traffic and violently waves his arms and shouts. Air horns. Confetti poppers. Silly string on the windshield, and occasionally, roman candles. Kids on the bus love it, but it terrifies the drivers, and not necessarily the bad ones. “Sometimes, things get out of hand when I’m strobing,” he confesses. (Strobing is Toby’s term for his wacky, waving arm display. Oddly fitting.)

Toby is the first to admit, however, that a giant Irishman strobing in the middle of the road is not the best solution for drive-arounders. “I ain’t Santa Claus; I can’t be everywhere, Mr. Superintendent.”  (He refuses to accept that I have returned to the classroom.) Nevertheless, he has a brilliant solution: install a giant, wacky waving arm Toby Dawn on each school bus. Whenever someone breaks the sacred cheese wagon code, a menacing tube man inflates to frighten and intimidate offending motorists. 

He has formally proposed his giant inflatable tube man several times to the National Transportation Safety Board as the ultimate deterrent for drive-arounds, but the NTSB keeps rejecting it. Thankfully, his other idea – replacing the stop arms with a giant chainsaw – has been rejected, too. Toby understands that many school buses now have cameras, but “Either a giant Toby or chainsaw would stop this overnight,” he claims. Toby’s not wrong; we need something dramatic to protect kids from stop-arm violators. Maybe something in between Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Gumby. I wonder if school districts just couldn’t post the videos online?

I cannot imagine anyone purposely driving around a loading or unloading school bus, but I shudder at the possibility of a kiddo popping out. It’s the sort of thing that keeps bus drivers (and Toby) up at night. Thankfully, school buses are the safest form of transportation on the planet . . . inside the bus. Drivers speeding around the bus are another matter, so as school starts this year, let’s imagine a giant Toby Dawn McIntyre in the road. If the flashing lights don’t get your attention, a wacky waving McIntyre might. Nevertheless, he cannot be everywhere, so until the NTSB installs menacing inflatable tube men on all school buses, we must be uber careful. Drivers keep kids safe on the inside; we must keep them safe on the outside. 

Hopefully, next time you see an inflatable flailing Toby Dawn, it’s at a car dealership. Meanwhile, please pray that the NTSB keeps rejecting at least one of Toby Dawn’s school bus drive around solutions, and please pray for the safety of our students this Second Sunday of the month.

Tom Deighan is a public educator and author of Shared Ideals in Public Schools. You may email him at deighantom@gmail.com 

Fun Political Terms

By
Tom Deighan
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Some new words are unforgettable, needing little or no explanation. They intuitively and metaphorically illuminate the previously undefined. (Who heard of “crowdfunding” and “selfies” 10 years ago?) As we enter a new political season, however, we keep using the same stale, old terms to describe our hyper-partisan, social media political reality, and it’s boooring.  Time to freshen things up.

“Flaming Pennies” are the radical one-percent willing to burn the world down just to make a point, and they wield inordinate power in our social media age.  They are not necessarily radical because of their beliefs but rather their behavior. Worse than even hateful social media trolls, flaming pennies actually leave their basement. Fortunately, when rational adults ignore the flaming pennies, much like walking away from toddlers throwing a tantrum, they lose their power. Eventually, they will even turn on each other to prove who is more dedicated to the cause.  That’s why we don’t have flaming nickels. 

People immediately understand the term “Cable News Goggles,” because regardless of how non-partisan, unbiased, and fair-minded we claim to be, we all favor one news source or another. Whether that be the Fox News side or the MSNBC side, we all have our biases.  In fact, I now trust naked partisans more than so-called “unbiased” sources.  At least we know what the partisans are selling! Our Cable News Goggles certainly impact how we look at the world, even non-political issues, and if you have any doubt if yours are red or blue, just look at what pops up in your newsfeed.   The algorithms know us better than we know ourselves. 

“Gotham City Shades”, on the other hand, are an entirely different type of eyewear that force us to assume faraway “big city” problems are rampant here at home.  We are convinced that the rampant crime, radical behavior, and extreme social problems we see in the media are happening right next door in the same magnitude. (Really?) Yes, bad stuff happens everywhere, but Gotham City Shades create boogey-man central to push agendas.  No one wants to live in Gotham City except Batman, and you can’t get one of those belts off the rack at Nordstrom.  

“High-Noon Strangers” are those politicians and activists that heroically invade communities to save the day. They appear at school board meetings, city councils, and even lead marches through towns they could only find on Google Maps.  Their mission: to save dumb locals from themselves.  They usually come from Capital City or are trying to get there, and nowadays, they are often funded by faraway dark money.  They always claim a constituency, but look a little closer, and you just might find a large gallery of cardboard cut-outs cheering them on.  They ride in, shoot the place up, and leave before the smoke clears.  Don’t worry, their supporters are carefully stored for the next town to prevent creasing.  

Finally, because this column is “mostly” educational, let’s consider two complementary educational terms: “Pollyanna Public Schools” and “Evil Public Schools”.  These are the false, extreme forces dividing common-sense parents and educators nowadays.  One side entirely ignores the unnecessary problems pushed into public schools, and the other side ignores the miracles public schools accomplish every day.  Meanwhile, both sides clamor for more money to either reward mediocrity or to start their own separate schools.  I have been beating this drum for over a year now, but don’t we have more choices than Marxism or Crony Capitalism? 

Sure, it’s arrogant to presume I can coin new terms, but I teach college stuff now, so that makes me a true “speck-spert” (a so-called expert who presumes that his knowledge about a tiny subject also makes him smart about real-world issues). Don’t worry, however, I get all of my political insight from actors, entertainers, and social media influencers, so you know I am well-informed.  After all, if you cannot capture an idea in a Tik-Tok or a meme, nowadays, you are probably busy doing unimportant stuff like working or raising your family.

Tom Deighan is a public educator and author of Shared Ideals in Public Schools. You may email him at deighantom@gmail.com 

Breakfast with Recruits

By
Tom Deighan
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This is a recurring Veteran’s Day article that captures the moment that forever changed how I see our military men and women.  During my time serving the children of Fort Sill Army Base, I had the distinct honor of joining recruits for breakfast during bootcamp. It gave me a tiny glimpse into the tremendous sacrifice they are willing to make.  Please pray for our veterans and their families this second Sunday of the month, and please also pray for the safety of our schools. 

We were instructed to leave a seat between each of us in the empty mess hall for the recruits. Few of us in Leadership Oklahoma Class of XXVIII had military experience, so we were impressed with the food line which rivaled any breakfast buffet in town. Some of us quickly found a seat, but others lingered in the food lanes or at the juice dispensers. Then the recruits arrived.

They descended upon the serving lines with speed and efficiency. Always orderly and respectful, they moved past us mechanically as we tried to decide between yogurt or a bagel. They invariably grabbed both and walked in sharp angles to an empty seat. Dropping their trays between us as if pre-assigned, they returned for drinks. Each returned with two glasses that they cupped tightly in the center of their chests, elbows extended.

Although mindful of us civilians in the room, they had only ten minutes to eat, so they inhaled everything. Despite this, they patiently and respectfully responded to our questions. I watched with fascination as one young man folded everything on his tray into a pancake like a taco (for maximum eating efficiency he told me). The stubble on his freshly shorn head was likely the only he had ever experienced. He could just as easily have been a sophomore sitting in English class. 

At a nearby table sat several young women, just as precise and just as hungry. With no makeup and their hair pulled helmet-tight, nothing could hide their youth. But just about then, one of the Leadership Oklahoma members at my table asked them why they carried their drinks that way, cupped tightly in the center of their chests, elbows extended. “Because that is how they train us to handle a grenade, sir.”

I was awestruck. Respect and gratitude replaced sentimentality as I saw these recruits with fresh clarity. In fact, I saw every soldier I had ever known differently. Because in that moment, the United States Army marched right into my heart:  The bagpipe players on the polo field who learned to play in forty-five days. The drill sergeants who spent their weekend with these recruits instead of their families. The solemnity of the retreat ceremony. The big guns firing on the range. But mostly, I saw young men and women who carry their breakfast drinks like grenades because their lives literally depend upon it. I have never been more enlightened or more humbled.  

How foolish of me to look at these recruits as anything but the men and women who keep America free. Just four weeks into their basic training that forges them into soldiers, they already mastered discipline and precision beyond my imagination. This was reflected in each soldier I met on Fort Sill over my years there.  And while I learned to recognize the ranks from their symbols, I could never distinguish rank based on behavior, demeanor, or professionalism – from private to general, I saw only Army Strong.

Both of my parents served in the Navy. I have worked alongside countless other veterans, not to mention former students who went on to serve, and in my time at Fort Sill, I came to appreciate the military like never before. But not until that morning in the mess hall did I ever carry the heart of a recruit – cupped tightly in the center of my chest, elbows extended.

Tom Deighan is currently the superintendent of Duncan Public Schools. You may email him at  deighantom@gmail.com and read past articles at www.mostlyeducational.com

Saving Us Dumb Locals from Ourselves

By
Tom Deighan
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0

Far away in an undisclosed coffeehouse, a hero in a white hat squints and looks suspiciously up at the rising sun. A kerfuffle is rumored among rubes in a faraway village, and nothing . . . absolutely nothing . . . worries a high-noon stranger like a bunch of local yokels facing the terrors of our modern world. A white horse soon appears. A quick pic for social media, and our hero drives away while a handler returns the horse to a waiting trailer to follow. Time to save us dumb locals from ourselves. 

Historically, Americans have always doubted the motives of self-identified heroes, but lately we seem to have succumbed to the hype. They predictably invade our towns and schoolyards for mock battle, and just as quickly move on for the next town, confident that they have made the world a better place by spotlighting an isolated, local, and complicated issue as a universal blight on our entire nation. The Twitterverse explodes. Facebook looks on in disgust. Tik-Tokers eat laundry detergent. 

Whatever the issue, local yokels must never fear!  Far away heroes from opposing sides will step in to fix our city councils, school boards, and main streets. They often swarm virtually, their manicured thumbs tapping away in outrage, but occasionally, they even make phone calls. If it’s something truly serious, however, like Dr. Suess poisoning our youth, the truly elite heroes stop just outside of town while hired hands un-trailer their white horses, so they can gallantly ride into town without a hair out of place.

Like never before, our communities, small towns, and schoolyards have become battlegrounds for faraway elites with deep pockets and obscure motives. While most Americans are concerned about silly issues like the economy, inflation, and school safety, these new saviors run unchecked and celebrated through our social media world. They always boast a vast local constituency, even when no locals recognize them. It’s just another high-noon standoff for them in an unknown town sure to produce collateral damage among people far too simple to understand their historic mission. Sure, local communities and schools have been dealing with these issues successfully without their help for years, but never waste a crisis, and when there is no crisis, create one.    

Not long ago, such high-noon strangers rode in, made a lot of noise, and disappeared. They only had blanks in their guns, so no harm, but now, they ruin lives, careers, and relationships. When the dust settles, locals are left empty, embittered, and betrayed. Meanwhile, outside of town, they trailer their horses and move on to the next backwater hotspot. A savior’s work is never done, and lattes are getting cold.

This new breed of elitist central planners have not yet rediscovered the futility of micromanaging local affairs. Self-proclaimed heroes rarely find the support they seek, so they inevitably devolve into their own form of tyranny, whether by governmental or mob decree. Tacit agreement with either orthodoxy is no longer enough, so normal folks keep their heads down and avoid eye-contact. No matter what you say or how you say it, it’s not good enough. We can no longer merely tolerate differences or partially agree – we must fervently celebrate and participate to prove allegiance. Most Americans hate being told what to do, even if they agree, but this has gotten out of hand. 

There will always be a need for far-away perspectives and experts, but everything is eventually a local issue. Local news. Local problems. Local solutions. Local responsibility. Of course, our new heroes champion these things, as long as locals bow obediently to the upheaval in our schools and communities under threat of national attention or cancellation. When it’s all over, local yokels must scoop up the messes left by these self-appointed heroes’ gallant white steeds. That’s now our role. Ironically enough, our only options after all their damage: blow up Twitter, slap Facebook, or eat Tide Pods. Maybe those Tik-Tokers have the answer, after all.

Tom Deighan is a public educator and author of Shared Ideals in Public Schools. You may email him at deighantom@gmail.com

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