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Dave Says

By
Dave Ramsey
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Hope is a good thing

Dear Dave,

What is the main difference between people who follow your plan, stick with it and succeed, and those who fall off along the way?

Damon

Dear Damon,

I’ve walked with thousands of families through financial problems. Some of them were speedbumps that just needed to be smoothed out, while others seemed like mountains. The biggest factor I’ve noticed separating those who stick with it and gain control of their finances, from those who give up and go back to their old ways, can be boiled down to one simple word—hope.

Hope is stolen when we misunderstand failure and believe lies. One of the biggest lies that robs people of hope is the one that says failure is permanent. The moment we start seeing failures of the past as predictors of our futures, it extinguishes that ember of hope. Failure happens to all of us at times. It’s natural, and it is normal. The way to reach your goals, though, is to keep failure in its cage. And failure is caged when we begin to understand it isn’t permanent. 

Winston Churchill once said, “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” If we believe failure is here to stay, we lose enthusiasm. And that leads to an inability to re-focus on success. People often make dumb, short-term decisions when they’re in financial difficulty. If you talk yourself into believing you’ll never be able to save enough money to pay cash for a car, you’ll lose hope and borrow the money. Debt not only robs you of the ability to build wealth, but it’s also usually the result of losing hope. 

Have you done something stupid or wrong in the past that you are still reliving daily? Is that memory haunting you, and stealing your hope? Remember, the past only has power over you if you let it have that power. Don’t get me wrong. The past canhurt, and it can be disappointing. But you can either give in to it and let it control you, or you can learn from it and make a conscious decision to keep moving forward.

The choice is yours!

— Dave

* Dave Ramseyis a seven-time #1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. Hehas appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

The 80/80/80 Rule in Public Education

By
Tom Deighan
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This is first in a series of ten summertime articles mapping the common ground upon which parents, educators, and communities can unite regarding one of the most divisive topics in America: public education. 

I know it sounds crazy, but I contend that common ground on the issue of education not only exists, but that it may be the only remaining common ground in American culture. I am not dreaming the nostalgic myth of a lost Atlantis or the elitist dream of the flying island of Laputa. On the contrary, most public schools are practical, functioning, and redeemable places where parents, educators, and communities work together every day, regardless of differences. These islands function because 80% of parents and 80% of educators actually agree on 80% of the issues. (The 80/80/80 rule.)

I confess that this does sound a little crazy, even as I write this. Wherever I turn, public education is either extolled or demonized, and when extremes are our only options, everyone is forced to become an extremist. Despite the rhetoric, however, I have met few extremists. I see signs of them on social media and in news clips, but I cannot ever recall meeting one at the supermarket, at church, or in the drop-off line at school. Nevertheless, our national discourse is increasingly controlled by trolls behind keyboards and ogres on parade. In such a culture, anyone who rejects any element of our orthodoxy is no longer human. At least that’s what the trolls and ogres on my cable news channel tell me!

No subject illustrates this more than the topic of public education. We are told to choose between either rabid resistance to any change in public schools (except for more public funding) . . . or rabid commitment to dismantle public schools (while using the same public money). When such false choices wholly dominate national media, no wonder so many people naturally assume that their local public school is a boiling cauldron of controversy and contention. Far left and far right social engineers are surely battling it out in our hallways and classrooms, using our children as human shields. Judging by the national narrative, 80% of educators are evil, 80% of students are delinquents, and 80% of parents don’t care. If only God or the Government would save us!

So when I propose the 80/80/80 rule, I understand why you might think I am crazy, but think about it. Virtually all parents want their children to one day graduate, earn a living, and be part of a community. Educators want the same, and despite what you see on the interweb, few educators entered this profession because they hate children or parents. Sadly, the national media have 10/10 vision; they focus on the 10% of radical left issues and the 10% of radical right issues, painting everyone with these wide brushes. Your neighborhood school certainly includes these perspectives, but they make it work, because 80% of parents and 80% of educators agree on 80% of the issues. When they don’t, they have the capacity to disagree amicably and to work together. Otherwise, our schools would all be on fire.

I know the 80/80/80 rule seems preposterous to many, but I understand. Some subjects are easy, like career-ready graduates, safety, and security. Others, like school choice and faith, are a little more complicated, but the 80/80/80 rule applies even to tough topics. Next week, we will start off with the most revolutionary of ideas – that the parent is the most important educator in any child’s life. This ideal is the bedrock upon which our entire system depends, and believe it or not, most parents and most educators agree on this issue. Please join me this summer as we explore this elusive common ground.  If my instincts are correct, we will discover it is bigger than ever imagined. Heck, even those searching for schools on Atlantis and Laputa might discover real estate they can share, even if they do choose to live on opposite sides of the island.

Tom Deighan is a public educator and currently serves as Superintendent of Duncan Public Schools. He may be reached at deighantom@gmail.com

The TLE Dinosaur with a Tiny Brain

By
Tom Deighan
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Generations have been taught that the spike-tailed Stegosaurs had a brain the size of a walnut, but I recently discovered that its brain was closer to the size of a tennis ball.  I also learned on the interweb that those iconic battle scenes between Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus from Land of the Lost never happened because they reportedly lived millions of years apart.  This fake news makes me question everything I learned from Saturday morning television.  Were the Sleestak lizard people really evil, or were they simply misunderstood by the unenlightened Pakuni?  Most importantly, does the fossil-record tell us if these ancient peoples went extinct because the maskless Marshall family infected them with the COVID?  Where are the fact-checkers when we need them! 

Nevertheless, Tyrannosaurus Rex was the Cretaceous classmate of a 15,000 pound sauropod with a brain the size of two walnuts. The 50-foot long Ampelosaurus lived about the same time as T-Rex, which we compared last week to the impractical federal testing system with high-stakes teeth that relies on the itty bitty arms of keyboarding 8-year-olds for survival. If T-Rex is “The Testing Dinosaur with Little Arms” (last week’s article), then the Ampelosaurus is the TLE Dinosaur with the Little Brain.

TLE is the Teacher-Leader Effectiveness model adopted by Oklahoma eons ago in 2010 as part of Oklahoma’s failed bid to receive Race to the Top funds that inadvertently hatched two voracious monsters: Common Core State Standards and Oklahoma’s TLE.  TLE was part of an ambitious federal plan to tie teacher performance to test scores and usher in a golden age of incentive pay, but just as the testing dinosaur struggles with little arms, the TLE Dinosaur wrestles with a brain too small.  Consequently, for over a decade, teachers and principals have wasted precious instructional time corralling the Ampelosaurus while simultaneously chasing pterodactyls away from children on the playground. (Disclaimer: state-mandated drills have virtually eliminated staff and student carry-offs by Pterosaurs.)    

While TLE may have begun with great intentions, it is now an outdated model tied to the federal testing dinosaur that compares groups of children to other groups of children. Although politically useful, this testing system is educationally worthless as a real-time guide for instruction.  In 2021, teachers now rely on short, age-appropriate diagnostic tools to monitor individual students’ growth during the school year. Unlike federally mandated tests, these tools impact a child’s day-to-day education.

Unfortunately, in over a decade we have not implemented the quantitative (measurable) portion of TLE with any fidelity.  To-date, we only use the qualitative (subjective) portion.  Since the TLE dinosaur has never tied the federal tests to teacher performance, we now have a giant, time-wasting, paperwork dinosaur that exhausts teachers and principals as it gobbles up learning time from students.  Like the Sleestak and Pakuni from Land of the Lost, however, educators have learned to survive these dinosaurs by employing technology and better practices from this century.  Unfortunately, this creates two testing systems in school – one that is helpful and one that is mandated.  

If we really want to tie teacher performance to tests, we should tie them to the classroom diagnostic tools that impact instruction, and these tests should be aligned to college-and-career readiness standards.  Restoring local and state control of teacher evaluations based on meaningful data would reduce time-wasting, create more robust evaluations, and make it possible to implement incentive pay based on measurable outcomes.  TLE needs to follow the federal testing dinosaur with little arms into extinction. If not extinction, we should send them to an island off Costa Rica where they can frolic with other dinosaurs like Stegosaurs, Common Core, PASS, and NCLB.  

If Land of the Lost perpetuated such fake news, then I am no longer convinced that the Pakuni or Sleestak lizard people are extinct, either.  Maybe Ancient Aliens is on to something, but that is a subject for a different time.  Meanwhile, please do not forget to pray for the safety of our schools this Second Sunday of the month.  Trust me, it works.  Not a pterodactyl in sight. 

Tom Deighan is currently the superintendent of Duncan Public Schools. Email him at deighantom@gmail.com  Read past articles at www.mostlyeducational.com

4H News Roundup February 22 2018

By
Caity Ramsey
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L-R: Isaac Gholson, Jaci Gholson, Cody Ramsey, Kynlee Waters, Caity Ramsey, Kaylee Morris, and Kim Morris.

L-R: Isaac Gholson, Jaci Gholson, Cody Ramsey, Kynlee Waters, Caity Ramsey, Kaylee Morris, and Kim Morris.

The Waurika 4-H Club had a meeting last week to elect officers. Members also made Valentine’s Day Cards for the nursing home.

Junior 4-H Officers are the following: President Cody Ramsey, Vice-President Jaci Gholson, Secretary Caity Ramsey, and Treasurer Kynlee Waters. Senior 4-H Officers are President Kaylee Morris and Vice President Isaac Gholson. The 4-H leader is Kim Morris.

Upcoming events include a Culinary Club meeting on Feb. 21st and the Local Livestock Show at 1 pm on Feb. 22nd. The Jefferson County Livestock Show is March 1st-3rd. Please come out and support your local 4-H and FFA Show Team!

ATTACHED IS A PHOTO OF THE NEW OFFICERS AND LEADER. Under the photo should read, “L-R: Isaac Gholson, Jaci Gholson, Cody Ramsey, Kynlee Waters, Caity Ramsey, Kaylee Morris, and Kim Morris.”

High Noon Strangers and Local Battles

By
Tom Deighan
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0

The shadowy silhouette of a vulture drifts across Main Street under the hot sun. Saloon doors from opposite sides of the town square swing shut behind two strangers as the church bell tolls high noon. Children crook their necks, hoping to see some action, as their parents pull them away. Then, the slow walk begins. Tiny billows of fine dust swirl around the strangers’ boots with every deliberate step. As if on cue, both stop and slowly lift the hammer loops from their pistols. Now it’s just a matter of who blinks first . . .

But it’s Oklahoma, and the swirling wind at the center of town kicks up so much darn dust that they can hardly see. Soon, both are blinking uncontrollably and begin firing their irons indiscriminately through watery eyes. Townspeople dive behind water troughs, but soon emerge to realize that the strangers are shooting government-issue blanks.  “Who are they, Mommy?” asks one child, but no one knows. They truly are strangers, sent from Capitol City to save the locals from themselves. 

If you are true Okie, then you know if someone is “from around here” very quickly by a few signs. First off, they know how to pronounce the name of towns like Lookeba, Durant, and Miami. Secondly, they know not to stir up dust on a hot August day. And finally, they know that Okies don’t like to be told what to do, even if we agree. When strangers from capitol city ride into save the day in towns they cannot pronounce or have never visited before, we tend to give ‘em the old stink eye. 

For better or worse, the concepts of rugged individualism and local control are ingrained in Oklahoma. We bristle at top-down solutions from Capitol City (or even Washington D.C.). For the last two years, however, our state has reverted to central planning on issues both critical and trivial. I am certain that everyone involved has the best of intentions, but I wonder if they can pronounce the name of the communities such edicts impact. 

If we thought last year was difficult for schools, this year is the Wild West!  Schools are currently being expected to act well beyond our scope of authority regarding public health, HIPAA, and other privacy issues while simultaneously having fewer options as gunfights erupt all around. Educators do not have the authority or expertise to diagnose or prescribe courses of action related to public or personal health issues, but we are being asked to carry the burden, nonetheless. Our local health departments are in just as tough a spot, however. Parents and staff are frustrated or downright angry. School principals and superintendents are ready to stroke out. (Honestly, I am not giving you the stink eye; it’s just a twitch.)

Perhaps the gun fights on mispronounced Main Streets in our state will continue to utilize government-issued blanks. And perhaps, like last year, townsfolk may once again get comfortable with the dust and din of dueling state agendas, but we are still too early in the school year to know for sure. Ultimately, parents and educators will continue to do what we have always done – we will figure it out and make it work, locally. We will navigate impossible and conflicting mandates to safely serve our children. We will cuss and discuss, and we may even have a few bruises, but they will be our bruises.   

High-noon strangers are welcomed to help when they show up, but it’s only help if it helps, and they’d better be wary of getting between two fighting locals. I do not intend to make light of the situation, but right now, it’s either laugh or cry. Our ears are hurting, and people are a little panicked, but if last year is our guide, we will get used to the dust in our eyes and the sounds of blanks. We will figure out how to serve our children and staff safely, once again, Oklahoma, with or without the help of strangers that mispronounce places like Lake Fuqua. Be watchful, however, for a dark stranger stepping off the train from Washington . . . 

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

Toby Dawn Throws Angry Apples

By
Tom Deighan
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0

January 14, 2022 by Tom Deighan

Peanut, our chihuahua, must always visit the backyard first thing in the morning, especially since his bladder surgery. So, when an apple landed next to him in the grass the other morning, he sniffed it and hiked his little leg.  When the second and third apples landed in our yard, however, he ran for the pet door. “Shame, shame, shame!”  My lifelong friend and childhood hero, Toby Dawn McIntyre, was throwing apples over the fence at me. “Shame on you, Mr. Superintendent, for closing schools!” Apples are in short supply, so I immediately began gathering them up (except Peanut’s apple, of course). 

Like all of us, Toby Dawn McIntyre runs hot and cold on this issue. He has shamed me for opening schools, and he has now shamed me for closing them. But in fairness to Toby, I released a book this week about open schools, so I might deserve a few apples tossed my way. (Sweet irony!) Nevertheless, my book is not about shaming schools for opening or closing.  It is about raising awareness of the thousands of unknown schools in our nation that never closed preemptively or indefinitely due to COVID, so fearful districts can reopen permanently with confidence.  Eventually, Toby ran out of apples and calmly sat on our back porch, and Peanut happily hopped on his lap.

This is the first time Duncan voluntarily closed due to COVID, but we closed due to actual conditions, just as we have done for the flu, but this week was a triple-whammy of Flu, COVID, and other illnesses. On Wednesday morning, we hit critical mass. Staff and student absences were growing, and dedicated employees all over the district were coughing. Staying open was courting disaster, so I closed schools.  I am 100% accountable for this decision, so any apples tossed my way are understood. (Just don’t hit Peanut.) 

High profile educational leaders, from both sides, are tossing apples, too.  Some are fearfully demanding schools close preemptively.  Others castigate schools for closing even due to actual sick people, as Duncan did this week.  Both sides of the debate obsess about schools that preemptively close, but they say little about schools that have been open this whole time. Instead of pointing fingers, maybe they can find answers from the “open” schools, so we can end this plague of school closures.

I started my book, The Lonely Struggle for Open Schools, on December 18th last month after hearing about more preemptive closures. Thousands of schools in our nation never closed preemptively or indefinitely, and by telling Duncan’s story, I hoped to raise awareness that open schools are not only possible but also safe as we prepare for the 2022-23 school year. All proceeds will be donated to the DPS Foundation.

I can forgive people who have never run school districts for throwing apples at those of us who do; that’s part of the job.  As we prepare for our fourth school year with COVID, however, parents and educators need hope. We have enough models, data, and examples at this point to empower schools instead of throwing apples. It is time to reassure and support parents with the hope of open schools for the 2022-23 school year. The political theater of shaming schools for opening and/or closing has not gotten us anywhere. This is a new year, so maybe we can finally empower schools to permanently reopen by studying the schools that have been open safely and successfully.  

Toby Dawn, Peanut, and I sat there silently for a moment on the back porch, when he finally spoke up. (Toby, not Peanut.) “I’m sorry, Tommy Boy,” he said, “I was mad and just wanted to throw something . . . I also knew you liked apples.”  For future reference, that’s what Toby calls a win-win, and Peanut certainly agrees.  Meanwhile, keep throwing apples.  Soon, I may have enough for a pie! 

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

Cole Mourns the Passing of State Senator Charles Ford

By
Tom Cole
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0

Moore, OK – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) today issued the following statement on the passing of the longest serving Republican state legislator in Oklahoma history, Charles Ford of Tulsa.

“I learned of Senator Ford’s passing with a heavy heart. He was a colleague, a personal friend and a great Oklahoman who served our state with great integrity, skill and decency over the course of a long and distinguished career in the Oklahoma Legislature.

“Both my late mother, Helen Cole, and I had the privilege of serving with Senator Charles Ford in the Oklahoma State Senate. And during my tenure as Secretary of State and Chief Legislative Liaison for Governor Frank Keating, Charlie Ford was an invaluable ally, wise counselor and critical voice in moving Oklahoma forward.

“Senator Ford was respected on both sides of the aisle and brokered many a deal between the two parties in the Oklahoma Legislature. Everyone who served with him respected his wisdom and wit. Charlie made his points with a home spun humor that made legislators laugh and pushed them toward making the deals necessary to move the state forward.

“No one loved and revered the Oklahoma Legislature as an institution and a fraternity more than my friend, Senator Ford. He founded and served as president of the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Fund, Inc. When my mother passed, Senator Ford helped me to secure the funding for an appropriate memorial — a portrait of my mother’s revered Aunt Te Ata, the famous Chickasaw artist and storyteller, painted in the 1920’s. It now is permanently displayed at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

“Charles Ford was a visionary Oklahoma leader who served our state and his party with distinction, honor, integrity and great professionalism. He was the greatest Republican legislator of his era and probably in the history of Oklahoma. 

“We have lost a great Oklahoman and I have lost a wonderful mentor, trusted advisor and dear friend. I will miss Charlie Ford. Oklahoma will miss him even more.”

Dave Says

By
Dave Ramsey
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0

Think of an emergency fund as insurance

Dear Dave,

I have decided it’s time to get control of my money. Your plan sounds workable, but I talked to some friends about it, and they think I would be better off using a credit card for emergencies. Can you explain why you advise saving a separate emergency fund?

Leslee

Dear Leslee,

When bad, unexpected things happen, like a job layoff or a blown car engine, you shouldn’t depend on credit cards. If you use debt to cover emergencies, you’re digging a financial hole for yourself. My plan will walk you out of debt forever, and a strong foundation of any financial house includes an emergency fund.

Putting together a fully funded emergency fund is Baby Step 3 of my plan for getting out of debt and gaining control of your money. Before you reach thispoint, however, steps one and two should be completed first. Baby Step 1 is saving $1,000 for a starter emergency fund. Baby Step 2 is where you pay off all debt, except for your home, using the debt snowball method.

A fully-funded emergency fund should cover three to six months of expenses. You start the emergency fund with $1,000, but a full emergency fund can range from $5,000 to $25,000 or more. A family that can make it on $3,000 per month might have a $10,000 emergency fund as a minimum. 

What is an emergency? An emergency is something you had no way of knowing was coming—an event that has a major, negative financial impact if you can’t cover it. Emergencies include things like paying the deductible on medical, homeowners or car insurance after an accident, a job loss, a blown automobile transmission or your home’s heating and air unit suddenly biting the dust.

Something on sale you “need” is not an emergency. Fixing the boat, unless you live on it, is not an emergency. Want to buy a car, a leather couch or go to Cancun? Not emergencies. Prom dresses and college tuition are not emergencies, either. 

Never rationalize the use of your emergency fund for something you should save for. On the other hand, don’t make payments on medical bills after an accident while your emergency fund sits there fully loaded. If you’ve gone to the trouble of creating an emergency fund, make sure you are crystal clear on what is and isn’t an emergency.

Also, keep your emergency fund in something that is liquid. Liquid is a money term that basically means easy to access with no penalties. I use growth-stock mutual funds for long-term investing, but I would never put my emergency fund there. I suggest a money market account with no penalties and full check writing privileges for your emergency fund. 

Your emergency fund account is not for building wealth. It’s an insurance policy against rainy days!

* Dave Ramseyis a seven-time #1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. Hehas appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

Preparing to Travel Abroad

By
Tom Cole
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0

As more people become fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and with summer fast approaching, the desire to take trips and vacations outside of the United States again will only continue to grow. If you are hoping or planning to take a trip abroad anytime soon, please be advised about some important information and guidance regarding passport applications and renewals as well as certain foreign country requirements.

First, if you are planning to apply for a passport or renew an expiring one, you might experience significant delays due to application backlogs caused by the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, routine passport applications could take up to 12 weeks or longer to process and even expedited passport processing could take between 4-6 weeks.

To ensure you have your passport in time for any scheduled vacations or trips, the U.S. Department of State recommends that you apply early in case of delays. You can learn more about the process and begin your own application at travel.state.gov. While you are visiting the State Department’s travel office website, I encourage you to also take note of the useful traveler’s checklist, including such things as confirming you have the correct travel information, documentation and insurance. 

Second, as you consider your desired destination to visit, know that some countries around the world are currently requiring at least six months of passport validity before allowing entry. This means that travelers leaving the United States may be required to be in possession of passports that are valid for six months beyond the period of their intended stay.

Third, if you are traveling abroad soon and want to receive safety and security updates and allow someone from the State Department to reach you in case of an emergency, I highly encourage you to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) by visiting step.state.gov.

Finally, if you are experiencing a passport issue and need assistance, my office is here to help those living in the Fourth District of Oklahoma. Although we cannot guarantee the outcome of an inquiry, we can certainly help you get answers. However, in order to help you with passport or any casework issues, federal law requires my office to have a signed-in-ink privacy release on file from you to open an inquiry.

For links to additional passport and travel resources or to download a privacy release form, please visit cole.house.gov/services/passport-assistance. If you have any questions, please call my Norman office at (405) 329-6500.

Clovon Denise Brubaker

By
Curtis Plant
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0

Clovon Denise Brubaker

June 12, 1935 – February 8, 2018

Age: 82

 Clovon Denise Brubaker, a lifelong resident of Terral, passed away Thursday morning, February 8, 2018 at United Regional Hospital in Wichita Falls, TX.  She was 82 years old.  A funeral service was held on Saturday, February 10th at 1:00 p.m. at the Terral Assembly of God Church.  Interment at Terral Cemetery.

Clovon was born June 12, 1935 in Terral, to Winford L. and Verdie “Martin” Duncan.

Survivors include 1 sister, Kay Duncan Klintworth, and husband Fred, Charleston, SC; three brothers: Clindl Duncan, Houston, TX, Clinton Duncan and wife Bertha, Terral, OK, and Tommy Duncan and wifeDebbie, Terral, OK; and many other relatives and friends.

Clovon was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Ricky Brubaker, and two sons: Joe Brubaker and Steven Mark Brubaker. Online condolences may be sent to terralfh@pldi.net

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