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8/8/2019 Joe's news features
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THEEDUCATIONI S S U E
GARDEN
MASTER
GOVERNOR
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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 universi-
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 are
going to be working on these things to service
them and to maintain them. In aviation, in our
case, somebody needs to train the pilots that fly
these things remotely. Its larger than just highereducation.
We have a lot of advantages in Oklahoma
because the labor force is cheap, we have good
laws for startup companies, he continues, the
states really supportive. We have a really good
climate here in Oklahoma.
The legislature in 2006 invested the first $150
million in the endowment, which is a far cry
from the amount Henry and the taskforce hoped
for, unfinished business that Henry laments as
he prepares to leave office.
Im disappointed that we havent found a
permanent funding mechanism for the EDGE
research endowment, he says. I made sure wehad the initial deposit of $150 million, which I
was only able to do because we had some years
with big surpluses, but Ive been pushing the
legislature every year to help dedicate a revenue
source so that we can initially reach that billion-
dollar mark.
Bright, Young MindsWhile higher education and increasing the
states number of college graduates has been a
cornerstone of his education policy, Henry, in
his 2010 State of the State Address, noted the
importance of focusing on the states youngest
students, strides that have led to the adoptionof both full-day kindergarten and a voluntary
pre-K program that he said is becoming a model
for other states throughout the country.
Henry says its easy to lose focus on invest-
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 the
state might not feel the effects for a decade or
even a generation, when it will really begin to
transform the state, and its perception around
the country.
I predict people will be looking at Okla-homa from every corner of this nation, saying,
Whats going on? We want to be like Oklaho-
ma, he says, and thats just a big, big thing.
Ace Up His SleeveIn 2005, Henry signed House Bill 1020 and
Senate Bill 982, which funded teacher pay
raises and the Achieving Classroom Experi-
ence. The ACE Initiative added course require-
ments for high school students and required
incoming freshman in 2008-09 to pass four of
six end-of-instruction exams in certain core
First Lady Kim Henry and Gov.
Brad Henry photographed at theGovernors Mansion. The couplehave been staunch advocates
for public education.
44 OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2010
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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 think
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. And
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 party
lines in the state House of Representatives, which rejected the Governors efforts and on moral
grounds, by groups like the Baptist General Convention.
Henry managed to put the vote to the people in November 2004,
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 the
measure, and the first lottery tickets went on sale in October 2005.
The act stipulates that 35 percent of lottery revenues be
directed to education, which has since brought in more than $330
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 through
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 throughout
the state, a pool of projects Henry says is still cur rently active. Along with the capital improve-
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 in
Shawnee, where she taught high school history, economics and government,
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 will
only do whats expected, she says from her office at Sarkeys Foundation in
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 expec-
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.
46 OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2010
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2010 VISION IN EDUCATION
LEADERSHIP AWARD
The Tulsa Community College Founda-
tion will honor Gov. Brad Henry for his
consistent support of education, access and
excellence for Oklahomans during his two
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 salaries
and benefits, putting more resources in
the classroom and setting higher academic
standards for students. He increased stu-
dent participation in Oklahomas Promise,
a college payment plan for low-income
families resulting in a growth of 12,000 to
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 to
our states primary and secondary schools,
Oklahomas colleges and universities have
also greatly benefited from Gov. Henrys
dedication to excellence in education,
says TCC President Tom McKeon.
The Vision Award is presented annually
to an individual dedicated to education
excellence and community leadership.Past honorees include Montie Box, David
Boren, John-Kelly Warren, George Kaiser
and Paula Marshall.
Event guests will enjoy live entertain-
ment, fine dining and a special tribute to
Henry.Stuart Price, chair of the OklahomaState Regents for Higher Education, will
serve as honorary event chair. Vision
Dinner efforts are led by TCC Founda-
tion trustee and dinner chairwoman, Mary
Shaw, along with the support of her com-
mittee.
Individual tickets are $150. Sponsorship
levels for the dinner range from $2,500 to$20,000. Funds raised by the event will
support scholarships and special programs
for students and faculty. Thanks togener-ous donations the TCC Foundation gives
more than $1 million annually to programs
and scholarships to support students,
faculty and staff.For more information on the 2010 Vision
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.
48 OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2010
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]8/8/2019 Joe's news features
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8/8/2019 Joe's news features
8/9oklahoma Gazette october 22, 2008 2
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 havethe updated plate, but hundreds of custom tags still
wont be allowed out on the streets.Heres some plates you wont see on Oklahoma
roads because the tags have been deemed too tawdryfor traffic.
Some of the letter-number combinations on thetax commissions list of license plates unacceptable forissue are really racy, even for Oklahoma Gazette. So
drive by www.okgazette.com to see the full list.>>>
8/8/2019 Joe's news features
9/922 october 22 2008 oklahoma Gazette
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 mouth for
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 SUCKS4U,
SUKS2BU and SUKS4U. Angry drivers cant even SUCKIT or
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. Leave, you
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 inappropriate, so
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 domestic
violence. And dont try to STRKHER or STROKER either.
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