Saluting our Teachers on National Teacher Day
Today is National Teacher Day, and so I wanted to take a minute to ask you to recognize our educators who, each and every day, work to shape the lives of future generations of Oklahomans.
Having worked as a speech and debate teacher at Muskogee High School early in my career, I know from personal experience the challenges and rewards of classroom teaching. Along with my wife, Linda, we have three generations of teachers in our family. Education has always been important to us, and I hold, in great esteem, the classroom teachers who serve our kids.
I am reminded today of two teachers who were particularly influential in my life, and I want to recognize them here. Jack Gregory was my Muskogee High School debate coach. He emphasized that in order to succeed, first you have to prepare; that before you say a word, you should make sure you have all the facts. Mr. Gregory’s lessons have served me throughout my career. To Mr. Gregory – thank you.
I am also grateful to my senior English teacher at Muskogee, Gladys Nunn, who showed me the value of the English language. Communicating with precision can open so many doors, and is essential for the effective practice of law and government. To Mrs. Nunn – thank you. The dedicated work of Mr. Gregory and Mrs. Nunn, along with my stint as a public school teacher and the educational paths of my own children, has given me a true appreciation for the work that educators do every day. Our teachers deserve our support. We should be giving our teachers the tools they need to prepare our kids for the workforce.
That's why I took the lead in creating the Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust as an outcome of a settlement with Southwestern Bell. Funds from the trust have placed computers, smart boards, software and technology in the classrooms of more than 55,000 students. We have trained more than 4,000 administrators and teachers how to use the new technology. Oklahoma has improved from 50th to 12th in terms of available technology in our schools in recent years, and the Trust played a large part in that progress. That means our students are better prepared to succeed in a global marketplace.
This work is especially important in these tough fiscal times; we can’t afford to lag behind when it comes to our kids’ education. We must continue to improve our schools. We must make increased funding for teachers and schools a priority. We must build on the great work in early childhood education that’s been done in recent years by Gov. Henry, and we must renew our focus on creating partnerships between higher education and career technology institutions and Oklahoma businesses and industries. We must do these things because if we invest now in our teachers and our kids, we will benefit for generations.
Thank you for your continued support and friendship. I look forward to working with you to achieve these goals and create a better, brighter Oklahoma.
