Montie Box honored at Salvation Army banquet

Montie Box is honored by the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club with an award.

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Sand Springs honored longtime Sand Springs entrepreneur and philanthropist Montie Box with a banquet at Hillspring Church Tuesday night. The event also served as a fundraiser for new playground equipment for the Salvation Army facility. 

Stan Clark, founder and owner of Eskimo Joe's, was the keynote speaker, and several other community leaders also spoke at the Army of Stars Banquet. 

Eskimo Joe's founder Stan Clark was the keynote speaker at the Army of Stars Banquet.

Advisory Council Chairman Bob Anderson introduced the man of honor and read off his seemingly never-ending list of accomplishments. Box was then presented proclamations from the City of Sand Springs and the State of Oklahoma from Mayor Mike Burdge and Councilman Phil Nollan, respectively. Nollan presented the State proclamation on behalf of his wife, District 66 Representative Jadine Nollan, who was away at the Capitol. Senator Dan Newberry also gave an address honoring Box. 

Attendance at the event was $40 a chair and had more than 100 in attendance. The event concluded with a silent auction that generated more than $4,000 in addition to donations taken earlier in the night. 

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Montie Box is a long-time Sand Springs resident with more than half a century of real estate experience. He founded Montie Box Co. in 1958 after graduating from Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State University. He served in the army during the Korean Conflict with the rank of First Lieutenant. 

In 1973 he was named Oklahoma Realtor of the Year. In 1988 he was awarded the Sand Springs Education Association Friend of Education recognition. He was a founding member of the Sand Springs Education Foundation in 1990. In 1992 he was given the honor of life membership on the Tulsa Boys' Home Board of Directors as well as the SS Education Foundation. That same year he was inducted into the Sand Springs Education Hall of Fame. In 1995 he was named Sand Springs Hometown Hero. In 1998 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Realtors, which is considered to be the highest honor a realtor can receive and he is a member of the NAR Hall of Fame.

Senator Dan Newberry addresses the crowd and honors Montie Box. Newberry is currently running for reelection against outgoing Superintendent Lloyd Snow.

He served as a regent for Tulsa Community College from 1995-2006 and was the Chairman from 1996-1997. In 2009 he received the Vision in Education Award from TCC. 

His involvement with the Salvation Army goes back 61 years. He was instrumental in getting the new facility built in 1978 at its current location in Sand Springs. He is a life member of the Sand Springs Advisory Council, which is a prestigious appointment only available to members with a minimum of 15 years of outstanding service. He is a former coach and manager of Tulsa and Sand Springs Pee Wee Wrestling and he has served as Ringmaster at the Tulsa State Fair Livestock Auction. 

Lieutenant David Brittle also announced that Box had been confirmed as the 2016 recipient of the prestigious William Booth Award, which is one of the highest honors given by the Salvation Army. He will receive that award in the near future.

Sandite of the Week: Josh Eddington

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

This week has been the toughest in our history to decide on a single Sandite of the Week. From softball and baseball players hitting multiple home runs in a single game, to pitching shutouts, to golf tournament champions, outstanding debate performances, and more, we had more nominees than ever before. That said, after hard and careful consideration, we decided on Charles Page High School student Joshua Eddington as our Sandite of the Week for his incredible performance as Man in Chair in the High School production of "The Drowsy Chaperone."

I have been to many CPHS productions over the years, and this was undoubtedly the best I've ever seen. From the set design to the choreography, the acting to the singing, the costumes and makeup and everything in between; I wouldn't expect better from any school in the state, regardless of funding and resources. The whole cast and crew was spectacular, but Eddington set the tone for the entire event.

The story is a parody of American musical comedy of the 1920s, as told by the nameless narrator, the Man in Chair. Eddington was inseparable from his role, delivering the mousy bitterness of the lonely theater lover perfectly. The man seeks comfort in an old record of "The Drowsy Chaperone," a fictitious play that tells of actress Janet Van De Graff (portrayed by Lizzi Tate) preparing to be married and retire from the theater.

Her decision is met with much opposition by producer Feldzeig (Cameron Mays), who is being threatened by gangsters whose boss invested heavily in "Feldzeig's Follies," the production which De Graff is a part of. Feldzeig undergoes an effort to get the wedding called off and enlists the self-proclaimed famous Latin lover Adolpho (Blake Simpson) to seduce the bride. Instead, he mistakenly seduces the Chaperone (Zoey Hughes) and all sorts of shenanigans break loose. 

Photos from the event are available at https://sanditepride.smugmug.com/Community-Events/4516-The-Drowsy-Chaperone/

Alley LeGrand is headed to HOSA Nationals, and needs your help

STAFF REPORTS

Charles Page High School and Tulsa Tech junior Alley LeGrand recently placed third in her event at the Oklahoma State HOSA competitions this week, qualifying to compete at Nationals this summer in Nashville, Tennessee. The only problem is, only the first place winners get the trip paid for by HOSA. 

The Health Occupations Students of America's mission is "to enhance the delivery of compassionate, quality health care by providing opportunities for knowledge, skill, and leadership development of all heal science education students, therefore, helping the student meet the needs of the health care community."

Despite being a National Technology Honors Society student with perfect attendance at both Tech and CPHS, LeGrand will have to forfeit her spot if she can't come up the money by April 13th. 

LeGrand has already been accepted to her second year at Tulsa Tech for the Dental Assistant program, and is hoping to represent Sand Springs on the national stage and potentially win a scholarship. She's already raised $215 in the first 14 hours, but needs to reach $1,600 by April 13. If you would like to contribute you can donate to her campaign at https://www.gofundme.com/ctxux8rg

Tulsa County holds special election and Vision Tulsa vote on Tuesday

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Tulsa County residents are headed to the polls Tuesday morning.

On the ballot is a special election for the unexpired term of former Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz who was indicted in September on charges of refusal to perform official duty in regards to an officer-involved shooting. Glanz is accused of failing to release an internal investigative report to media, as well as another willful violation of law regarding taking a monthly stipend for travel within the county, despite using a county vehicle and county-supplied fuel.

Running for the unexpired term are Democrat Rex Berry, a 26-year veteran of the City of Tulsa Police Department, and Republican Vic Regalado, a 10-year veteran of the Tulsa SWAT team and lead homicide detective in 81 homicides. Berry was the lone Democrat to file for the candidacy, while Regalado won a landslide primary election last month, winning 40% of the vote in a crowded nine-candidate election. Whoever wins this election will only get seven months in office before the full-term election in November. 

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Also on the ballot is a County Question regarding Vision Tulsa, a 0.5% tax package. The tax would not be an increase on current rates, but rather, an extension of the Vision 2025 initiative that passed in 2003. Vision 2025 led to more than $650 million in economic development that has been used in projects in all 10 cities of Tulsa County. The flagship of the initiative is the BOK Center which has arguably been the crucial centerpiece in an ongoing Tulsa culture development that supporters are calling a "Tulsa Renaissance."

Specific to Sand Springs is the Keystone Corridor development plan that allowed the City of Sand Springs to purchase the old Early Childhood Education Center in 2007. The school district used these new funds to build a new state-of-the-art facility at 81st West Avenue and Park Road. The previous building was a century old and was formerly the segregation-era Booker T Washington high school for black Sandites. The old building was demolished as part of the clearing of the 30-acre "River West Development" site, which now includes an IHOP, Starbucks, and Holiday Inn Express.

The new initiative has many ambitious goals, including hiring more police officers and firefighters, street maintenance, a Gilcrease Museum renovation, improvements to the Tulsa Zoo, housing incentives for teachers at Tulsa Public Schools, Union, and Jenks, Route 66 beautification, and renovations for the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

March 22nd is officially Frank Cooper Day in Tulsa County, here's how you can celebrate

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Earlier this month, the Board of County Commissioners of Tulsa County declared today, March 22nd, 2016 to be Frank Cooper Day, in honor of the Charles Page High School social studies and leadership teacher Frank Cooper. 

Cooper has been a public school teacher for the past 23 years, after giving up a promising legal career to instead pursue a more fulfilling path. The proclamation reads what we all know, that "Mr. Cooper promotes core values of kindness, respect, honesty and affirmation so convincingly with students changing the entire culture of Charles Page High School."

Cooper has a long resume of recognition, including the 2016 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence and the University of Tulsa Secondary School Teacher Award for Inspiration. He was a 2014 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year finalist and was the subject of an American Story segment with Bob Dotson on NBC's Today show.

So how does one celebrate Frank Cooper Day?

Unfortunately there's no parade planned, but there are ways you can celebrate on your own.

Firstly, say the Pledge of Allegiance to the US Flag. Cooper begins every day by leading his class in the pledge, a practice that is more and more uncommon in schools today.

Then, circle up with your fellow Sandites and sing the Alma Mater. 

Charles Page High forever, and true to her we'll be
for to our Alma Mater we owe our loyalty.
Our love is always with thee
as onward we will go.
Charles Page High forever, may she live eternally.

Then, turn this up full volume, and sing along as loud as you can. Get your whole workplace involved if you can. Sweet Caroline has been an anthem for the Charles Page students for years and is frequently played at sporting events and performed by the band. This arose from Cooper frequently playing it in class with full participation. 

If you're looking to make a Frank Cooper playlist for the day, be sure and include Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight," Vanilla Ice's "Ice, Ice, Baby," Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," and as much Elvis as you can get your hands on.

Finally, spend the duration of the day giving positive affirmation to everyone you encounter, especially to those who you normally wouldn't. Be kind to everyone, strangers included, and make everyone feel welcome and appreciated. If you like, you can email Cooper at frank.cooper@Sandites.org and let him know the impact he's made on your life or your student's life. 

Senate President Pro Tempore Bingman and Appropriations Chair Jolley comment on passage of Education and Corrections supplementals

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Senate president Pro Tempore Brian Bingman issued the following statement after the full Senate approved supplemental appropriations for Education and Corrections on Tuesday. 

“Education and public safety are top priorities in the state Senate, which is why we’ve worked hard to shield them from the severe budget cuts other agencies have experienced during these tough times. Unfortunately, state revenues continue to suffer because of the dramatic downturn in oil and gas prices which is why more cuts are necessary to maintain a balanced budget this fiscal year. Using Rainy Day Funds will lessen the impact of these budget cuts on students, while also preventing cuts at state prisons. I appreciate my Senate colleagues for acting quickly on these measures to help these agencies. 

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“We understand the tough job facing teachers and appreciate their hard work. We’ve worked to limit education funding cuts to 1.85 percent in recent years at a time when other agencies have seen budget cuts of as much as 20 to 30 percent. Protecting education funding from such severe budget reductions shows our appreciation for the role teachers play in preparing the next generation of Oklahoma leaders for success. The Senate will continue to pursue reforms to free educators from government red-tape and get more dollars into the classroom so teachers are able to focus more on the most important part of their job: our children.”—Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa

Statement from Senate Appropriations Chair Clark Jolley on approval by the Senate of supplemental appropriations for Education and Corrections:

“Education and public safety are core government services—and it’s crucial for us to provide these funds to help both get through this budget year.

“The reality is the current economic climate is going to impact our state for some time to come, not just in FY 2017, but in FY 2018 as well. These supplemental appropriations will provide relief this year, while ensuring Oklahoma will still have resources available in the Rainy Day Fund for the challenges ahead.”—Senate Appropriations Chair, Clark Jolley, R-Edmond.

Editorial: To the Oklahoma State Legislature

Senator Dan Newberry,

I hope this contact finds you in good spirits. I am writing as a citizen of your district, a resident of the 74063, to request your vote AGAINST SB609's creation of a scholarship savings program that would in any way shape or form direct monies towards private schools that could and should otherwise be used for the improvement of our public education programs. 

Private schools should remain in the private sector. Parents already have the option to remove their child from public schooling, they should not however be allowed to remove funding from our public schools and redirect it to an entity that does not exist for the public. I do not get a refund for roads I don't drive on for the use of improving my private driveway. Neither should private schools be funded by public money that should be used for the good of the whole community. 

As a passionate supporter of our public education system, I will be unable to vote for any senator or representative who would seek to remove even a penny from our already dismal public education funding. With Oklahoma already near the bottom of the nation in per-pupil funding, it is absurd to consider removing money from a starving school system. 

I hope you will do what is right by our young people and continue to invest in their education. Oklahoma should be making every effort to improve our public schools, not throwing in the towel and giving up on them. 

I hope to see your name not just in opposition of this bill, but in favor of bills that will increase our public education funding, especially in terms of teacher pay. It's time to end the exodus of teachers to Texas and other neighboring states. It's time we establish competitive pay for our educators so that we may attract the best and brightest. It's time to acknowledge that our single greatest asset is our children and that our responsibility is to build for them a better future and give them the tools necessary to build one for themselves. ESA is not the answer and it does not represent the values of Oklahomans. 

Thank you for your service to our community and thank your for your time in reading this email. I trust we can count on you to make the right decisions for our children. Our community looks to you for leadership, please don't let us down. 

Respectfully,

Scott Emigh
Editor-in-Chief
www.SanditePride.com

Senate gives passing grade to legislation for unruly students

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OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation was approved late Wednesday to give local school boards an alternative to suspension and expulsion to keep unruly students in the classroom. Sen. Ron Sharp is the author of Senate Bill 911 to allow school boards to create a policy where teachers can assign community service for those students who misbehave rather than suspending or expelling them.

“Having been a teacher for 38 years, I know that suspension and expulsion only hurts a student further academically. It does nothing to address the child’s discipline problems and it typically puts the student further behind in their studies because they don’t do their work when they’re at home,” said Sharp, R-Shawnee. “We need to find an alternative that keeps students who misbehave in the classroom but still holds them accountable for their actions.  Community service is a great solution.”

Sharp worked with the Professional Oklahoma Educators (POE); the American Federation of Teachers (AFT); and the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) in drafting the legislation.
SB 911 would allow local boards of education to have the option of adopting a system that requires students to perform community service for violating the district’s behavioral policy.  
The measure passed 32-13 with those opposed raising concerns about students doing community service as a punishment. Sharp noted that good students who do not misbehave are required to do community service for many things.

“I was puzzled by some of the debate against this bill. Good, responsible students are required to do community service for the Boy/Girls Scouts and other community organizations as well as to apply for scholarships and other awards. Many do community service simply because they want to help others and be involved in their communities,” said Sharp. “I was disappointed in the debate suggesting that making unruly students do community service was somehow ‘child labor’ or a sign of ‘criminal behavior’.  Educators simply want an alternative to keep these students in the classroom while teaching them respect and to take responsibility for their actions. They’re obviously not learning how to follow the rules at home and when they’re adults if they don’t follow the rules, they’ll be facing more serious consequences than community service.”

The bill now moves to the House for further consideration. 

Senate Education Committee approves bill to eliminate ‘End of Instruction’ exams

The Senate Education Committee has given unanimous, bipartisan support to legislation to eliminate state-mandated End of Instruction exams (EOIs).  Under current law, high school students must pass four of seven EOIs in order to graduate from high school, even if they received passing grades in all required classes. 

Senator John Ford chairs the Education Committee, and is the author of Senate Bill 1170 which was approved on Monday.  He said eliminating the EOIs will save millions of dollars, and will help address the concern voiced by teachers, parents and students of too many required tests.  Under SB 1170, it would be up to each school district to certify that graduating high school students had mastered the curriculum requirements.

“One of the biggest complaints has been that teachers don’t have time to focus on teaching the curriculum because they’ve had to prepare students for too many high stakes tests,” Ford said.  “By eliminating the EOI exams, teachers and students can focus on the classes. This also ensures greater local control for the districts.”

Ford, who represents Nowata, Rogers and Washington Counties, said the State Board of Education would work with Higher Education and CareerTech to publish a list of approved assessments that would comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act and measure mastery of the state’s subject matter standards.  The state would pay for the exams. 

“Each district would choose which of those exams students would take by the end of their senior year.  It could be something like the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, SAT, or the ACT, something most students already take, but currently, parents must pay for,” Ford said.  “This will save parents money, but because these standardized tests are much less expensive than developing exams specifically for just Oklahoma, taxpayers will also see a significant savings.”

The legislation now moves to the full Senate for further consideration.

Statement from Senate Education Chair John Ford

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“Several bills dealing with school district mergers, annexations, and consolidations have been introduced this session in the Senate.  These measures take a thoughtful and pragmatic approach to streamline administrative costs to save money and improve the quality of education offered to students.  At the heart of it, the members who have worked on these bills share the goal of ensuring we’re doing the best we can to focus resources in the classroom, where they most directly benefit Oklahoma children.

“As Education Chairman, I’m grateful to the parents, teachers and school patrons who’ve taken the time to share their views and concerns with me, and with their own senators.  I’ve also had many conversations with members as well. I believe more discussion and an exchange of ideas are needed.

“Oklahomans have a vested interest in improving the quality of education offered to our children and grandchildren and in ensuring our schools are operating as efficiently and effectively as possible. With this consideration, I have decided against hearing any of these bills, including one that I have authored, in the Senate Education Committee this session.”—Sen. John Ford, Education Chairman.

Weekly Column by Senator Dan Newberry

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This week kicks off the second session of the 55th Legislature, and with a $900 million projected shortfall in the budget, this year will present many challenges for lawmakers.  As the old adage goes, the difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is all in how you use them.  It’s difficult to dispute that we’re facing several significant stumbling blocks this year.   With a significant shortfall and most agencies facing cuts in funding, it paints a tough situation for our state to overcome.  While this will present a unique set of budgetary circumstances this year, I choose to think of it as an opportunity to find and identify those stepping stones that can lead to meaningful change in Oklahoma.

As Oklahomans will remember, the 80’s brought the worst oil crisis our nation has faced.  The economic reality was heartbreaking, with many families facing poverty and other hardships for years while waiting for the economy to recover.  My family was one of thousands who struggled in the face of the oil crisis and I remember wondering when or if recovery would ever happen.  Even though I was young at the time, I decided I would do whatever I could to help make a difference in whatever way I could, at whatever point in my life those opportunities presented themselves.  Over the years, that same determination has helped to fuel my commitment to the people of my district and the state. 

On Monday during her state of the state address, we heard Gov. Fallin’s goals for this year’s legislature, with the budget at the top of the priority list.  In order to fix the shortfall, we must remain focused on the core government functions and ensure those are properly funded, including education and infrastructure.  Children are the future of Oklahoma, and as sacrificial givers to the future of Oklahoma, teachers are one of our most valuable resources in ensuring tomorrow’s young leaders are provided with a quality education today.  Oklahoma teachers deserve to teach in adequately funded districts and earn a salary that is competitive with other states.  This will remain one of our highest priorities this year. 

Our work is cut out for us and I encourage you to follow the process by visiting the official State Senate website at www.oksenate.gov where live audio and video streaming from the Senate Chamber, as well as from all committee rooms are available. 

            I am looking forward to kicking off the new legislative session.  There’s a lot to be done and I’m ready to get to work.  As we approach this tenuous time in the state’s history, it is important to remember we are all stakeholders in Oklahoma’s future and I’m committed to making sure your voice is heard in state government.  I always welcome your ideas and input and encourage you to contact me with any concerns. 

To contact me at the Capitol, please write to Senator Dan Newberry, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 234, Oklahoma City, OK, 73105, email me at Newberry@oksenate.gov or call (405) 521-5600.

Senator Treat comments on Pre-K legislation

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OKLAHOMA CITY – The Vice-Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Greg Treat, said Thursday that his legislation to modify how Pre-K classes are funded will not be heard this session.  Senate Bill 1324 would have removed early childhood education from the State Aid formula and allowed local school districts to make decisions on Pre-K education freeing up much-needed funds for K-12 public education. 

In January, the State Board of Education had to make a mandatory three percent or $46.7 million cut to its budget because of the General Revenue failure for FY’16. 

“We’re facing a nearly $1 billion revenue shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year, which may require cuts to common education,” said Treat, R-Oklahoma City.  “I introduced Senate Bill 1324 to explore the option of giving local school districts more flexibility over funding streams for Pre-K. State resources are limited and this bill would allow local officials to shift funds from Pre-K to serve students in K-12.  These would not be new taxes but rather existing local funding streams that are currently restricted by state statute.”

Last month, the State Board of Education had to make a mandatory three percent or $46.7 million cut to its budget because of the General Revenue failure for the current fiscal year. 

Treat said he is disappointed that Senate Education Chairman John Ford has said he will not give the bill a hearing this year but is pleased that Sen. Ford has agreed to chair an interim study (pending approval by the President Pro Tempore) later this year to continue the discussion about Pre-K.  

“It’s disappointing we won’t have a chance this session to discuss my idea to free up much-needed funds for K-12 education but I’m pleased that Senator Ford has agreed to chair an interim study later this year to continue to look at both the effectiveness of Pre-K and whether there is a better way to fund it,” said Treat.  “I appreciate the chairman’s honest disagreement with my position and look forward to studying the issue with him moving forward.”

Treat noted that several recent studies have called into question the long-term effectiveness of Pre-K.

“Oklahomans expect us to constantly examine the effectiveness of all government programs so successful programs can be expanded and unsuccessful programs can be fixed or eliminated,” said Treat.

“This is a program that was instituted because of its reported long-term benefits in students’ academic careers as well as their success in the workforce and other areas.  If those benefits are now being proven false, then we may need to reevaluate how we approach early childhood education.”

If SB 1324 is not heard by the Senate Education Committee, it will be considered dead and cannot be brought back up this session.  Treat asks that educators and parents contact him to share their thoughts on this issue.

“The feedback I have received since I filed this legislation is welcomed and I look forward to working with educators and parents to find evidence-based ways to improve our education system,” said Treat.  “We can’t be afraid of having a frank dialogue to seek solutions that are most beneficial to the education of our children.” 

For more information, contact:
Sen. Treat: (405) 521-5632
Treat@oksenate.gov