The city of Tulsa stands out for its cultural and historic background. However, what we want to highlight in this article is the commitment of the community toward improvement. Especially in the area of education, there is some exciting news to welcome the new school year.
The Barbara Lynch Award is granted to a local organization
Two organizations were chosen to be granted the Barbara Lynch Community Partner Award. The Oklahoma State School Boards of Association granted this recognition to two institutions one of which is from Tulsa: the North Tulsa Community Education Task Force. This organization is committed to helping Tulsa Public School and they do it with genuine passion. Thus, they provide new opportunities while putting forward important initiatives. Undoubtedly, they play an important role in local education improving the lives of students, teachers, school staff, and the community in general.
Shawn Hime, executive director at the Oklahoma State School Boards of Association, stated that these types of organizations are vital for the support and development of school districts. According to him, they are a bridge between the district and the community and a key factor when it comes to generating new opportunities.
The award will be granted this weekend and other important organizations will also be honored, for example, granting the OSSBA’s Distinguished Service Award. The event will take place at the OSSBA/CCOSA Education Leadership Conference this weekend
Тhe Barbara Lynch award
There are many ways to remember a person, and one of them is by honoring their life work. The Barbara Lynch award commemorates the work of a former member of the OSSBA, who was a parent, a volunteer, and a key member of the Broken Arrow Community.
To sum up, this award recognizes engagement and the efforts to bring together a community with its school district. Education is society’s responsibility, and it must be built on cooperation, guidance, support, and involvement.
Here are the Barbara Lynch winners of the past 5 years:
- 2021 – Tilley Trucking, Empire and Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation, Bartlesville
- 2020 – ImpactTulsa, Tulsa
- 2019 – Panhandle State University and Dr. Tim Faltyn, Goodwell and AVEDIS Foundation and Kathy Laster, Shawnee
- 2018 – 4 Kids and Community, Perkins-Tryon and Bridge Church, Mustang
- 2017 – Phillips 66, Bartlesville and Tom J. and Edna M. Carson Foundation, Stilwell
About the North Tulsa Community Education Task Force
This organization was created in 2018 and since then its members work actively to develop teaching programs and support the community. Citizens, teachers, student advocates, and parents are part of this initiative that was fairly rewarded this year. As an example, here’s a video where the survival of the McLain 7th Grade Academy is discussed.
Members of the north Tulsa Task Force have worked hard to develop a proposal concerning a new McLain feeder pattern, which now filters seven elementary schools into two different institutions: the Monroe Demonstration Academy and the McLain High School. All this process is supported by the members recruiting substitute teachers and providing mentorship and tutoring throughout the area.
All kinds of procedures were necessary for this initiative to become a reality. The members reviewed data, conducted research, collected student input, and toured the facilities. Finally, they presented their proposal before the Tulsa Board of Education where it was approved in 2019. The suggestion included turning the 7thgrade center into the Monroe Demonstration Academy. This is the only middle school feeder for McClain High school.
Also, a set of recommendations were put forward to look after the student’s well-being including the expansion of the Monroe Academy so it can include students from the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.
Deborah Gist, Superintendent of Tulsa Schools, stated that the best way to create a stronger academic program is through extensive collaboration. According to Gist, it’s also important to reduce the number of transitions that students have to face during their school years.
Then, she added that believing in students and teachers is vital for school development and the McLain feeder pattern is a great example of this. Members of the Task Force achieved extraordinary results unifying the middle-school experience throughout the pattern and creating valuable learning experiences.
Luckily, the state of Oklahoma is also bringing interesting initiatives like the “Caring Van Program”. This is a project that intends to protect students from illnesses at no cost. Thus, they can receive age-appropriate vaccines to help them prevent diseases on time. The program has been around since 1999, thus, children and teenagers have been taken care of by professional nurses and health personnel. Vaccination history is available in the OSIIS (Oklahoma State Immunization Information System).
