Reform Activists Hope To Improve Tulsa Education

Education reform activists came to Tulsa Monday to talk about what can be done to improve education in Tulsa.

Sacramento Mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson, along with NewsOne Now host, Roland Martin, joined Mayor Bartlett and Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Keith Ballard to explore to get the community involved.

Johnson has developed successful charter schools in Sacramento, so city leaders said they wanted to learn from him.

The keynote speakers said the summit, held at Metropolitan Baptist Church, was really a call to action.

It was a panel full of forward thinkers; none of them has Oklahoma roots, but care deeply about what goes on in Tulsa classrooms.

"The issue that Tulsa has we see all across the country, that is, the reading rate, math rate, dropout rate. What people want, what all parents want, is for their child to get an education," Martin said.

Former NBA player and now charter school developer Mayor Kevin Johnson understands that. He holds education summits like this one across the country.

His wife, Michelle Rhee, the former Chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public schools, weighs in on what's wrong with classrooms.

Keynote speaker and TV anchor Roland Martin said failing schools are a nationwide concern.

"There is no greater issue facing America than is what is happening when it comes to education. It's the biggest civil rights and biggest human right because when we talk about the development of our workforce that is what is going to happen in our schools," he said.

The panel didn't talk about the repeal of Common Core or the new academic standards for Oklahoma schools known as PASS but focused on what Tulsans can do to create better schools.

“What if every church in the city of Tulsa used its facility over the summer to help children learn to read, particularly those reading below grade level,” said Dr. Ray Owens.

Bartlett and Ballard were among the stakeholders in the packed sanctuary- but politicians and private citizens were challenged to help bring about change.

"Apathy is the most important thing. Most people think they don't have the power to change something we actually do,” Martin said.

Owens said, “We want everybody here today to make a commitment to leave here to act on behalf of kids.”

Metropolitan Baptist Church has an eight-week summer reading program free to children.

Owens is encouraging nonprofit organizations to help with educational programs as well.