Tulsa Public School Teachers Start Year With Pep Rally

Before Tulsa Public School students head back to class on Wednesday, teachers across the district attended a pep rally Monday morning designed to get them ready to go for the coming year. But it was much more than just a pep rally.

Just two days before the first school bells ring, all TPS teachers were either at Memorial High School in person or watching on a satellite feed. There were light-hearted moments, at some points it felt like a pep rally, but every speaker at least touched on challenges that will be facing educators across the state. 

Meg Deweese teaches language arts and social studies at Thoreau. She's been teaching eighth grade for 20 years. She knows about the challenges, but wants to start off the year on a good note. 

"The foremost on my mind is same every year, and that's getting everything rolling in a positive way, so that when the kids show up...they're ready to go, we're ready to go and it's all positive," said Meg Deweese. 

The Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association - or TCTA - President Patti Ferguson-Palmer was one of the speakers. She believes - even the most dedicated teachers can only do so much.

"With the students, you have them for seven hours and we don't have control over what happens in those other 17 hours. And I think a lot of people out there expect us to overcome what happens in those other seventeen hours," said Patti Ferguson-Palmer, TCTA President.

During the assembly, the point was made that test scores are important, but the challenge is determining how much the scores alone show the students' success. 

"And there are so many variables with respect to the individual child, the classroom, and the constraints that are put on classrooms," said Meg Deweese. 

And Ferguson-Palmer hopes that the next state superintendent will work with teachers and cut back on constraints. 

"Two-way communication. Like I said, not hurling directives at people, but sitting down and talking about -okay What works and what do we need to make it work?" said Patti Ferguson-Palmer. 

Tulsa Public Schools also hosted a team-building event at McClain High School Monday afternoon.