Monday, April 2, 2018

investing in the future As teachers are leaving Oklahoma for better pay, OSU alumni talked about why they stay in the state.

T H E O ’ C O L LY

M O N D AY April 2, 2018

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DEVIN L. WILBER/O’COLLY

teacher walkout

c ov e r s to ry

OSU alumni tell why they stay in Oklahoma to teach D ekota G r egory editor-in-chief @ d e kotag r egory

Bryan Akins kept listing responsibilities.

Akins, who graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2010 with a secondary education and English literature degree, is more than a teacher and coach at Duke High School, more than 200 miles southwest of Stillwater.

He teaches five different subjects while coaching baseball and basketball. He also coaches speech, drama and debate. He teaches special education during his planning period. He drives a

Courtesy of Bryan Akins

Duke teacher and baseball coach Bryan Akins poses with his son, Bryson, after the Duke baseball team won districts.

school bus before and after school when needed. He is also the school district’s technology director.

“We’re fortunate enough in Oklahoma, and I don’t think the legislators realize,

is that we have such quality employees and quality teachers that we’re just willing to pick up the slack to make sure our kids get what they deserve,” Akins said.

“Eventually, we’re gonna

run out of those people.

Either those type of quality employees are gonna retire or move, or they’re just gonna get burned out and quit.”

Akins said he and his wife, Jessica, also a teacher at Duke, earn about a $35,000 salary, with Akins also getting a stipend because of extra responsibilities. It’s a job money and family led them to.

The couple started their teaching careers in Wichita, Kansas, where they were offered $42,000 to work.

But after two years and a master’s degree from Wichita State, Akins decided to move back to Oklahoma

before they had their second child. He said it was a move that cost the family about $20,000.

“Really, what keeps us in Oklahoma is my wife and I are both Oklahoma kids,” Akins said. “We grew up in an Oklahoma school system. I grew up in the small town of Dale, Oklahoma, and she’s from Sand Springs. We don’t want to leave this state. We really like it here, we like being close to our family.”

Caren Jennings also followed family. After graduating from OSU’s education department in 2015, Jennings, from Houston, stayed in Stillwater with her

husband, whom she met in college. Today, Jennings works in Moore after spending the first two years of her career in Stillwater. “(Oklahoma is) having all these great quality teachers, and OSU has a fantastic education program, but a lot of the people I graduated with moved back to the states they are originally from,” Jennings said. “A lot of the people that stay in Oklahoma are from Oklahoma. I do think that it hurts the students because you’re just losing teachers, which causes either bigger class size, … or you have teachers who are underqualified

STORY CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

Weekly Article by

land. (The overview of God’s actions in fulfilling his promise is found in Ps.105:8-42) “He (God) remembers Dale his covenant forever...For he Barnes remembered his holy promise given ABRAHAM! (Part #2) to his servant Abraham.” (v8,42) It is so easy to look at “By faith he (Abraham) made his circumstances, people, or personal home in the promised land like a weaknesses and lose heart or give stranger in a foreign country; he up. The Bible tells us that through lived in tents...” (Heb.11:9 NIV) It is faith and patience (perseverance) clear, as you read the account of we inherit God’s promises.

Abraham in Genesis, that he lived (Heb.6:12) There are promises from in tents and continually moved God, in the Bible, for forgiveness and around in this land that God had a true relationship with God. There promised would be his. At the time are promises for guidance, of his wife’s (Sarah) death, he had encouragement and strength. Also to purchase property for a burial there are promises for life after site. He owned no land. Yet, he continued there, because of God’s death; a new body and a new earth.

They are called “exceeding great promise that it would someday be and precious promises.” his. “Someone has said, “it is easier We see through the lives of men to gain than to maintain.” It is easier like Abraham that God is faithful; to start than to persevere! What a he can be trusted to do what he lesson to learn from this man. It was has promised. Our challenge is to about 400 years before this promise trust this God who cannot lie, and of God was fulfilled. When Moses persevere in faith, then we will see and Joshua led the descendants these realities fulfill in our lives. of Abraham to possess this very

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teacher walkout

c ov e r s to ry STORY CONTINUEd from PAGE 2

that are going in there and teaching them things that they need to know. They’re not getting the education that they deserve.”

Said Akins: “It becomes one of those things, ‘Do you value the money more, or do you want to be close to your family?’ At the time (when moving from Wichita), we wanted to be closer to our family. Now that I’ve got a kid that’s about to go to college, I can tell you, if funding doesn’t get better in Oklahoma, when he gets ready for college, we’re gonna have to seriously consider making money.”

Akins started teaching at Stillwater Middle School after the move from Wichita. But after

a year in which Akins helped guide the Pioneers’ baseball team to a state title, Stillwater couldn’t promise his job back after a statewide teacher shortage. Not knowing his job fate until at least late June, Akins moved his family from Stillwater.

“Having a young family, that’s kinda hard not knowing if you’re gonna have a job because of income,” he said. “We started branching out and looking for jobs.”

Money has forced the Akins family to migrate around the state since, ultimately landing in Duke, where eight years and extra responsibilities later, Akins is making about the same as he did in his first job in Wichita.

Courtesy of Bryan Akins

Duke baseball coach and teacher Bryan Akins watches as his team celebrates a Class B district baseball championship.

The extra duties include teaching three different classes in one. While Akins lectures about North Africa and the Middle East at the front of the classroom, Oklahoma history students test in the back

and government students work on a project in the other corner of the room.

“We’ve learned to make it work, and I don’t mind doing it for the school because I know those kids need it,” Akins said. “We

don’t have another way to offer it to those kids to get what they need for graduation.”

During his planning period, Akins teaches special education. At lunch, he monitors detention.

“The biggest problem isn’t that we don’t pay enough for teachers,” Akins said. “While that is a significant issue and people do leave our state to make more money, the problem is we don’t have enough to hire the adequate numbers of teachers per school.”

Because of the lack of funding and Oklahoma being among the bottom of the country in education funding, teachers across the state have started protesting, leading to many

schools shutting down Monday for a walkout.

But when Duke is closed for Monday’s walkout, Akins volunteered to work to take his speech team to its state competition in Norman.

“We love what we do,” Akins said. “I love to teach, I love coaching.

Kids will keep you young, too.

“I just think the legislator needs to realize that we need money to operate on, and they can’t keep cutting us.”

Dekota Gregory is a university studies senior from Locust Grove. He can be reached at editorinchief@ocolly.com.

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PAGE 3

Grad uation

n ew s

Seniors plan ahead, reflect as graduation nears E l li e M elero S taff Repo rter @ ocolly

As May 11 draws near, many Oklahoma State University seniors’ times left in Stillwater become shorter.

Monday marks the deadline to apply for graduation at OSU. Seniors are turning in applications, checking items off graduation todo lists and preparing for life outside Stillwater.

For many, this means applying for jobs and graduate schools, sending out the last of their graduation announcements and trying to enjoy the final weeks as OSU students.

Leah Huling, a civil engineering senior, said she’s looking forward to graduation but realizes there’s a lot she needs to do before she can walk across the stage in May. “I still have to do well in all my classes, which shouldn’t really be that much of a problem,” Huling said. “I still have to plan my graduation party. I have to write all my graduation announcements so that I can get money from my family’s friends because I need that. I haven’t done that yet.”

Ashley Smith, an interior design senior, said she also has a to-do list she needs to complete before May. “I still need to get my graduation pictures taken MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018

for my invites,” Smith said. “I am applying for jobs currently. I have applied to about 45 jobs, and I’ve recently started doing my follow-ups.”

Along with applications, Smith said she still has one more class to take during the summer.

Once she finishes her summer class, Smith said she’ll apply for graduation in the summer and get her diploma mailed to her in August.

Despite the work still to come, several seniors said they’re looking forward to graduation.

“I am most looking forward to just seeing everyone at my party that I haven’t seen in a long time,” Huling said. “Like family and friends. And then no school, obviously.”

Smith said she’s most excited to start her career.

“When I first started, I knew immediately that interior design is what my major was going to be,” Smith said. “I just felt drawn to that. And now, I’m so close to being able to start working in that field.”

Several seniors’ lists of activities won’t end when they walk the stage at graduation.

Huling said she plans to enjoy her summer off before going to graduate school at the University of Texas in Austin.

“I’m taking a threemonth-long road trip across America,” Huling

commencement.okstate.edu

Seniors at Oklahoma State are preparing for life after graduation. The graduation application deadline is Monday.

said. “Then I’m going to grad school starting in August. I will be getting my master’s in environmental engineering.”

If Smith doesn’t receive a job offer, then she said she plans to either pursue another internship or do volunteer work.

“I definitely want to pursue an additional internship,” Smith said.

“Or maybe even do some volunteer experience somewhere.”

Not everyone has life after OSU figured out, though.

Anthony Rogers, a hotel and restaurant ad-

ministration senior, said he doesn’t have any set plans after May. “I’m still trying to figure that all out,” Rogers said.

Rogers said he’s excited to graduate and move on to the next part of his life, but said he knows there are still things he’ll miss about OSU. “What I’ll miss most about OSU is the sense of belonging and inclusion,” Rogers said. “And the super-friendly atmosphere.”

Huling said she’s going to miss the small-town feel of Stillwater the most once she moves to

OCOLLY.COM

Austin.

“I’ll really miss getting around everywhere within like 10 minutes and being able to bike to class in like five minutes,” Huling said. “And everything’s so cheap here. It’s a pretty cool place. Everyone’s really chill.”

Smith, who has worked at Edmon Low Library during her time at OSU, said she’ll always remember the energy on campus.

“I love my coworkers, and I love the research I get to do,” Smith said. “I like how everyone here, when I first got here, was

so welcoming and nice.”

Despite how much she’ll miss about OSU, Smith said she’s confident she’ll be prepared for what comes next.

“Honestly, OSU has been so beyond helpful,” Smith said. “The staff here really is here to help you move forward and help you be the best person you can be. Because of that, I feel very prepared.”

Ellie Melero is a multimedia journalism freshman from Leavenworth, Kansas. She can be reached at emelero@okstate.edu.

PAGE 4

e di tori al

op i n i on

It’s time to support our state’s teachers ed i torial b oa r d @ocolly

Monday, there will be thousands of empty classrooms across Oklahoma.

Oklahoma teachers are participating in a walkout, protesting a long history of legislative budget cuts in education spending that have tanked Oklahoma’s ranking in education and average teacher salaries.

This failed policy of underfunding Oklahoma’s future generations has teachers leaving our state for neighboring states, where they can receive a living wage, and now, has led to a statewide walkout.

As an editorial board, we support the teachers’ decision to take a stand.

Several of us have parents, aunts, uncles or grandparents who are teachers. Several of us also have younger siblings in Oklahoma public schools who have struggled because of the lack of state education funding.

And all of us are college students, which means we couldn’t have made it to where we are now without support from our teachers.

It’s far past time for MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018

O’Colly FILE PHOTO

Oklahoma ranks among the lowest in educational funding and starting salaries for teachers in the country.

the Oklahoma government to start appreciating them.

A low education budget has made a visibly negative impact on public schools across the state. Classrooms are consolidated and overcrowded. Many teachers have to instruct multiple subjects and are overloaded with responsibilities because of the teacher shortage.

This walkout won’t be easy for anyone.

Students who rely on school lunch every day will need food assistance, and if the walkout drags on, the need for teachers to return to the classrooms will grow stronger as working parents must find new childcare options.

Although the path to fixing this problem

won’t be easy, enough is enough. It’s time to support our teachers and the future leaders of our communities.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

Until this state’s government cares to make enough of an investment, we’ll never know how much interest it could pay and how much of a difference quality education could make in the futures of Oklahoma children.

The O’Colly Editorial Board consists of: Dekota Gregory, Marshall Scott, Cameron Jourdan, Jeremy Kolok, Hallie Hart, Zach Hake, Devin Wilber, Mauree Turner and Nathan Hiatt.

FOR RELEASE APRIL 2, 2018

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h o ros cop e

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PAGE 7

Shootin g

n ew s

SPD, OSBI not immediately releasing officers’ names from shooting Kel sy Sc hlotthaue r Sta ff R eporte r @ K _ Sc hlot t

The Stillwater Police Department will not immediately release the names of the two officers involved in Wednesday night’s fatal shooting of William John Dominguez, 31.

Capt. Kyle Gibbs, SPD’s public information officer, said the department will not identify the officers until the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s homicide investigation and SPD’s internal investigation are complete.

OSBI public information officer Jessica Brown said she would not release the

officers’ identities because they’re suspects in an ongoing investigation.

“I don’t release any names in such a category unless they have been arrested or charged with a crime,” Brown said in a text Thursday.

Although OSBI will not identify the officers, Brown said any other department, such as SPD, could identify the officers “if they wish.”

SPD chief Ryan McCaghren’s “position and practice” is “that we will not release the names until both the criminal and administrative investigations are complete,” Gibbs said in a text Friday.

SPD’s internal investiga-

tion will not begin until OSBI’s has concluded, and as of Sunday, OSBI’s investigation was ongoing.

Normally, an officer’s name or badge number is found in the radio log next to any case he or she responded to and in the corresponding public incident report, pursuant to the Oklahoma Open Records Act. But in this particular case, neither officer who fired at Dominguez is listed in the radio log or public incident report. The badge number in the radio log belongs to an SPD detective, and the officer listed in the public incident report is a shift supervisor; but neither shot Dominguez,

Gibbs said.

The names and badge numbers of the officers who shot Dominguez aren’t listed in the radio log or public incident report because they didn’t file the initial report, Gibbs said.

When officers are involved in a shooting, it’s SPD’s policy to allow them at least 72 hours before they have to write a report.

“They had to shoot a person,” Gibbs said. “By policy, under an administrative investigation, we can’t even ask them any questions for 72 hours.”

Gibbs said this policy is largely based on psychological reasons related to post-traumatic stress

disorder, such as memory fragmentation, when a person is unable to relay the full memory of a traumatic event until a couple of days afterward.

Oklahoma City and Tulsa police departments almost always release an officer’s name a couple of days after or immediately following an incident in which an officer shoots someone, contrasting Stillwater’s departmental practices.

Brown said Oklahoma City and Tulsa police departments are large enough to conduct their own criminal investigations of officer-involved shootings, so it’s up to their respective investigators whether to

release suspects’ identities.

Gibbs said SPD had OSBI take over this case to ensure the criminal investigation into the officers’ actions is unbiased.

Upon completion, OSBI will present a report to the Payne County District Attorney’s office, and prosecutors will determine whether to file charges against either of the officers.

Until then, Brown said they will remain nameless.

Kelsy Schlotthauer is a multimedia journalism senior from Edmond. She can be reached at kelsyas@okstate.edu.

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