AUGUST

AUG
GUST 201
2010
10
THE





EDUCATION
I S S U E
GOVERNOR
G OR
OVERNO









 

 







 


GARDEN





 MASTERS

 Brad Henry
made education
a top priority
during his tenure as
Oklahoma’s governor.
  



By Joe Wertz
Photography by Jeremy Charles

Education was the primary component of Brad

Henry’s gubernatorial crusade when he hit the
trail in 2002, and though the Governor was
elected nearly eight years ago, he’s yet to stop
campaigning.
When Henry took office in January 2003,
Oklahoma was suffering a revenue crisis hailed
by many as the state’s worst. Such a financial
climate would test any political mission, let
alone a public policy that called for increased
teacher pay and benefits, and extra spend-
ing through new programs proposed for state
schools, colleges and universities.
Henry is leaving office amid much of the
wild political fanfare present when he joined. In
the final stretch to vacating office, Henry closed

42 OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2010

AUGUST 2010 | WWW.OKMAG.COM 43
 don’t just apply to the major research universi-
ties like OU and Oklahoma State University.
High level academic institutions.
“It goes further than that. We’re also inter-
ested in getting vo-tech involved,” he says.
“Somebody needs to train the people that are
going to be working on these things to service
them and to maintain them. In aviation, in our
case, somebody needs to train the pilots that fly
these things remotely. It’s larger than just higher
education.
“We have a lot of advantages in Oklahoma
because the labor force is cheap, we have good
laws for startup companies,” he continues, the
state’s really supportive. We have a really good
climate here in Oklahoma.”
The legislature in 2006 invested the first $150
million in the endowment, which is a far cry
from the amount Henry and the taskforce hoped
for, unfinished business that Henry laments as
he prepares to leave office.
“I’m disappointed that we haven’t found a
First Lady Kim Henry and Gov. permanent funding mechanism for the EDGE
Brad Henry photographed at the research endowment,” he says. “I made sure we
Governor’s Mansion. The couple
have been staunch advocates
had the initial deposit of $150 million, which I
for public education. was only able to do because we had some years
with big surpluses, but I’ve been pushing the
out his last legislative session in late May, after discussions to produce a $6.7 billion budget for the legislature every year to help dedicate a revenue
2011 fiscal year were nearly derailed. source so that we can initially reach that billion-
Throughout his two terms, Henry pestered legislators and challenged both educators and students, dollar mark.”
increasing expectations and accountability for both. Bright, Young Minds
“My whole approach to education is all about children,” he says. “Our children are our future While higher education and increasing the
leaders, and our goal should be to make sure that every child in Oklahoma has every opportunity to state’s number of college graduates has been a
succeed and every opportunity to go to college.” cornerstone of his education policy, Henry, in
Cutting Edge his 2010 State of the State Address, noted the
Among the first orders of education business when he took office, Henry in 2003 appointed the importance of focusing on the state’s youngest
Economic Development Generating Excellence, or EDGE, task force, a panel of public and private students, strides that have led to the adoption
leaders who later recommended establishing a $1 billion research endowment to fund projects and of both full-day kindergarten and a voluntary
private-public partnerships throughout the state. pre-K program that he said is becoming a model
With conservative estimates on the return of monies invested in the endowment, Henry says the for other states throughout the country.
state could “give out $40-$50 million in research grants every year,” to “universities, businesses and Henry says it’s easy to lose focus on invest-
entrepreneurs who have a good idea.” ing in early childhood education because the
Alfred G. Striz was among those with an idea in need of funding. Striz, a professor at the school dividends aren’t immediately felt.
of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Oklahoma’s School of Engineer- “We’re not going to see the fruits of those
ing, applied for EDGE funding with a plan that involved the research, testing and production of efforts this year or next year, or two or five
unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used for commercial applications. Striz’s pre-proposal ap- years down the road,” he says, adding that the
plication was approved by the EDGE Policy Board, although his project wasn’t among those finally state might not feel the effects for a decade or
approved for funding. even a generation, when it will “really begin to
Since its formation, the EDGE Endowment Grant is among the most sought funding sources for transform” the state, and its perception around
researchers in Oklahoma’s aerospace and high-tech industries, says Striz, who expects to apply for the country.
the grant again in the future. “I predict people will be looking at Okla-
“They’re huge. What you have is a real boost to the companies that are involved,” Striz says, homa from every corner of this nation, saying,
adding that the EDGE program helps combine the resources available on public campuses and in the ‘What’s going on? We want to be like Oklaho-
private sector. “In our case, it’s a combination of the university doing the research and some of the ma,’” he says, “and that’s just a big, big thing.”
development, but also the companies who already have developed stuff… all getting together and Ace Up His Sleeve
working together.” In 2005, Henry signed House Bill 1020 and
By working together, schools, researchers and companies have the best chance of establishing Senate Bill 982, which funded teacher pay
new industry in the state, Striz says, especially in fields – like his commercial UAV program – that raises and the Achieving Classroom Experi-
are so cutting edge, they don’t exist until built. ence. The ACE Initiative added course require-
Universities and colleges benefit from the research component, but also in “workforce develop- ments for high school students and required
ment,” which Striz says extends beyond where a classroom ends. incoming freshman in 2008-09 to pass four of
“You’re training students for a future in research and development in the industry, and that’s a six end-of-instruction exams in certain core
good thing,” he says, noting that the educational and economic benefits of such research funding

44 OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2010

subject areas before they were given diplomas. tive has been active.
Henry says that creating a “higher stakes “It’s been pretty amazing,” he says. “For the first time in 2005, students could take a college
environment” helps students raise the bar for course tuition free, and so it gave them incentive to do that, even some students who didn’t think
academic standards. One of the ACE Initia- they’d go to college.”
tive’s biggest changes was the inclusion of The tuition waivers gave many students that were unsure of attending college a “free shot”
end-of-instruction exams, rather than end-of- at trying out university education, and Henry says many of them did well and were inspired to
semester exams, which Henry says didn’t offer continue their education after high school.
much consequence to teachers or students “The bottom line for me is education is the number one priority of the state of Oklahoma. And
whether passed or failed. within education, our priority is to create more college graduates,” he says.
“The teachers really didn’t like it because
the students didn’t put as much effort into Taking A Chance
it and didn’t score as high,” he says, adding The state’s budget shortfall shaped the 2002 gubernatorial race, and Henry was an early and vo-
that switching the type of testing requires that cal proponent of enacting a state lottery to bring more black to Oklahoma’s balance sheets.
schools offer remediation to help students pass Funding – “Just getting more dollars in the classrooms, to the students” – was just one of a
the tests. number of challenges facing education when he took office, Henry recalls.
“It’s not enough just to make these exams “I set about very early on to try and provide new revenue sources for education and specifi-
high-stakes, so if you fail you don’t graduate. cally for the classroom through the education lottery.”
It was more than just, ‘You have to pass these After taking office in 2003, Henry moved quickly on proposing and organizing support for
exams to graduate,’” Henry says. “If you have the Oklahoma Education Lottery, which faced strong opposition politically – largely along party
trouble we’re going to help you, and we’re lines in the state House of Representatives, which rejected the Governor’s efforts – and on moral
going to make grounds, by groups like the Baptist General Convention.
sure you know Henry managed to put the vote to the people in November 2004,
this so you have a “This is beyond my control, and through State Questions 705 and 706, which amended the state
basic knowledge constitution to authorize the lottery and create a corresponding
of these core
the people will ultimately decide, trust fund. Voters in all 77 counties overwhelmingly approved the
subjects that are but I hope that I’m remembered as measure, and the first lottery tickets went on sale in October 2005.
critical in terms the education governor…” The act stipulates that 35 percent of lottery revenues be
of going to col- directed to education, which has since brought in more than $330
lege, or even if million.
you choose not to go to college.” “When I first came into office, we were facing at that time the worst budget shortfall in our
But college preparation is a big component state’s history, and now we’re leaving on one even worse,” Henry says. “But we’ve gotten through
of what the ACE Initiative was designed for, both of those.”
the governor says. The program required
freshman entering in 2006-07 to complete
Bonds Abound
a college preparatory curriculum. Parents Henry also led the legislature through a $475 million capital improvements bond that added
may opt their children out of the program, buildings, classrooms, laboratories and equipment to “every college and university” throughout
but tuition waivers for up to six credit hours the state, a “pool of projects” Henry says is still currently active. Along with the capital improve-
a semester are given to high school seniors ments bond, Henry pushed to fund an endowed chairs program that matches private donations
who meet certain eligibility requirements for dollar-for-dollar with public funds.
concurrent enrollment. Henry says the number “Prior to the endowed chair program, it was difficult for our colleges and universities to com-
of high school students concurrently enrolled pete for the best and brightest professors around the country – around the world, really,” Henry
in college or university courses has increased says. “That really makes a big difference. If you really want to improve the quality of education,
to roughly 50,000 from 29,000 since the initia- you’ve got to start with the educators.”
First, Foremost
Both through influencing her husband and on her own, First Lady Kim
Surrounded by school children, edu- Henry has helped make an indelible mark on education in Oklahoma. In
cator and First Lady Kim Henry, Gov.
Henry signs the 2005 ACE Initiative, the classroom for 10 years, Kim Henry spent most of her teaching career in
which raised Oklahoma academic Shawnee, where she taught high school history, economics and government,
standards. File photo.
both regular coursework and advanced placement curriculum.
In the classroom, Kim Henry learned that raising expectations yielded
elevated results, a theme mirrored in her husband’s education policy and
perspective.
“One thing that I found, especially working with teenagers – and this is
a generalization, it’s not all kids – I found a good portion of your kids will
only do what’s expected,” she says from her office at Sarkeys Foundation in
Norman, where she serves as executive director. “They won’t go the extra
mile, they just do the bare minimum to get by, and if you raise those expec-
tations, the kids perform at what you expect them to do.”
Both Kim and Gov. Henry agree that teachers are the first and primary
component of education reform, a first building block in a framework for
students to find high-paying jobs and help fuel the state’s economy.
“We always talk about, ‘We need to bring more jobs in Oklahoma,’ but
really the number one thing businesses look at before they move, relocate
or build in a state is the number of college graduates. Do you have your

46 OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2010

work force up to par for what I’m going to need?,” Kim Henry says, adding that the benefits to qual-
ity of life extend beyond simple economics. 2010 VISION IN EDUCATION
“Go out on the street, stop somebody and ask them to name three people that have really changed LEADERSHIP AWARD
your life,” she says. “I bet for the vast majority of people, one of those three will be a teacher.”
Henry agrees. The Tulsa Community College Founda-
“It’s pretty academic,” he says. “College graduates earn more money in their careers; they are less tion will honor Gov. Brad Henry for his
likely to end up in prison; they are less likely to end up on social programs; less likely to end up on consistent support of education, access and
drugs or a life of crime and more likely to contribute to society through taxes, through philanthropic excellence for Oklahomans during his two
giving and so forth.” terms in office at the 2010 Vision in Edu-
From a fiscal and economic standpoint, Henry says the challenges facing his successor “remain to cation Leadership Award dinner Tuesday,
be seen.” He is disappointed by the lack of a permanent funding mechanism for the EDGE endow- Sept. 7 at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel.
ment, but is optimistic whoever is elected to the governor’s post in November will see the value in Presenting sponsor is Cherokee Nation
making it a source for research and entrepreneurial enterprise. Henry was able to raise teacher pay, Businesses. Media sponsor is Oklahoma
but fell short of his goal to match Oklahoma salaries with the regional average. Magazine.
“We got within $1,000,” he says. “Of course it would be nice to get to the national average, but During his two terms in office, Henry
the goal is to get to the regional average. We were on track, we were $1,000 short, and couldn’t quite has placed great emphasis on improving
make it. I’m disappointed in that.” public education by raising teacher salaries
Henry will leave office this winter, and while his capitol contributions might be over in a direct, and benefits, putting more resources in
formal sense, he doesn’t expect to stop the campaign. the classroom and setting higher academic
“This is beyond my control, and the people will ultimately decide, but I hope that I’m remem- standards for students. He increased stu-
bered as the education governor and the governor who really made strides in education through dent participation in Oklahoma’s Promise,
funding and reforms.” a college payment plan for low-income
families resulting in a growth of 12,000 to
19,000 students during his terms. Henry
also successfully fought to let voters
decide whether to establish an education
lottery to benefit the state’s classrooms
which voters overwhelmingly passed in
November 2004.
“In addition to his many contributions to
our state’s primary and secondary schools,
Oklahoma’s colleges and universities have
also greatly benefited from Gov. Henry’s
dedication to excellence in education,”
says TCC President Tom McKeon.
The Vision Award is presented annually
to an individual dedicated to education
excellence and community leadership.
Past honorees include Montie Box, David
Boren, John-Kelly Warren, George Kaiser
and Paula Marshall.
Event guests will enjoy live entertain-
ment, fine dining and a special tribute to
Henry. Stuart Price, chair of the Oklahoma
State Regents for Higher Education, will
serve as honorary event chair. Vision
Dinner efforts are led by TCC Founda-
tion trustee and dinner chairwoman, Mary
Shaw, along with the support of her com-
mittee.
Individual tickets are $150. Sponsorship
levels for the dinner range from $2,500 to
$20,000. Funds raised by the event will
support scholarships and special programs
for students and faculty. Thanks to gener-
ous donations the TCC Foundation gives
more than $1 million annually to programs
and scholarships to support students,
faculty and staff.
For more information on the 2010 Vision
in Education Leadership Award Dinner
sponsorships or tickets, please contact the
Tulsa Community College Foundation at
918.595.7836 or tccfoundation@tulsacc.edu.

48 OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2010