Blog

Leadership Tulsa

November 11, 2009

I was accepted to Leadership Tulsa Class 42 in June.

It’s a great program designed to develop community leaders. They are attempting to groom/prepare people for volunteering and operating programs that help or enrich the Tulsa community. Last month was “Government Day” where we heard from Tulsa’s (then) mayoral candidates and learned the role local, state, and federal goverment plays in community development. This month was “Education Day” we toured several community schools in the Tulsa area and learned about the challenges facing the Tulsa area education system.

Tulsa has some really great educational institutions. I always assumed that the Oklahoma public education system was broken. These schools are really taking steps to ensure that kids actually learn. The state of education is leaps and bounds above what it was five years ago.

There are so many inovative programs that I wish had been available to me when I was in grade school.Some of the schools we toured where KIPP Middle School, Kendall-Whittier, and Carver Middle School. Each of these schools has something unique and interesting to offer the students.

I don’t have children, but I think the fear surrounding the Tulsa Public Schools system is largely unfounded. Based on what I heard today from various sources TPS and general education will see some very drastic changes over the next 10 years.

This is only the 4 month of this 9 month program, but I already recommend it to anyone living in or around the Tulsa area. It’s fascinating to learn and understand the systems and institutions that drive a city.