Citizens of Tulsa Locked Out of Tulsa Public Schools

I applaud KOTV for their "Columbine" type of security check in Tulsa Public Schools. Please see the article from the KOTV website here.

The reporter had no problem entering both Rogers and BTW High Schools, although the front doors were locked but an emergency door was propped open at BTW. In both cases security personnel intervened, but BTW went on lock down for about 30 minutes.

No one wants a criminal to enter our public schools. And I know that once per year in one of the hundreds of thousands of public schools across the nation, it happens. And we all hear about it incessantly on the MSM. But is the answer to have turned these public buildings into inaccessible prison fortresses?

For years now the public high schools in T-Town have had security guards, guns and gates. There are crimes committed every day in a TPS public school that you never ever hear about! Assault and battery, theft, rape, drug possession and drug distribution. Since these involve minors and TPS doesn't want the negative publicity, you, the unsuspecting public are kept in the dark. As a result, nothing ever changes much for the better.

Perhaps you think that because you pay alot of taxes to support public schools and that you have a child in a neighborhool school, you can just walk in anytime and check on your child or your investment. NO WAY! I know from first hand experience that as a parent you are not welcome to even go and check on your childs progress at their neighborhood school. There is a pervasive attitude of "what are YOU doing here?!". And this has been confirmed to me by many other parents.

I say let the free press go to our schools anytime, anywhere. A free and open press is vital to our republic and our society. Perhaps if they shined the light from their cameras so we all could see exactly what is going on in our schools, something would change for the better.

Congratulations TSAS!

Congratulations to the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences. The quiet little charter school with consistently high academic success.

They were just notified that they have four National Merit Semi-finalists and one honorable mention. This is in a high school with a total enrollment of about 275.

As most of you know, I am an advocate of more charter schools in Tulsa. It is currently the only way to work within the system to even attempt a meaningful reform of public education in T-Town. It is my premise that the Education Service Center is incapable of the type of reform needed. Charter schools at least offer an alternative.

TSAS is working!