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Education leaders: Oklahoma City students need community's continued support

BY MILES TOLBERT AND LORI DICKINSON | Published: October 20, 2012 Comment on this article

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The road ahead for our children and our schools won't be smooth. Thousands of Oklahoma City's children face barriers in simply getting to school every morning. They might be hungry. They might be angry because of chaos at home. They might be on their second or third school of the year and feeling disconnected. As a community of caring adults, we must either go around or go over whatever barriers necessary in order to ensure our children the best possible chance at success.

The most important message we can send is that no matter what the A-F grade a school might be assigned, that grade doesn't reflect what we believe of the children and teachers in that school. Oklahoma City's children need the adults of this community to continue to hope for them, believe in them and invest in them.

Tolbert is chairman of the board of directors of The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools. Dickinson is its president and CEO.

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