Tulsa School Board Office 5: John Croisant questionnaire response

1. Educational philosophy: Modern, faddish, technology-driven approaches to instruction are failing to deliver the promised educational results. An increasing number of families are opting for a traditional approach to learning known as the classical trivium -- grammar, logic, and rhetoric -- described in Dorothy Sayers' essay, "The Lost Tools of Learning." In elementary years, known as the grammar stage, the classical approach emphasizes memorization of facts and methods, which gives children a sense of mastery and accomplishment and provides a solid foundation for subsequent learning. This type of curriculum is used in traditional public schools (e.g., Chicago Public Schools), in public charter schools (e.g., Great Hearts in Arizona and Texas), in private schools, and by homeschool families. As a school board member, would you support introducing a classical curriculum in schools where modern methods are failing? Do you believe the School Board has the authority and responsibility to direct the curriculum and educational philosophy of TPS, or do you believe the board should always defer to the Superintendent on those issues?

I was a teacher for over 16 years and spent 12 years at Edison. I taught a pre-AP Geography class that used a variety of "classical" methods, as well as many other different methods. I have also taught US History, World History, Government, Louisiana History, and Street Law and each course was taught very differently depending on the students that I was teaching. I don't think any one education philosophy is perfect for all students and it is up to teachers to find the methods that work best for their students. The board has the obligation to hire a superintendent and pass policies that will support teachers and give students the learning methods that best suit their needs.

2. Patriotism: For earlier generations, patriotism was a common theme of public education, uniting students without respect to race, class, religion, or ethnic heritage. Should TPS seek to encourage a sense of pride and gratitude in American history and a special love of country? Do you personally consider the existence of the United States of America as a blessing to be celebrated or a tragedy to be mourned?

I think America is an amazing country and I celebrate our freedom and diversity. I believe we are blessed to live in the United States, but I also believe in teaching the truth about our history from different perspectives. It is also important to show students how to recognize bias when examining documents and to be able to determine their own beliefs based on evidence. Developing educated citizens is one of the most important jobs of public schools.

3. Oklahoma history and the Land Run: Re-enactments of the 1889 Land Run every April are a fun tradition to help elementary students connect with the history of our state. But activists have claimed, contrary to the historical record, that the Land Run was an act of genocide, and have persuaded Oklahoma City Public Schools to ban re-enactments of the event that created Oklahoma City itself. Do you support or oppose holding 1889 Land Run re-enactments in Tulsa schools?

I believe the Land Run, the Trail of Tears, the discovery of oil in Glenpool, the Tulsa Race Massacre, the Dust Bowl, and many other events that have impacted Oklahoma History are all important. I understand that many of these events are very sensitive topics to many communities in Oklahoma and I believe their is a way to teach about these events in a way that is respectful. I would love additional feedback and ideas on how we can educate our students in ways that are engaging and appropriate.

4. Music in schools: Numerous studies establish the developmental and behavioral benefits of singing and making music in early childhood. Do you support or oppose making music a standard part of elementary education?

I was a member of the Jenks and University of Tulsa bands. Also, my grandfather held a vocal music degree from TU, my mom and sister both have commercial art degrees from TU, and my brother went to Loyola University in New Orleans on a drama scholarship and works as a movie producer. I believe music and the arts are essential in our schools and that all students should have access to the arts at all levels of k-12 education.

5. Protecting female spaces: Superintendent Gist has decreed that transgender students "have the right to use restrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities that are consistent with their gender identity." But girls and young women across the country have expressed a preference for female-only spaces and feel vulnerable if forced to share private spaces with males. Gender self-identification opens the door for males to feign transgender identity to gain access to private female spaces. Female athletes are being pushed out of opportunities for victories and scholarships by stronger and faster males who claim to be transgender. How would you change TPS policy to protect female-only spaces and female athletic opportunity?

I was a high school head girls soccer coach at Edison for twelve years and I do think that girls and boys should have private spaces and that there is a way to do that without invading other students privacy.

6. Foundations: The George Kaiser Family Foundation has been a generous donor to many initiatives around Tulsa, but many citizens are concerned that GKFF's generosity has come with strings attached, not only for non-profit beneficiaries, but for government entities as well. GKFF-affiliated donors are often found on the campaign disclosure forms of candidates for local office. Should the Tulsa School Board always defer to the wishes of GKFF and other generous benefactors? Are there any situations where the school board have refused a request of GKFF or other foundations or refused a grant?

I think it is the school boards job to do what is in the best for all of its students and if something isn't in students best interest, then the school board shouldn't approve it. I am not aware of the board refusing a grant.

7. Federal grants: Federal grants also come with strings attached. Would you support a review of all TPS federal grants to determine whether the benefit of the grant is greater than the cost of compliance and loss of control?

I am in favor of reviewing grants. However, with a budget that is already shrinking with the loss of 10,000 students over the last ten years and inadequate state funding over that same period, grants can be important to making sure we have the funding to keep programs going as a district. In order to get needed funding, I believe the district should be looking to the federal government, the state, the city, and our local community to help fund programs, if it makes since for the district. I also think that TPS and the school board should meet regularly with state legislators and city officials to make sure we are doing everything we can to deliver a quality education to all of our TPS students.

8. Oversight and accountability: As a member of the Tulsa School Board, you would be part of the Legislative Branch of school government, with a duty to act as a check and balance on the Executive Branch: Superintendent Gist and her administration. What recent actions or policies of the Superintendent and her administration have received strong pushback from the School Board? On what sorts of issues would you, as a School Board member, seek to exercise oversight of the TPS administration?

I am unaware of any administrative policies that have had pushback from the school board recently. However, as a former teacher in the district at Edison, as a parent of a current Edison student, and as a public education advocate I do not agree with many of the policies that are being implemented by the TPS administration. I believe the public would like more transparency from the district and I don't believe the communication from administration has been appropriate. I also believe we need to make sure that we are putting students first in everything TPS does. In order to put students first we need to make sure that every student has a qualified and effective teacher in every classroom and listen to what students interests are. In order to stop the growing number of students from leaving the district, we must give students and parents the options that best serves each student, whether they are at a magnet school or a neighborhood school, as well as giving more access to all students for concurrent enrollment with either TCC or Tulsa Tech. In order to stop the teachers that are leaving our district for Epic or the suburbs, we must respect teachers enough to allow them to fix the problems in their classrooms. We must also make TPS an attractive district for both new and experienced educators by providing them the resources they need and allowing teachers the freedom to come up with lessons that fit their students needs. We will not be able to improve TPS without fixing the broken teacher pipeline, respecting our teachers more, and creating district policies starting with student needs, instead of the current top down approach from administration.

Feel free to add any information that you'd like to pass along to the voters:

[No additional information was provided.]