And the Answer Is

Social Security is often referred to as the third rail of national politics. Our small rural schools should be the third rail of state politics.

The air waves have been filled with a couple of political commercials railing, “—And close our rural schools.” I can‚t conceive of any greater cultural disaster for our state than the loss of our rural schools. You close a rural school and a community soon shrivels into dust.

In our small communities the school districts are often the largest employer. The school has been the core of society, the gathering place. A local school gives parents direct input into our children‚s education. Decisions that directly impact our children suddenly feel as if they have been defaulted to some remote power.

Remote. Parents are now unlikely to see their child‚s teacher in the grocery or at church.

“They” will talk about improving average test scores. Average. If I place one foot in ice water and the other foot in scalding hot water, on average I feel pretty good.

If you have a graduating class of 20, how good an education does your child receive? Well, I believe a quality education of great practical value. Perhaps my observation is biased but I see “reading, writing and arithmetic” as the core requirements to get along nicely in life. Our small schools provide that and much, much more.

Further in a smaller school, the student has the opportunity to explore and participate in a multitude of activities and accept responsibilities that would never be available in the enormous urban school. No, you can‚t get three years of Calculus. Do you need it?

Diversity in educational opportunity is grand thing. Classroom to Yearbook to Student Government to Newspaper to FFA to homecoming courts to multiple sports to the school play to band. If a student can‚t find a spot, they just aren‚t trying.

I firmly believe everyone gets to do several things and that‚s a good thing. I really like diversity. Because life is going to ask us to do a lot of different stuff.

How do you learn to do stuff you‚re not great at? How do you help an unsure adolescent self-confidence? Try activities.

Do I believe wisdom can be found in the fizzing of cold Coca-Cola as it is poured over ice cubes on my back porch? Maybe. I have found watching squirrels play as they compete over peanuts to be most enlightening. Anyway, as I watched the fizz rise today, I‚m convinced of at least two things.

One. No school, no matter how large or how small can be all things to all people.

Two. In Metro Tulsa, families sacrifice to send their children to private schools so that they might have the advantages children in rural schools inherently enjoy.

Been there, done that. Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. – Albert Einstein.

Life is an adventure. Dare it. – Mother Teresa

Hal McBride writes a column, Just Thinkin‚, published each week.