Dr. Flathouse Delivers Keynote Address

Face Towards the Sun; Let the Shadows Fall Behind You

 

TREA was honored to have Dr. Ed Flathouse and his wife Patricia at the TREA Annual Midwinter Dinner Meeting.  In his keynote address, Dr. Flathouse kept with TASA’s theme of “150 Years of Public Education in Texas” using poignant vignettes of his childhood experiences about home and school life as a case study of how far rural education in Texas has come and he shared his ideas for handling the future.

 

Dr. Flathouse is no stranger to rural life. He grew up on a farm in central Texas with no plumbing. His family did not have electricity until he was 14. Without close neighbors, the family ran a white flag up a pole to communicate trouble, such as the time a young Dr. Flathouse broke his arm. During the evenings, he remembers the family entertaining themselves by listening to the “Lone Ranger” on the battery operated radio.

 

Formal education began for him very modestly in Lockhill, Texas.  He had to walk three miles just to catch the school bus and described himself as shy while growing up. His memories of those early school days include images of inkwells, the oily sawdust used to clean the rooms, and many stories of John Todd Ford, a kid he describes as being so mean he would “poor water on a widow woman’s kindling.” He remembers breaking the news of FDR passing away to his mother after school. If he had not been in school, he wondered when his family would have learned about it.

 

Eventually, Dr. Flathouse’s parents decided there was better schooling to be had in downtown San Antonio, which is where he eventually graduated high school. He stated when he was in school the most important goal was to pass to the next grade. A student who did not might come back and try again or simply stop coming and work on the family farm. Worries about drop-outs and pushing yourself to achieve as much as possible were not on the agenda. Dr. Flathouse shared about the turning point in his own education—when it became about doing your personal best instead of simply getting by.  A college professor pulled him aside and chastised him for wasting the opportunity he was being given in college. That lit a spark of determination in him and propelled him forward.

 

Today, school children across this state sit in clean, air conditioned classrooms. They are lucky to have telephones in case of emergency and indoor plumbing. Electricity powers televisions, radios, computers, microwaves, DVD players, VCR’s. Children don’t lack for stimulation, entertainment, or opportunity to communicate and learn about the world. The expectation is that all children should reach for the stars and be inspired to achieve their personal best. Their parents have choices between vouchers for private schools, charter schools, online schools and the public schools, creating, at times, strong competition. Drop-outs are kept track of and encouraged to go back to school instead of disappearing from the school’s radar.

 

Each year, it seems the expectations of the education system grow. With Governor Perry’s proposed $500 million Achievement Initiatives, the question is how and with what money?  Dr. Flathouse recognized these obstacles and offered a call to help focus TREA members and school districts when looking at the challenges ahead. First, he said “Face toward the sun; let the shadows fall behind you.” Times are changing and it is important that rural school districts heed the change. Secondly, “Turn loose to hang on.” Meaning, value the traditions and past culture of the community, but look toward the future to stay alive. Dr. Flathouse also emphasized using your voice in order to protect your choices.

 

Rural schools have many choices to make in today’s educational climate. Consolidation to solve the problems of rural schools is not an answer for everyone, especially when it comes new problems. With the trends of consolidation of rural school districts shrinking the numbers of school districts across the state, it is not becoming uncommon for children to spend significant portions of their day simply commuting to and from school. The distressing urban drop-out trends don’t plague rural communities where a parent-student-teacher conference could happen in line at the grocery store, walking into church, or sitting at a red light.

 

When it comes to school districts, bigger is not always better. But when you are a small, rural school district in this vast state you need a big voice to be heard. TREA members are urged to band together and be heard on state and national levels in order that the rural education experience can not only survive, but thrive. Without rural education from this great state Dr. Flathouse would not be where he is today, and what a loss that would have been.

Delores Thorne of Sunnyvale ISD Named
NREA 2003-2004 Teacher of the Year

When speaking of Mrs. Thorne and her teaching, the words nurturing, dependable, caring, compassionate, and dedicated come up again and again. Perhaps this is why the Sunnyvale fourth grade teacher was chosen to be the National Rural Education Association’s Teacher of the Year 2003-2004.

 

Another reason might be that her classroom and teaching skills strikes the elusive balance between nurturing and staying focused on achievement. Sunnyvale Board Member, Janet Clements feels, “Her classroom is a structured learning environment and the students know that there are high expectations.” Superintendent Seth Adams says, “Politeness is a part of the curriculum in Ms. Thorne’s class and it shows.” He feels her students’ behavior “reveals a consistent tone of compassion.” It might be the reflection of what one parent described as Ms. Thorne’s method of teaching by example when it comes to respect and consideration.

 

With praise like this, it is surprising Mrs. Thorne did not always feel the calling to go into education. It wasn’t until she was in college that she finally heeded the prompting of her father to pursue teaching. Her family’s financial sacrificing in order to send her to Baylor University was just one way they instilled in Ms. Thorne a respect and appreciation for good education. She has passed this on to her students for the 45 years of her teaching career.

 

Ms. Thorne may set high standards in her classroom, but she certainly doesn’t expect her students to reach them alone. She works hard to reach each student- highlighting their strengths and working with them in areas of need, including tutoring outside classroom hours. This dedication to her students’ success has helped her students perform exceptionally well on the TAKS tests each year. Principal David Greer points out the consistent 100% mastery on objectives her students achieve. No small accomplishment in the demanding climate of today’s fourth grade classrooms in Texas.

 

But, the theme for Mrs. Thorne’s success as a teacher is her concern for her students. As Mr. Greer puts it, “Her greatest strength is definitely her love for the children.” Encouraging students, making them feel safe and secure in her classroom seems to come naturally to Ms. Thorne. One parent, whose son had Ms. Thorne in third grade, came home on the first day of fourth grade and found that he would have Ms. Thorne for another year. His mother said, “I think he was the happiest boy in America.” This past year, Ms Thorne reached out to previous student, Jacey Overton, who was graduating from college, sending a congratulatory note and pictures from the year she was in Ms. Thorne’s third grade class. Ms. Overton says of receiving that gift, “only Ms. Thorne, still teaching me, helped me reflect on all that I had accomplished, and gave me the determination to face my future with confidence.” Mr. Adams also acknowledges the caring of Ms. Thorne saying, “I don’t think a child can go through her room without knowing that Mrs. Thorne truly loves them.”

 

Although she has won numerous accolades during her career (Sunnyvale Teacher of the Year and TREA Teacher of the Year), Ms. Thorne says, “All these awards wouldn’t mean anything without these children.” TREA and Rural News would like to congratulate Mrs. Thorne on her award and thank her for her example. Her accomplishments show that love and high expectations are powerful tools and key ingredients to successful education.