COMENTARY: How one city councilman did the right thing

Moore city councilman Dave Roberts is an easy going, standup guy.

Blessed with a voice that’s a cross between James Earl Jones and Barry White, Roberts could have made a fortune in the soul music industry.

But Dave is more than a smooth talker.

Having watched him in council meetings, and as a member of the Moore Rotary Club, I’ve been impressed by his level-headed approach to municipal problems and his desire to make Moore a better place to live.

It’s obvious he cares.

It’s also obvious he wants to do the right thing.

What’s not so obvious is what Dave did last week.

Following a recent speech by Republican state Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson, Roberts offered a rebuttal.

Wilcoxson, it seems, used a speech with the Moore Rotary Club to denigrate Oklahoma’s public school system, its teachers and administrators.

And Dave Roberts became angry.

He did a slow burn for about a week.

Then, the following week, Roberts did something that’s almost unknown by public officials any more — he stood up publicly and announced he disagreed with Sen. Wilcoxson; he she was wrong he said and her speech was “intellectually dishonest.”

He wasn’t worried about the fallout.

He made his point simply and elegantly without negative rhetoric or name calling.

He stood and spoke softly about why he disagreed.

It was the right thing to do.

Because for months now, Wilcoxson has paraded around the state blasting public schools and those involved with them.
She’s trotted out failed political candidates and dubious experts who all say the same thing: our schools are horrible and the system needs to be destroyed.

A couple of weeks ago, the good Senator brought her dog-and-pony show to the Moore Rotary Club where she proceeded to tell Rotarians this same, tired story. Prior to her speech, she even issued a press release announcing she would be speaking.

Being the gentleman that he is, Roberts sat quietly and listened.

But, like many others in the room, he knew he was being misled.

Consider this:

• Just last week, a Moore teacher was named a Milken Foundation Award winner — the Academy Award of the teaching profession. The honor comes with a $25,000 stipend. And while many Moore and state officials — including Lt. Governor Jari Askins — cleared off their schedule to attend the entire ceremony, Wilcoxson came in late, made a brief appearance at a reception and left early.

• Last year a Moore elementary school was named a Blue Ribbon School.

• Earlier this year, a Moore student received a $100,000 Intel prize for her performance at a national science fair.

• The average GAP for a Moore senior is 3.0.

• 72.4 percent of Moore’s 2005 senior class participated in the ACT test — well above the state average of 66.5 percent.

• Moore’s average ACT score was 21.5 — almost a full point above the state average of 20.6.

• Moore spends $5,816 per pupil with an 18 student per teacher ratio.

• Moore’s schools consistently rank high — usually exceeding the state average — in API and other educational performance rankings.

• Moore is the state’s third largest school district with more than 20,000 students.

But, if we listened to Sen. Wilcoxson, we would think our district is failing. If we bought the negative, we’d light the torches and head for the administrative building.

Thankfully, someone like Dave Roberts saw the truth.

Don’t let anyone kid you, the Senator’s recent speeches are being delivered as a platform for her eventual campaign for state school superintendent.

They are political.

They are designed to inspire fear and distrust.

They are supposed to divide.

She’s been in office for 12 years — she’s served on the education committee and currently is its co-chair. If Oklahoma’s schools are as bad as she believes, then Wilcoxson is partly responsible — because she and her comrades have had more than a decade to make a difference.

Running around the state, talking smack about teachers and schools may score her points on the political front.

But here in Moore, one thoughtful, genuine public official didn’t by the rhetoric.

And a wise man told the rest of us not to buy it either.

Which is why, my friends, councilman Dave Roberts did the right thing.