Futuristic Dystopian Series and Nature Pods for Relaxation!

I’m currently writing my 2nd book series, and this time it’s a futuristic dystopian series related to the Enneagram if you’re familiar with that. I am BEYOND EXCITED about this series!

Although the series isn’t meant to be heavily about technology, it is 50 years into the future and I wanted to make it believable. I’m not going to give a bunch of details about the series yet, but I wanted to share with you an amazing invention I came up with that I truly feel should actually be invented and installed in all schools and workplaces. NATURE PODS!!!

(Note: There are relaxation pods at least! I found this picture on this cool site!)

How would you like a private, relaxing space where you could not only unwind but also be transported to a realistic nature sanctuary of your choice? It would be like you’re really there in some beautiful place around the world because the experience is made real through 3 of your senses – sight, sound, and smell.

Here’s a sneak peek into the scene I’ve written that describes the beginning of the nature pod experience. You tell me! DOES THIS SOUND AWESOME OR WHAT?!!!

*******************************************************

I pick one in the back corner and scan my thumb for it to open. As the door of the clear glass pod slides up and back, the neutral scent of freshly sprayed deodorizer wafts out, and I hop onto the cushioned reclining seat.

“Hello, Cass,” a soothing, female voice says after the door slides back down and seals shut to make it soundproof. The glass all around me turns opaque and then transforms into a giant screen with a browse menu and a menu of my history. “What scenery would you like today?” the voice asks.

I lift a finger and flick through my history for a favorite – the Mossy Forest in Malaysia. I touch the picture and the screen in the entire glass pod morphs into a pristinely clear video of the forest. The nature sounds of the forest slowly start to filter through the speakers and a small square appears on the screen that says, “Add music? Yes or No.” I click No and it disappears. I prefer only the nature sounds most of the time. It just makes it more real.

Before leaning back again, I wait for the last option to pop-up. A box that says, “Matching scent? Yes or No.” This time I hit Yes. As the woodsy scent gently sprays through the vents, I settle back into my seat and close my eyes, trying to relax and get comfortable. Then I open them again. With the sounds, the smell, and the gently alive forest surrounding me, I can almost imagine myself actually there.

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Shadow Eyes Book 1 is FREE on Release Day!

It’s finally here! Yay! Happy dance! Find Sacrificial Souls, Book 3 of the Shadow Eyes Series here!

And on this Happy Release Day, I am giving away Shadow Eyes, Book 1, for FREE!!! The ebook will be free on Amazon from today, 2/1, through Tuesday, 2/5, and the whole series is on Kindle Unlimited. Seriously, you have no reason to not go and get it, right now! I mean, like, right now!

Just think, it’s a completed series that you can binge-read in the comfort of wherever and then wake up with a lovely book hangover.

For those who need the synopsis for Shadow Eyes, Book 1, here you go:

Iris thought she could ignore the shadows…until they came after everyone she loved.

Seventeen-year-old Iris Kohl has been able to see both dark and light figures ever since a tragic incident three years ago. The problem is, no one else seems to see them, and even worse…the dark figures terrorize humans, but Iris is powerless to stop them.

Although she’s learned to deal with watching shadows harass everyone around her, Iris is soon forced to question everything she thinks she knows about her world and herself. Her sanity, strength, and will power are tested to the limits by not only the shadows, but also a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows, a new friend with an awe-inspiriting aura, and a mysterious, alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend. As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, Iris must ultimately accept the guidance of an angel to revisit the most horrific event of her life and become the hero she was meant to be.

 

HAPPY READING!

 

Also, a shout out to the amazing blogs who are helping me promote this release!

Shalini’s Books and Reviews

Reading Nook

Cats Luv Coffee Book Reviews

My Trending Books

Book Junkie Reviews

 

 

Sacrificial Souls Cover Reveal and Pre-Order!

Here it is in all of its glory…the cover to the FINAL book in the Shadow Eyes Series! Also, the book is now ready for pre-order! Go check it out here!

Sacrificial Souls, Book 3 of the Shadow Eyes Series, will be released February 1st, 2019, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally have a completed series out there in the world. Mostly because there is something so satisfying about being the proud author of a completed series – something like a child graduating. Also, I know my old readers won’t have to wait anymore and my new readers can binge read!

On top of all that, I do feel that this book is probably the best in the whole series. It will take you to places you’ve never been and has twists and turns and surprises like no other. For that reason, I am so excited to share it with everyone!

However, I wouldn’t be entirely truthful if I didn’t say that a part of my excitement is because the end of the series means the beginning of a new one! As much as I have loved and still love the story of Iris Kohl and all of her crazy adventures, my mind has been spinning a whole new world for a futuristic dystopian series for the last several months. Building a world is such a fun process! Complicated and time-consuming…but super fun!

Anyway, a big thank you to all my readers and a sincere apology to those who’ve been with me since the beginning with the first release of Shadow Eyes back in 2012. You’ve waited patiently. Now the wait will finally be over. 🙂

 

P.S. If you’re unfamiliar with the series or haven’t read the first one, click on the cover below to check it out.

Sacrificial Souls, Book 3, Tagline and Blurb

Sacrificial Souls, The Shadow Eyes Series Book 3, is almost here! I can’t wait to release it to the world! For now, here’s the tagline and synopsis to whet your appetite.

Tagline:

Iris’s job requires sacrifice, but this is one sacrifice she won’t want to make.

 

Synopsis:

Iris never asked for the role of leader, but her mentor seems to think she’s leader material and her friends don’t argue. Sometimes she wishes she could just be a normal girl with a normal boyfriend and a normal life… But who is she kidding? With her job and one of her enemies still out there wanting to kill her, her life would never be even close to normal.

Throughout the summer, Iris’s old adversary keeps showing up at her work and on shadow hunts, but not to kill her. Not yet. Each time, his message is clear: Join him or die. To make matters worse, Iris’s mentor seems to be hiding something. Iris wants him by her side when her enemy actually attacks, but she’s not sure she can trust him anymore. Nothing can prepare her, though, for when the tide’s turn and what she thought she’d never have to sacrifice becomes the very thing she needs to let go of in order to fulfill her final calling and eliminate her enemy for good.

 

Check out Shadow Eyes, Book 1, here! Don’t forget, the series is on Kindle Unlimited!

Check out Luminous Spirits, Book 2, here!

Book Lovers: Use Your Amazon Gift Card on this Deal!

Sacrificial Souls, Book 3 of the Shadow Eyes Series, will be released January 25th, 2019! With that, the series will finally be complete!

In anticipation of this epic event, I am discounting Book 1, Shadow Eyes, to ONLY $1.99!

Four big reasons why you should totally go buy this book and start this series!

1. AMAZON GIFT CARDS! If you got one as a Christmas gift, this book would barely make a dent if you bought it during this promo week! Even with the other 2 books at $5.99 for the digital format, you’re looking at $14 total for the series! Buy Shadow Eyes here. 
2. CHRISTMAS BREAK! If you’re a student or teacher, you have free time for the first time in forever! Use it to immerse yourself in another world and catch up on some much-needed “you time”!
3. NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS! According to a poll from The Statistics Portal, “Read more” was the 5th most common New Year’s Resolution in 2018! So add that to your  list and get started. 🙂
4. IT’S A COMPLETED SERIES! I know a lot of people don’t like starting a series that isn’t finished because they don’t want to wait forever for the next installment. Like Netflix, we often like to binge-read our books. I get it. Which is why, I’m so excited about this series finally being complete, officially on January 25th! You go ahead and binge all you want. Nobody’s judging.

 

New Cover and Title Reveal!

Exciting things are coming for the Shadow Eyes Series! I’m not excited about self-promoting, as probably all authors, self-published or not, will tell you. However, there are many things to get me excited about this series right now.

1. REBRANDING! If you haven’t noticed, I’ve begun the process of rebranding the series before the 3rd book is released by having my covers for books 1 and 2 redone. The same AMAZING photographer and graphic designer, Tara McKinney, will then do the 3rd book as well! I’m IN LOVE with my new cover for Shadow Eyes Book 1! When I originally had the idea of Shadow Eyes forever ago and starting thinking of a cover, I wanted something to resemble the shadows wrapping around and overcoming Iris. That’s what I was going for with the first cover here. And now, I finally feel we’ve achieved that look! Way to go Tara! Not only does this get the point across that I was going for, but it is also extremely eye-catching. She did the photography and all the design work herself. Like I said, I’m in love! And the cover for Luminous Spirits will be coming soon! So, my advice…feel free to GET YOUR COPY OF SHADOW EYES now (click here), but wait on Luminous Spirits until the new cover is ready to go. 🙂
2. The RELEASE of the long-awaited 3rd and FINAL INSTALLMENT of the Shadow Eyes Series is just around the corner! The manuscript is finished and awaiting editing by a new editor that just happened to cross my path (totally a God thing if you ask me). We plan to have edits done by the end of the year and then, Lord willing, the book will be released either tale end of 2018 or early next year. So save those Amazon gift cards you’ll be getting for Christmas. 🙂
3. To PROMOTE the release and the new covers, I’ll be majorly DISCOUNTING the first book soon. I haven’t nailed down a time yet, but some time in December and after the cover for Luminous Spirits is ready.
4. I’m finally going to REVEAL the TITLE of the 3rd Book. Drum roll, please…

 

Well, there you have it. Sacrificial Souls will be the title of the 3rd and final book in this series. I hope you like the new cover of the 1st book and the new title for the 3rd. And I hope you feel you can go check out the first book now that you know the end is in sight for this series and that you won’t have to wait too long for the final book. Sincere apologies to my readers who have been with me since the first release of Shadow Eyes, lol. Happy Reading!

 

 

 

No Straight-Party Voting!

(View your sample ballot here to make an informed decision.)

From what I understand, Oklahoma is only 1 of 8 states who still allows straight-party voting on ballots. Why is this even a thing? I’ll tell you why. So lazy, uneducated people can continue to put into power individuals who have no business being in a position of power.

Sorry if that stepped on anyone’s toes, but I’ll be honest…I wish someone had said that to me when I first started voting. It’s been a while, but I am pretty sure there was one election early on where I only knew who I was choosing for the big office (president or governor) and hadn’t done my research on anyone else. So you know what I did? Straight-party voting. My family was Republican. I was Republican, to the best of my understanding at that young age. And so I stood there in my little cardboard cubicle and with blind faith checked a box to vote for so many people whose names I had never even heard of before.

The memory embarrasses me now, but I know I wasn’t and am not the only one who has done that. This shouldn’t be an option, but for now, it is. And never has it been more of an issue to me and to so many other educators and pro-education voters in this state than it is this year.

As I said, I’m a Republican, but my voting today will not reflect that. I AM NOT VOTING TODAY BASED ON PARTY AFFILIATION. I am voting today based on convictions, beliefs, personal records, history, facts, and good old-fashioned research. I am so thankful that my school district, Yukon Public Schools, let us have this day off so I could finish the necessary research needed to make an informed decision about ALL the candidates.

Here’s my advice, especially to young voters: IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE THE RESEARCH FOR THAT OFFICE…DON’T VOTE FOR IT! I know that sounds unconstitutional, but trust me, not voting for anyone would be better than voting for someone that doesn’t deserve to be elected or re-elected. And there are several candidates who don’t deserve to be elected or re-elected this year!

DO YOUR RESEARCH! Google. Ask around. Ask a teacher. Read between the lines, not just what they put in their ads. If you haven’t figured this out by now, politicians will say anything to get your vote. I hear even Kevin Stitt was trying to get teachers on his side last minute. Good luck with that.

On a normal election year, I’d say look at all the issues and weight the pros and cons of each candidate, but this year… THIS YEAR I’M A ONE-ISSUE VOTER. AND THAT ISSUE IS EDUCATION. Again, I wouldn’t condone one-issue voting normally, but this year is different because the topic of education has some long-overdue momentum that will not last. If we’re going to make any headway with education reform (budgeting and everything else) in our government, NOW IS THE TIME while we have everyone’s attention! While the memory of the Teacher Walkout hasn’t yet faded completely from everyone’s minds. While we have so many pro-education candidates ready to take office and make the monumental changes needed to get our government on track to ensure a more positive future for the children of our state. Now is the time!

The next election can be the time for other issues to take center stage again. BUT FOR NOW, LET EDUCATION BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

I can’t tell you who to vote for, but I can tell you who I’ll be voting for for some of the offices and why. Take it or leave it. 🙂

GOVERNOR – Drew Edmonson D. No-brainer here. Kevin Stitt is not for teachers or education. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

LT. GOVERNOR – Matt Pinnell R. He is a gray area with education for me, but since the Democratic candidate is a little too far left for me, and since she’s been for school vouchers in the past, I’m sticking with Pinnell.

STATE AUDITOR – Cindy Byrd R. She is definitely pro-education!

ATTORNEY GENERAL – Mark Myles D. All I can say is do your research and make your own decision. I wasn’t impressed with what I read about Mike Hunter and Mark Myles has specifically put education into his campaign.

SUPERINTENDENT – I’m still a little torn but I will probably vote for Joy Hofmeister R. I have heard great things about John Cox D, too, so I will not be upset if he wins. However, Hofmeister supported us in the walkout and still does, so she hasn’t done anything to lose my vote.

COMMISSIONER OF LABOR – Fred Dorrell D. I honestly don’t know much about him, but ANYONE would be better than Leslie Osborn, who is directly tied to the Taxpayers Unite group.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER – Glen Mulready R. I voted for Glen in the primaries, so I don’t feel the need to change that now. Though I don’t know that I’d be disappointed if Fobbs won.

STATE TREASURER – Randy McDaniel R. I’m not super confident on this one since I’ve only done minimal research, but again, I’m not opposed to voting for my party if there are no red flags to deter me. He seems to fit the bill.

CORPORATION COMMISSIONER – I’m still not sure, lol. I voted for Bingman in the primaries, although I wasn’t completely opposed to Bob Anthony. This position doesn’t necessarily directly affect education, so it’s hard to find any information about how these candidates’ views could affect it directly. Just do your research and make an informed decision. The candidates are Bob Anthony R, Ashley McCray D, and Jackie Short I.

LOCAL OFFICES

For my personal district of YUKON and CANADIAN COUNTY… I will give my two cents.

State Senator District 22 – Stephanie Bice R. She’s proven to be an advocate for education. Even though some, including me, may disagree with a few of the bills she proposed, I do believe she has the best intentions and will continue to work for us.

State Rep District 43 – Chantelle Cory D. I am NOT voting for Jay Steagall, who has aligned himself with the Taxpayers Unite Group, and who tried to use a manipulative phone survey before the primaries to get me to see him as a better candidate than a “younger” teacher. I don’t like being manipulated.

District Judge for District 26 – Jack McCurdy. I was not impressed with John Paul Jordan when we met him during the walkout as he did nothing but talk in circles and never really address our concerns.

Associate District Judge for Canadian County – Bob Hughey. I cannot say enough of how much I respect this man as he has helped countless children in the system have the best future possible by doing everything in his power to stand up to DHS and the tribes when necessary and working with them when possible. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have been able to adopt our two precious girls.

As for all of the judges and state questions – DO YOUR RESEARCH OR LEAVE THEM BLANK.

That is all. NOW LET’S GO EXERCISE OUR RIGHT TO VOTE!

 

Things I’ve Learned about God from Being a Parent

I’ve been a foster parent for 7 years, but have only been a “real” parent for 4 months since we adopted our two daughters. Of course, for a good year now, we’ve felt like our girls were ours, so some of the feelings of being an actual parent instead of a foster parent have crept in gradually. But since the adoption, one of the main differences is that I view everything long-term now. Before, I wouldn’t really let myself think of the future with them, because I didn’t know for sure where they would be. It was like there was a huge barricade blocking my view. I couldn’t see past a few months of their lives.

Now, everything has eternal value. What I teach them about behavior, basic learning, manners, God, …it’s not just for the now but for forever. What I let them do and experience (the good and the not-so-good)…it has eternal value. Therefore, I have to be much more careful and thoughtful about how I parent. God feels that way about us. He has the ultimate eternal perspective, so everything He does for us is for a reason. Not just for now, but also for our future.

Besides all that, as I’ve really let myself feel what a “real” mom feels, I’ve begun to truly see how God must feel about us. Everyone says you really learn about God once you become a parent. It is so true! I thought I had figured that out when I became a foster parent, but I had only scratched the surface. The lessons I’ve learned are so much stronger now. And I’m sure as my girls get older, the lessons will keep coming!

For now, here are some Things I’ve learned about God from being a parent:

• It makes God feel good when he sees us playing or working well together.
• It gives God extreme joy to see us having fun together.
• It pains God to see us in pain, physically or emotionally.
• It exacerbates God when we try to do something on our own that he knows we can’t do on our own.
• On the other hand, it makes him swell with pride to see us bravely try something new, especially when we finally succeed.
• God knows that occasionally we need a time out to think about what we’ve done and where we’re going.
• He loves it when we rest willingly and then get up refreshed.
• He also knows that sometimes it’s necessary to force a nap.
• If he sees us running towards danger, he will do what it takes to stop us even if it means knocking us down.
• It disappoints him when he prepares something fun and exciting for us and we whine and complain about it instead of enjoy it.
• But God feels joy when we get excited over and sincerely thank him for something good He has graciously given us.
• Lastly, it fills God with pride to see us dream big, and then with excitement as we work to carry that dream out. He is our biggest fan and encourager. He is the parent cheering loudly in the stands.

And…things I haven’t learned yet but I’m sure I will when I’m a parent to teenagers…

• It breaks his heart when we act like we don’t need him.
• It breaks his heart when we don’t want to be around him.
• And when we grieve over something he knows is trivial in the long run, he hurts with us but also wants us to trust him when he says that everything will be okay and that our future is bright.

Remember, His perspective is always eternal, and ours is like a small child’s. All we can do is trust our heavenly Father.

The 2018 Oklahoma Primaries: Do Your Research

VOTE in June!!!! I’m yelling at myself too, by the way. I typically haven’t voted in June in the past. Many teachers haven’t, but you better believe that’s changing this year. We all need to get the word out to everyone about who the best candidates are in each party for all offices who will support teachers and make the hard choices needed to move our state in the right direction.

Of course, I’m not implying that the topic of education is the only one that matters. Oklahoma’s government and budget are screwed up in more ways than we can count. But if the walkout in April accomplished anything, it was awareness that education is a long-time neglected issue that needs to be addressed. And it needs to be addressed now while there is still some momentum to make positive changes.

In this post, I’d like to give you some HELPFUL LINKS AND INFORMATION that will hopefully equip you with the tools you need to get informed about your candidates so you can go to the polls in June with an educated decision.

***First, GO TO THIS SITE by the Oklahoma Progressive Network for a SAMPLE BALLOT of sorts. It’s a great first step to see who will be on your ballot and where most of the candidates stand on issues. You just enter your address and party affiliation and you get a list of offices and candidates, most of whom have a drop-down arrow that gives you their stance on issues and a link to the source that gave that information. They also include links to facebook and twitter pages and websites if they have them. (Note: Many of the lower offices like state reps don’t have any information linked.)

 

There are MANY offices to vote for! It will take some work to read about them, but it’s worth it! The site mentioned above gives you mostly positive-sounding information, so you’ll probably want to google the candidates as well to see what else they’ve said and what people say about them. If you’re interested in supporting education, try searching their name with “education” or “teachers.” You can also search for the word on their page for quickly finding any comments about that issue. Beware, many of them at least have some vague reference to education being a priority on their page or sites, but we want more than a bone thrown to us. We want someone who is not afraid to stand up against the old ways and who knows how important it is to fix our messed up educational system.

The GOVERNOR RACE is obviously a big deal and in the forefront of many voters’ minds. Let’s not forget the state reps, but for now, let’s talk candidates for governor.  Aside from the link above, here are a few more links where you can read about the candidates, specifically with education in mind, sprinkled in with some of my opinions.

• This article from The 74, a non-profit news site that focuses on US education issues,  gives a brief run-down of the candidates’ views on education and the walkout. Frustratingly enough, this article also shows that currently, the top 3 Republican candidates are Lamb, Cornett, and Stitt, all of whom were known for speaking out against the walkout back in April. Don’t be fooled by their back-peddling now. Also, beware of candidates that say they didn’t support HB1010 that provided the raises and extra funds on the grounds that “there’s a better way” to fund education. All of those “better ways,” like auditing more and cleaning up the budget, wouldn’t be enough and would take too long. We need something now. Those things are necessary, too, but did need and still need more.
• This article from NewsOK has a video as well that shows some of the candidates and their thoughts on the walkout before it happened. For those candidates who were against it and say there was a better way, again let me say that educators and unions exhausted all other ways for 20 years and got nowhere. Sometimes you have to go to extremes to get people’s attention to actually make necessary changes.
• This article from NewsOK highlights what some of the candidates think on issues including education, same-sex adoption, taxes, and oil and gas.
• This article from Oklahoma Watch is very similar but has a few different quotes.

The GOVERNOR CANDIDATES:

• TODD LAMB (R) – Although Todd Lamb seems to genuinely support teachers in the video/article linked above, beware of his track record with the oil and gas companies. He may truly care about teachers, but I believe the way he plans to go about “helping” education would not be much different than the current system. Here’s a good article about his ties to oil and gas. Here’s another post about Todd Lamb by Alberto Morejon, admin of the official teacher walkout Facebook group. Also, in one of the articles linked above, he said the revenue package approved for HB1010 got an F in reform and was disappointed in how the teacher pay raise was signed and passed. I get that we need to do more reform along with those new taxes, but an F? Seriously? From other things I’ve personally heard about Lamb, I will admit that he may be a genuinely good guy, but I think it’s a matter of policy and what the candidates are willing to do to get things done.

• KEVIN STITT (R) – He may be an “outsider” of politics, being a businessman, but he is also an “insider” of the Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite group. See his own post here. I don’t think he signed the petition Tom Coburn came up with later to renounce the revenue package for HB1010, but if he supports the group, then he has the same ideals and probably supports the petition as well. Here is an article about the Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite group if you’re unfamiliar. In a nutshell, they hate (or at least strongly undervalue) public education, favor oil and gas companies, and want to keep the state in the same old Republican rut of cutting taxes and then having to cut core agencies.

• MICK CORNETT (R) – Besides the fact that he was openly against the walkout, saying teachers should be in the classrooms and that it wasn’t in the best interest of the kids, my personal opinion is that he is too old-school Republican and too conservative. In this article about where the candidates stand on tax increases, he refused to respond. (Stitt and Lamb both said they pledged to not increase taxes, btw.) Also, in the video linked earlier, he said he did not support the walkout, and in one of the articles, he was vague on if he would have signed HB1010 or not. I feel like he is too entrenched in the Republican political system in our state, which is sadly way too tied to oil and gas, to make the necessary, hard changes. I will say he has done a lot for Oklahoma City and for tourism and businesses in our state. I just don’t know if he’s right for the push we need right now.

• ***GARY JONES (R) – Out of all the Republican candidates, the Republicans in the teacher walkout Facebook group voted with a 60% majority to back Gary Jones. He seems to be a knowledgeable, moderately conservative leader that understands the need for reform in education, the budget, and taxes. Here is a great post about him that includes some good information about where he stands in a lot of areas, especially money. Also, a friend of mine vouched for him as one of her family friends, saying he was a great man. It’s always good to hear from people who know these candidates personally. Sadly, he is not in the top 3 Republican candidates according to the polls.  But it’s not too late to turn that around!

• DREW EDMONSON (D) –  One thing I do know is that this guy was at the Walkout most of the time, showing his support. In many of the links above that list all of the candidates, he shows his concern about education, his support for teachers and the walkout, and his willingness to make changes and even raise taxes if needed. Not that anyone wants unnecessary taxes, but obviously if taxes are needed in the end (after the candidate gets into office and really digs and sees what’s going on), you want someone who hasn’t pledged to not raise taxes.

• CONNIE JOHNSON (D) – She is in clear support of education, as well, in a similar way. Of course, if you’re a Republican like me, you’ll want to look into these democratic candidates and their stances on all issues to see how far away they are from your views. As you should for all candidates no matter what party. But as far as education goes, both Democratic candidates are a go.

 

***The STATE SENATE AND HOUSE elections are equally important, and research on these candidates should not be neglected. They are the ones who make the day-to-day decisions, voting for and against bills that can help or hurt our state. Here is a great color-coded document to get you started. It was put together by Alberto Morejon, the admin of the official teacher walkout Facebook group. Many people have reached out to him and he’s spent a great deal of time and effort into researching political candidates.  Below is a screenshot of the color-coded key at the top of the Google doc; The House candidates are after the Senate.

Another great website for State Reps is Vote Smart! Here you can enter an incumbent’s name and see how they voted and what they think about issues.

 

As far as LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR candidates, I don’t have a clear-cut person you should support. But here is some information I’ve gathered.

• Dana Murphy (R) – Here’s a good article about her and her stances. Her page concerns me as it seems to support the oil and gas industry and only has vague mentions of education. However, a teacher on the teacher walkout Facebook group mentioned that she worked part-time for Dana Murphy and has always felt that she is genuine, very supportive of teachers, and understands more about education than the other candidates. This teacher referenced her Flash Point interview you can see here. I’ve also heard several teachers say they would ultimately vote for her because they didn’t want to vote for any other Republican candidate. Lol. (UPDATE: Chesapeake sent out a list to all their employees saying who they are voting for “due to their support of Chesapeake Energy and the oil and gas industry as a whole,” and they put Dana Murphy for Lt. Governor… Not sure if that completely counts her out, but it does make one want to do more research.)
• Dominique Block (R) – He is for school vouchers (see image below from his page), which many educators are against and see as counterproductive to helping public education. I’ve also heard he wants to lower the drinking age to 18.

• Matt Pinnell (R) – The thing that concerns me about this candidate is his strong ties to the Republican party. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Republican, but when our state is so screwed up due to old-school Republican policies, we need someone who can turn that around. That could be a Republican, but I’m worried that someone so formerly involved with those politics may not be as bold to stand up to them as we’d like. However, his experience in politics and business could be good for the position… I’ve also heard that he says we do not have a revenue problem, so might be looking at the old-school approach with him. On the flip side, he is endorsed by Oklahomans for Public Education like Gary Jones is and says we need to put more money into education and get that right because that will also help businesses and the economy.
• Eddie Fields (R) – I don’t know much about this candidate, but a few different teachers who spoke with him during the walkout said that he was just like the other legislators during the walkout, saying “the money is there, but it is being wasted and misused, and poorly spent, and we need to audit….” (quote from a former teacher, not Eddie Fields). One teacher got the impression that, although his wife is a teacher, he isn’t pro-education in the way we need our lieutenant governor to be. Others even said he was very condescending to them during the walkout, even though others say he is a great guy that they know personally.
• Anastasia Pittman (D) – She also supports school vouchers. This alone makes a lot of teachers not support her, but I know some who still do. I don’t know much else about her.
• Anna Dearmore (D) – I haven’t heard anything too bad about her with education, but she does have some strong democratic/liberal views that may bother you if you are Republican.

 

OTHER OFFICES: I can’t tell you who to vote for on all the other State Offices, but if you care about education, here are a few plugs and one candidate you’ll want to avoid.

Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction – Joy Hofmeister (R) did her best to support us in the walkout. I think she’s doing a fine job and will vote for her again. At any rate, some of her Republican opponents are on the extreme right side and would be a step in the wrong direction for public education. However, I’ve also heard that John Cox is a great pro-education candidate on the Democratic side that was there at the walkout every day.

 

Labor Commissioner – Cathy Costello (R) is endorsed by Tom Coburn. Again, being endorsed by Tom Coburn…not a good thing.

Leslie Osborn (R), however, I heard is endorsed by OEA. Of course, some people still have a bad taste in their mouths about OEA and how the walkout ended, but we can at least agree that, in general, they are for teachers and education and what we stand for in this election.

State Auditor – Cindy Byrd – I don’t know much about her, but I do know she is endorsed by Gary Jones and several teachers on the walkout page are voting for her.

***Here is another great list done by Oklahomans for Public Education that can help with some of these other offices. Keep in mind, not having an apple by someone’s name doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t pro-education. It may mean this group just hasn’t heard about them. Definitely a great resource though!

 

So, if you want to do your due diligence as an Oklahoma citizen, here’s your To Do List:

1. Research your candidates and make the best, most informed decision you can.
2. Share this post so that others can also educate themselves, and possibly include your personal thoughts (especially if they’re based on fact) on candidates in social media posts. The more information people can get, the better.
3. VOTE on June 26th and encourage others to do so!

Together we can take back Oklahoma!

***Click the FOLLOW button on the upper right (or “Notify me of new posts via email” at the bottom if on a phone) to get notified about future posts. As things change and move on into November, I’ll do my best to keep you informed.

As the Dust Settles (The Teacher Walkout Aftermath, Part 2)

You may write me down in history

with your bitter twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still like dust, I’ll rise.

 

A week after the Oklahoma teacher walkout, everything seems to be settling down around us. And just like in the aftermath of an explosion, as the dust settles, nothing around us looks the way it did. Our perspective has changed. As everyone else seems to be going back to normal, we know things will never be the same.

But, truthfully…I don’t want them to be. I don’t want things to go back to the way they were. And I definitely don’t want to stay in the same emotional rut I’ve been wallowing in and out of for the last several days following the walkout. I want, no, I need to shift my focus and change my stance from hurt, dejected victim to proud, powerful world-changer.

All of these emotions we’ve felt lately (see original post here)? It’s time to turn those feelings into power. It’s time to be like Maya Angelo’s poem and rise up through that dust that is settling around us.

 

1. No longer will we feel Defeated. Instead, we will be HEROES. We’ve always been heroes. To our students. To our community. It is high time we start accepting the compliments and thank you’s we are getting from students, parents, and the community for fighting for Oklahoma’s children. We did fight fiercely. And we did get a lot accomplished. If anything, a new political awareness and dynamic in our state and even nation was achieved through our heroic fight.

 

2. No longer will we feel Manipulated. Instead, we will be EDUCATORS. This time, though, instead of teaching youth, we will take our lessons to Oklahoma voters. They need to know what we have learned at the capitol. They need to have their eyes opened to the corruption that goes on over there and in the media. They need to be taught that lies are lies and truth is truth. If we all do our share in staying educated and educating others, we have a chance to win in the long run.

 

3. No longer will we feel Overlooked. Instead, we will be POWERFUL. Just because most of the legislators don’t seem to give a crap about education and teachers and even students, it doesn’t lesson our worth, or our power. Know that you are important. You matter. Our voice, even as individuals, is powerful. But as a group? We have authority, clout, and influence that those legislators only dream of having. And we will use that influence going into June and November!

 

4. No longer will we feel Angry. Instead, we will be PROUD, turning all anger into righteous anger, which we will use as fuel to push us into action and motivate us. We will not sit idly by anymore, stewing over injustices. We will make a difference and work to fight against corruption.

 

5. No longer will we feel Jaded. Instead we will be HOPEFUL for change. We will use our new knowledge, however negative, to lead the way into a new generation of politics. One where education is valued and prioritized as it should be. Together, we can bring change for the future.

 

6. No longer will we feel Worried. Instead, we will be CONFIDENT. Will teachers leave and could things get worse? They could and it’s possible. We all know that. But do you know what else I know? Teachers are resilient, dedicated, resourceful, noble, and compassionate. It would be foolish to doubt such an upstanding group of people.

 

7. No longer will we feel Uncertain. Instead, we will be CERTAIN. Certain that the advocacy we continue to do matters, but also certain that the walkout, as it was, is over. And that’s okay. We no longer have to feel like we’re in between, trying to make a decision to continue that waning walkout fight or give up. We have a new fight to embark on. Continuing advocacy in and out of the capitol this session to make sure the legislature doesn’t forget about us and our kids, and then continued advocacy into elections and every year thereafter. We have a new mission. Now let’s embrace it!

 

8. No longer will we feel Foolish. Instead, we will be WISE. We all have wisdom. Those who have been teaching longer have more wisdom than others. But this is a new kind of wisdom, isn’t it? We have learned so much about the legislature and how to properly advocate for education. Anytime someone does something for the first time, like political advocacy, there will be mistakes. But you learn from those mistakes and do better next time. Besides, most “mistakes” made in the walkout weren’t our fault anyway. It’s time to let our foolish feelings go.

 

9. No longer will we feel Relieved that the fight is over. Instead, we will be EAGER to fight some more. I don’t know about you, but I miss the political advocacy we experienced while fighting for our students. Yes, they were difficult and exhausting times, but they were also exciting and invigorating. The truth is, though, we don’t have to miss it. We can still fight for our kids while teaching them. I know we’re tired, and I know we are back to our teaching lives filled with no free time, but we need to keep up the fight. Below is a post about continuing advocacy from a good teacher friend, Angel Worth, who is now running for office in the Moore district.

(There are still so many ways to be involved! Follow credible organizations that are reporting from the Capitol. One of my favorites is The Oklahoma Policy Institute. Follow representatives on social media (Collin Walke, Emily Virgin, Mickey Dollens, and Scott Inman are just a few who have posted regular updates). Stay involved in social media groups, and most importantly: CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS. Let them know that out of sight is not out of mind. Email/call on a regular basis (even daily) to continue asking for recurring revenue for education before the end of this legislative session. Just because we’re back in school does not mean we’ve left the Capitol in spirit!)

Here is a link to the Oklahoma Policy Institute where you can get email addresses for your reps and also sign up for email updates on legislation. They also have some really great infographs!

 

10. This last emotion from the original post is unique because it was a positive emotion to begin with – Passionate. We will continue to be PASSIONATE for our students and for teaching. We will approach our job with a renewed love and driving force that motivates us to get out of bed every morning and make a difference. Our job matters. It matters so much. Even if the legislators don’t think it does. The fact that we are molding and shaping the future generation should fill us with awe and ignite a new passion in us that maybe we haven’t felt in several years or since we began teaching all wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. The truth is, we are still that wide-eyed, optimistic, passionate new teacher. He/she is still in there. It’s time to bring that version of you back out into the open. It’s time to show this state exactly what we teachers are made of! Are you with me?

 

***Click the FOLLOW button on the upper right (or “Notify me of new posts via email” at the bottom if on a phone) to get notified about future posts. As efforts continue in our state to increase funding and create change in our legislature this June and November, I’ll do my best to keep you informed.