In the past ten years, I have lived in both Texas and Oklahoma as a resident. As far as education goes, and as far as these two bordering one another, one might think that their thoughts, policies and ideas would be similar concerning education? They are somewhat different like night and day. While I was an Army Recruiter in Oklahoma, I would assist the military civilian personnel with the Armed Services Vocational Battery, as a test proctor to high school students within Southern Oklahoma… Let us say, approximately, 1000 junior and senior students tested only about forty-five percent qualified with a high enough percentage to join military service (in any skill overall). Out of the qualified forty-five percent only forty-five percent of this group qualified in the upper categories, whereas the Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Army could place them in decent technical fields, (which is approximately twenty-two percent overall).. You don’t have to be Einstein to carry a rifle, whereas a dental assistant, medic or computer programmer needs upper skills. The individuals that produced the lowest test scores are usually not qualified for college or military service; overall end up in general settling in lesser employment, if not incarceration down the line.

In Texas parents are held accountable to state authorities concerning the behavior, production and absenteeism within public schools. Oklahoma doesn’t seem to care whatsoever. Some states require that home schooling programs and instructors are qualified. In Oklahoma, I have personally witnessed people with a 4th grade education trying to instruct their children, whereas they think a verb is a little animal that flies and an adverb is a female.. In Oklahoma, I personally know of Pentecostal/charismatic people that detached their children from public school because there are “Damons” (demons) in the hallways. I have asked some of these same people that have removed their kids from school this question, “don’t you think Damons are in Wal-Mart’, which you frequently hang-around? In Texas parents go to jail for not allowing their children an education; a form of reportable child abuse and a crime. In Oklahoma so-what; their attitude is, “No harm No foul.” I understand that a lot of kids that are home-educated end up in the upper category, but not all! By the way, starting pay for teachers in Texas begins about $6000.00 a year over Oklahoma……. I am only talking about these two states, so don’t jump on me about Kansas, Missouri or whatever, I am not including anyone else. I have a Bachelor of Science in psychology/administrative management and I am not qualified to teach, so why are the less educated teaching? Where are the standards???????

I have brought this up to point out the problems in which we face. I feel these are concerns and reasons why so many young people get caught in cult groups and crime. Where else can they turn?

Jesus is Lord