My situation is a bit ironic. In sixth grade, I began missing an alarming number of school days each year. I loved learning and education, but a brick-and-mortar school? I was hardly a fan. By the end of eighth grade, I had switched to an alternative education method. During high school, I stopped thinking I would attend college, and I certainly did not expect to be where I am now.
A decade later, I have graduated from the University of Oklahoma with degrees in journalism and political science, and I am joining NonDoc as a reporter on Oklahoma’s education beat. In my new role, I aim to provide a window into our state’s education system that highlights the people affected by policies — from students to superintendents.
Of course, the irony of this new job stems from the fact I did not enjoy school. But at OU, something changed. I found community, inspiration and purpose in storytelling. Learning that journalism can be a public service, my time in Norman opened my eyes to the importance of education in the broadest sense.
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An inadvertent early adopter of options in education
In middle school, I found myself increasingly absent. If Putnam City Public Schools did not consider me chronically absent, I must have been close. Students who miss more than 10 percent of school days are considered chronically absent in Oklahoma. After missing several days of classes, I often fell behind in the curriculum and felt terrified to ask for help. After thinking things through, I made a switch. I found myself enrolled as a full-time virtual student through a program in PCPS. Other than an in-person fall semester my senior year and a short trial run during freshman year, I finished high school virtually. My experience shaped me, but I know it isn’t unique.
You could say I became an early adopter of the virtual schooling methods that have soared in popularity post-COVID. From the 2013-2014 school year to the 2021-2022 school year, virtual enrollment has increased 182 percent, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
I eventually realized I was far from alone in preferring a virtual school environment, and I am far from the only person who felt the effects of missing such an amount of school before my switch. Chronic absenteeism rates in Oklahoma have increased from 13 percent in 2018 to 21 percent in 2023, according to a study by the American Enterprise Institute. It’s clear that some students are not having their needs met in a traditional classroom setting, but what are the causes and consequences?
I hope my lived experiences with Oklahoma’s education system, absenteeism and mental health will prove useful as I dig into and report the answers to those questions and many others.
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From my first classes in Gaylord Hall at OU, I have sought to tell stories that highlight individuals with important experiences. During my time with Gaylord News, a student-led outlet whose reports are occasionally republished by NonDoc, I traveled to Iowa and lived on the East Coast for a semester to tell stories that matter to Oklahomans.
I should briefly mention that during my two weeks in Iowa for the 2024 presidential caucuses — a reporting trip that included being trapped in a hotel because of a winter storm — I began reading NonDoc’s newsletter and found this newsroom’s civic coverage informative. You should do the same.
In my roles with the OU Daily and as an intern with the Enid News & Eagle, I embraced community journalism. Frankly, I fell in love with providing nuanced reporting to audiences that are deeply invested in every word. There can be an odd sense of comfort that comes with readers reprimanding you for a single word choice in a 1,000-word article.
So far in my career, I appreciate the editors and professors who have pushed my reporting further and have shaped the stories I hope to tell. After graduating from OU in May, I joined The Frontier as an intern reporting on Oklahoma’s role in immigration enforcement and barriers to accessing substance use disorder treatment in western Oklahoma. At The Frontier, I honed in on how to tell the the stories I want to tell.
Although I perk up at the chance to report diligently on a developing scandal — and I enjoy a 1980s cop film as much as the next guy — I would rather tell stories that center on fellow Oklahomans and spark conversations about the issues they face.
Of course, no journalist can tell compelling stories without meeting people and learning their experiences. As I dig into education systems that both failed me and shaped me, I hope to hear from you in the process. Please send tips, ideas, jokes and whatever your heart desires to kevin@nondoc.com or on Signal at KevReports.11. You can also find me on Twitter and BlueSky, two staples of the modern virtual education experience, I am sure.
