Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame

I had this email from Wendy Pratt today and thought it would be good to pass along. These are three worthy recipients who have fought tirelessly for the children of this state for decades.

(Oklahoma City) — The Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame (OEHF) Board of Directors today released the names of this year’s inductees: Steven P. Crawford, Byng; Nancy O’Donnell, Edmond; and Lloyd Snow, Sand Springs.

“We are pleased to announce these accomplished education leaders will join 85 other Oklahomans who have been inducted into the Educators Hall of Fame since its inception in 1984,” OEHF Executive Director Sharon Lease said.

Nominees for the annual honor are evaluated in seven areas: Professional Experience, Recognitions and Awards, Professional Model, Research, Educational Service, Community Service and Leadership. After induction, the 2013 inductees’ portraits will be added to those on display in the Hodge Education Building, Oklahoma City.

• With 40 years of experience in education, Steven P. Crawford has been Executive Director of the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA) since 2008. Superintendent of Byng Public Schools from 2001-2008, Crawford also served as the top school leader in Roff, Shattuck and Moss; he has also worked as a teacher and principal. He has held numerous professional leadership positions and played a major role in state-level changes regarding the state aid formula and pension benefits. Most recently, he has led innovative education programs training thousands of educators in the Teacher Leader Effectiveness (TLE) Evaluation and A-F Accountability System.
• Nancy O’Donnell retired in 1994 as Associate Professor of Education and Student Teacher Supervisor at Oklahoma Christian University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma City, following several years at Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater, for a total of 34 years in education. O’Donnell taught at Perry Public Schools for more than a dozen years, and previously at Maysville and Hollis. A member of the OSU College of Education’s Hall of Fame, she has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including 1982 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year and 1983 First Runner-up to the National Teacher of the Year.
• One nomination of Lloyd Snow speaks to the “uncommon bravery of a man whose sole agenda was to educate students in the most compelling of economic times”; another says “he is relentless in advancing causes he believes in.” With 39 years as an Oklahoma educator, Snow has been Superintendent of Sand Springs Public Schools for 13 years, and was previously superintendent at Wanette, Elgin and Sulphur as well. He was named Oklahoma State Superintendent of the Year by CCOSA in 1997.

OEHF President Stacy Nix, Tulsa, stated, “Each of these educators deserves our gratitude for a lifetime of service preparing children and adults for their futures. Moreover, we appreciate the extent of their efforts in helping move our state forward.”

On April 6, the Board voted to approve inductees and plan for the 2013 Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony set for Fri., Aug. 2, Quail Creek Golf and Country Club, Oklahoma City.

The Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame was incorporated in 1984 as a nonprofit organization to recognize and honor those professionals who have exemplified a commitment to quality public-supported education while demonstrating exceptional abilities in realizing the ideals of research, service or leadership through their contribution to Oklahoma education. The Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame is co-sponsored by the Oklahoma chapters of Phi Delta Kappa International, private donors and other underwriting organizations.