Mark Okeson should be promoted …

A Spectrum by Evangelyn Dotomain

The following letter was addressed to Patricia Chesbro, superintendent of the Mat-Su Borough School District, on Aug. 29, 2001:

I was astonished to hear of Mr. Mark Okeson's involuntary transfer and unsatisfactory evaluation. I was amazed that Mr. Okeson was supposedly unprofessional, noncommunicative, unapproachable to students, parents, and faculty, and the idea that he does not care for his students. All of these allegations are false.

As a former student of Mr. Okeson's, I feel that I am one of the best witnesses for his character and professionalism. Mr. Okeson was one of the greatest teachers that I have had in my life.

While attending Colony High School, I was in Mr. Okeson's College English 111 class, a college preparation course. During this class, I learned about writing style, grammar, and basics of a good paper. These teachings helped me all the way through college and continue to have an effect on my life. In fact, I still use recommendations from his style guide on a daily basis. I could be writing a business letter or a report and remember things Mr. Okeson taught me. Those little reminders make me a better writer and editor today.

In thinking about high school, I recall a deal, Mr. Okeson made with all of his classes and students. He told us that if anything he taught helped us in college, we had to send him a pennant from our school. I had to send him a pennant the first semester of my freshman year at Georgetown. When I returned home for Christmas, I visited Mr. Okeson's classroom. Pennants from all over the country were already being put up on his wall and I remember trying to find mine. When Mr. Okeson became assistant principal, I visited his office and the number of pennants had probably doubled and he stated that there were many more at home. Just imagine all of the lives he has touched!

All through high school, Mr. Okeson was always there encouraging me to reach for my dreams. Mr. Okeson assisted me with my research of colleges and with college and scholarship applications. Mr. Okeson wrote a letter of recommendation to Georgetown University on my behalf. I attended Georgetown and graduated in 1999 with a degree in international business and a minor in Russian. I sincerely feel that his recommendation was a great factor in my acceptance. Today, my goals have changed to include running my own company, and Mr. Okeson continues to encourage me to strive to be the best.

Mr. Okeson was always professional and taught students not only in the classroom, but also by example. He was always dressed in a suit and tie and prepared for class. Mr. Okeson's suggestions and comments were always gracious and well thought out. His actions demonstrated professionalism and showed us, his students, how to treat and convey our ideas to others. Now that I am a businessperson, I still remember his example and try to do the same on a day to day basis.

However, Mr. Okeson was not just a teacher. He was also a friend who was always available for consultation, whether it was a quick question or editing a letter or paper. Mr. Okeson has always been easy to talk with and open to suggestions for improvement. In college, I was comfortable enough to call him and recommend additions to his College English class. He took the suggestions to heart and used them to the benefit of his students.

Since becoming assistant principal at Colony High School, I have seen Mr. Okeson in many different capacities. As an alumna, I visited Colony during Christmas and summer breaks to speak with students about college life and expectations.

Now, as the employee development program coordinator with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), I speak with him on a professional level. I work with the newly created internship and scholarship programs at ANTHC. Mr. Okeson has always been open to our organization presenting information at Colony. In fact, I felt that Mr. Okeson was the easiest to talk with and as such, he has always been my first line of contact at Colony High School.

I have also witnessed Mr. Okeson interacting with current and past students at sporting events and away from school. Mr. Okeson is always friendly and approachable. In fact, many times it is the students who initiate conversation and not Mr. Okeson.

I am astonished that the school district would move such an important part of Colony High School for no apparent reason. I have seen no evidence of wrongdoing authorizing such appalling behavior on the part of the school district.

When I heard about these actions and allegations, I felt my eyes well up with tears, a lump in my throat, and tightness in my chest. To think that someone who has done so much for my brother and sister, my friends, my parents, and me would be treated with such animosity by the school district. I sat and cried remembering how much he meant to my high school experience. My parents, my sister, and I sat at the dinner table telling stories about Mr. Okeson.

Mr. Okeson has always been one with whom people relate easily. From joking with students in the hallways to talking with parents about school issues, Mr. Okeson has always been friendly and fair. In high school and to this day, classmates and I just call him "Okie." Always a friend and there for us, we felt comfortable enough with him to give him a nickname. How can people say he is unapproachable or does not care for students?

Over the past year, I have been managing Palmer Sagoonick's Iditarod races. I have been obtaining sponsorships and donations, state and nationwide. I have done this mainly through sponsorship request letters. Just recently, I e-mailed Mr. Okeson this year's sponsorship request letter to edit. He was gracious enough to make corrections and suggestions to better my letter. To tell you the truth, I do not even think he thought twice about editing the letter.

I keep in touch with very few of my high school teachers on a regular basis. However, I make it a point to contact Mr. Okeson at least once every few weeks. I worry that you are taking a great administrator from so many students who know and need him. I worry that students will not have the opportunity to have such a great resource, someone who cares about them and their future. Please do not take that opportunity away from those students or my sister.

My only suggestions are to reinstate Mr. Okeson and promote him to principal of Colony High School. These actions would restore the family-like quality that has been present at Colony since the opening of the school.

Your prompt attention to this situation is suggested and required.

Thank you for your time and prompt attention to this matter.

Evangelyn "Angel" Dotomain is a Colony High School alumna.