“It’s Not They—It’s We”: A 12-Year-Old’s Question and a Senator’s Challenge
At a recent community Enid Rotary event, a 12-year-old named Nicholas stood up and asked U.S. Senator James Lankford a question that hit right at the heart of our nation’s future:
“What are your thoughts on Oklahoma being ranked last in education, and how could we make it better?”
It was an honest, brave question—one adults should be asking more often.
Senator Lankford didn’t dodge it. He shared how education runs deep in his family—his mother a lifelong educator, his brother a teacher, and himself a former education major. He spoke about Mississippi’s transformation, a state once near the bottom that turned everything around through focus, accountability, and a decision to stop settling for less. They called it the Mississippi Miracle—proof that change is possible when people decide to act.
Then came the moment that stuck:
“We can’t sit back and expect someone else to fix it. These are our kids, our neighborhoods, our families. It’s not they’re going to fix it—it’s we’re going to fix it.”
Lankford challenged local leaders, businesses, and parents to adopt classrooms, volunteer time, supply materials, and mentor students one-on-one. Real reform, he said, doesn’t start in Washington—it starts in living rooms, classrooms, and communities willing to roll up their sleeves.
He closed with humility and hope, encouraging everyone to walk alongside their schools and love their neighbors through the hard seasons ahead.
In one short exchange between a young leader and a seasoned one, a truth rang out:
Education isn’t a government problem—it’s a community calling.
Listen to the full audio of the question and response below:
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