By Eagle Newswire
Rev. Jennettie P. Marshall has tossed her hat in the ring, along with Whitney Cole opposing incumbent Dr. Lana Turner-Addison for her District 3 seat on the Tulsa Board of Education.
Marshall is the founding Pastor of Living Sanctuary Evangelistic Ministries (LSEM). LSEM is a multicultural, non-denominational ministry focused on “ministering beyond the walls to reach the multitudes.” The ministry is active in prison outreach, community seniors’ programs, nursing homes and the community’s children and youth outreach activities.
In 1994, upon completion of her Master’s thesis, Pastor Marshall established and incorporated RECLAIM INC in Tulsa, Okla. This outreach program specializes in serving as a vehicle of change and redirection for families, juveniles and adults that have fallen into the state system of welfare and/or criminal justice. Pastor Marshall previously served as Senior Pastor of Snowden Chapel and Macedonia Christian Methodist Episcopal Churches.
Marshall’s academic accomplishments include; Associates of Arts in Political Science (Tulsa Junior College), Bachelor of Science in Corrections (Langston University), Masters of Science in Business Management (Southern Nazarene University), and an Associates in Applied Science in Funeral Service (Dallas Institute of Funeral Service). Marshall also attended Phillips Theological Seminary and is completing her seminary course work through Andersonville Theological Seminary.
Marshall has served her community through her employment, ministerial duties, funeral service duties and volunteer work through various agencies throughout the local and state levels of government. She has received appointments to various boards and committees by government officials, law enforcement officials, education officials and the private and community sector.
She served on the Mayor’s Goals for Tomorrow Task Force, the Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness, the City Community Service Advisory Council, The Tulsa Police Department and Sheriff’s Department Gang Task Force, The Governor’s Committee on the Elimination of Tuberculosis, the Governor’s Committee on Homelessness, The Governor’s Committee on Mental Health, The Tulsa Public Schools No Child Left Behind Program, The Tulsa United Way Funds Distribution Committee, Palmer Drug Abuse Program Board of Directors and Advisory Board of Directors, Varrick-Timothy Childcare Center (Officer and Lifetime Board Member) and Supporters of Families with Sickle Cell to name a few.
Marshall is retired from the State of Oklahoma after being employed in various professional capacities within the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services. She also served the City of Tulsa as a Police and Fire Chaplain where she received emergency disaster response training and hostage negation training. Marshall is a volunteer with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department.
She holds memberships with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Phi Beta Lambda, Langston University Alumni Association, Southern Nazarene University Alumni Association, The Oklahoma State Embalmers and Funeral Directors Association (Past President), National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association (Past National Chaplain, current District Governor (Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri).
Rev. Marshall is the proud mother of three children, DeAndrae Sr., LaKesha Caraway and LaToya (deceased). She is the proud grandmother of twelve grandchildren.
Middle School Dropouts
When asked about the high dropout rate of middle school student Marshall said, “When thinking about the high percentage of middle school dropouts in Tulsa Public Schools, I can’t help but think that the system must be broken because the elevation of the rates, after all, we are not looking at five to ten percent but fifty percent and above.”
Marshall further commented, “According to research studies the attention of students must be gained by the third grade, failure to do so will result in poor attention span, low self-esteem, misguided self-worth and an overall dislike for the discipline needed to focus and produce as required in the classroom setting.”
Contributing Factors For High Dropout Rates
Marshall sited many factors leading to the dropout of these children. Marshall stated, “Some contributing factors to early dropout rates among our children are absentee parents (one or both); student detachment due to feelings of inadequacy because of a lack of family and/or teacher support and involvement, student detachment may also come with a failure to achieve as expected by others or even as desired by the student.”
Possible Solutions
Marshall suggested, “… our system must begin to engage our students and the parents that we will once again experience a collaborative educational effort comprised of the education professional, the student, the parent and community volunteers with the primary focus of education first.”
