OKLAHOMA CITY — After sharing an inflammatory video opposing teachers unions last month, the Oklahoma State Department of Education put out a new “public service message” on Thursday describing transgender students as a threat in schools.
The message continues state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters’ ongoing opposition to the presence of transgender students in school bathrooms and to classroom discussions of gender-nonconforming identities. Members of Oklahoma’s LGBTQ+ community have said this rhetoric is harmful to transgender youths who are already vulnerable.
The Education Department did not respond to questions about how much money and employee hours it spent to produce the video, nor has it explained the resources used to create the first public service message.
Last month’s five-minute video portrayed teachers unions as a malevolent force in education. Teachers walked out in disgust as it played at an Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting. Some said it shared a message that could make educators a target of violence.
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Thursday’s video posed the question “What is reality?” as Walters cast doubt on any gender identity other than the sex a person was born with. To suggest a person could identify otherwise, Walters said, is “dangerous” and an “attack on truth.”
“It puts our girls in jeopardy and endangers their safety,” he said.
The video focuses on an October fight in a girls’ bathroom at Edmond Memorial High School. A 15-year-old girl, whose mother is now suing the school district, said a 17-year-old transgender student punched and kicked her several times.
The transgender student identifies as a girl and enrolled as such, Edmond Superintendent Angela Mills Grunewald said. The student had been attending Edmond Memorial for only a few days before the fight and left the school shortly after, the superintendent said.
Walters was a leading voice against school policies allowing use of bathrooms that match a person’s gender identity, rather than their birth sex.
Oklahoma enacted a law last year requiring all individuals in school buildings to use the restroom that aligns with the biological sex written on their birth certificate or use a single-occupancy bathroom.
Three transgender students have sued in hopes of overturning the law.
“Trans students are just students trying to go to school,” one of the students, Andrew Bridge, previously told The Oklahoman. “We’re not trying to hurt anybody. The state has decided to go after not just trans people but trans kids. That’s just messed up.”
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A new video contrasts State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ statements on a recent appearance on Fox News with statements from National Education Association officials.
Lawmakers want the State Education Department to seek “joint approval” from Senate and House leaders before forgoing any federal education grants previously won by the state. #oklaed #okleg
The Tulsa World’s Andrea Eger and Carmen Forman discuss this month’s most popular story with Editor Jason Collington on the Newsroom podcast.
“The public has a right to know about his lies. If he’s going to lie about federal grants, he’s going to lie about anything,” claims the writer of $106 million in grants since 2017. #oklaed
“We are very diverse, and I can’t allow myself to think that we’re not going to apply for grants simply because of (political) buzzwords or because they would benefit people that look different or believe different things than our superintendent,” said Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa. #oklaed #okleg
Senate leader calls for governor, House speaker and state superintendent to join him in the public meeting to “let the public see what we continue to argue about.”
With videos: “I don’t care if people are triggered by what I say … My job is to speak truth and find solutions to problems,” the state superintendent tells a packed meeting room.
Before being replaced as Gov. Kevin Stitt’s secretary of education, Walters conducted a similar inquiry of higher ed spending on diversity, equity and inclusion. #oklaed
“He would be the first agency head in state history to not appear before a House committee at the House’s request,” Rep. Charles McCall said, adding that he would reach out to the state superintendent about “the implications.” #oklaed #okleg
The Senate president pro tem sought legal guidance on whether Ryan Walters could serve simultaneously in the state offices, a spokesman confirmed the day after Stitt named a replacement Cabinet appointee. #oklaed
“There was no issue with Ryan Walters’ performance as secretary of education,” a spokeswoman for the governor said. Walters did not answer questions about whether he chose to resign. #oklaed
The state superintendent has called a special meeting of the State Board of Education to make clear his intention to oppose the rule proposed Thursday. #oklaed
Pressure is mounting on lawmakers after Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a formal opinion this week that says the State Board of Education doesn’t have the authority to craft new agency rules without the Legislature’s permission. #oklaed #okleg
Gentner Drummond’s now-formal opinion reiterates that the State Board of Education, led by Ryan Walters, may adopt agency rules only when directed to do so by the Oklahoma Legislature. #oklaed #okleg
After being prodded by a state lawmaker to produce evidence of his claims that there are obscene books in Oklahoma’s public schools, State Superintendent Ryan Walters alleged that he found four titles containing explicit materials in districts across the state.
The images, from graphic novels Ryan Walters says have been found in Oklahoma public school libraries, were previously shown at a State Board of Education meeting.
“This is about the teachers associations being out of step with Oklahoma values,” said a spokesman for State Superintendent Ryan Walters. #oklaed
The nonbinding legal opinion was issued in response to a Feb. 22 request from a lawmaker who has been critical of the state superintendent.
Their letter was a response to to remarks the superintendent recently made about forming a committee to explore the role of prayer in #oklaed. Walters said he was elected to “bring back traditional values into the classroom.”
“Where is the outcry?” state party chair asks about accusations against high school coach.
“We took out any woke language. This is an agency where woke will go to die,” State Superintendent Ryan Walters said of newly approved computer science standards. #oklaed
Three Republican legislators responded to Ryan Walters’ statement, saying he has no authority over higher education and “should refrain from discouraging any student from pursuing higher learning.” #oklaed #okleg
Rep. Mark McBride has introduced legislation that would bar the State Board of Education from implementing new accreditation rules unless given explicit authority to do so from the Oklahoma Legislature.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters wants schools punished for sex-related matters, including not disclosing to parents “material changes” in a child’s identity. #oklaed
Under a proposed administrative rule, districts would be required to submit annually to the State Department of Education a list of all books and other materials in their school libraries.
Regents report that less than one-tenth of 1% of state higher education funds have gone to DEI programs over the last decade. #oklaed
For about two hours, a bipartisan group of lawmakers peppered State Superintendent Ryan Walters with questions about his $3.51 billion education budget request. #oklaed
Lori Murphy worked at the agency for 8½ years. The new state superintendent changed the status of her employment to one that doesn’t allow her to file a complaint over termination.
House Speaker Charles McCall was on hand for the new state superintendent’s conversation with Atoka-area teachers, superintendents. #oklaed #okleg
The newly elected state superintendent received approval Thursday for a revised budget request with $150 million for teacher incentive pay and $100 million for early-grade reading instruction. #oklaed
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s secretary of education and newly elected state superintendent has given Chancellor Allison Garrett a deadline of Feb. 1. #oklaed
In a legislative hearing Tuesday, State Superintendent Ryan Walters said he wants to offer teacher pay raises based on student performance and implement new reading initiatives. #oklaed
In one of his first acts as state superintendent, Ryan Walters directed state education staff to pursue revoking the teaching certificates of two educators who expressed frustrations with a law that limits instruction on race and gender. #oklaed
Four of the six gubernatorial appointments on the board were replaced by Gov. Kevin Stitt on the second day of his second term. #oklaed
State Superintendent Ryan Walters said purging the state’s education agency of “liberal indoctrination” will be a top priority during his first weeks in office, which could include changes to some of the nearly 400 people who work at the Oklahoma State Department of Education. #oklaed
The Republican defeats Democrat Jena Nelson to succeed two-term incumbent Joy Hofmeister in January. #oklaed
Jena Nelson, a Democrat, and Ryan Walters, a Republican, both have shared their ideas for changes to #oklaed. Most would require legislative approval.
Tuesday night’s event hosted by KOKH-Fox 25 TV in Oklahoma City is the only time state superintendent candidates have debated one-on-one. #oklaed
The first and likely only state superintendent debate between Ryan Walters and Jena Nelson is scheduled for tonight from 5-6 p.m. on KOKH FOX 25 in Oklahoma City. its website and Facebook page. Read Staff Writer Andrea Eger’s profile of both candidates. #oklaed
The Tulsa World had a front-row seat for their markedly different political rhetoric at recent campaign stops, followed up by one-on-one interviews with Jena Nelson and Ryan Walters. #oklaed
He falsely stated Boismier had been fired from Norman Public Schools after a parent complained of the teacher’s objections to the law, which bans certain race and gender concepts from schools.
Ryan Walters claims victory over Shawnee Superintendent April Grace. #oklaed
With no candidate for state superintendent receiving a clear majority in the June 28 primary, Republican voters are asked to go back to the polls Tuesday to choose between April Grace and Ryan Walters. #oklaed
Two graphic novels reportedly on library shelves at Tulsa schools were the subject of a series of tweets by Oklahoma Secretary of Education Ryan Walters on Wednesday accusing the district of “liberal indoctrination.” #oklaed
Tulsa Public Schools has pulled all copies of two graphic novels from its libraries after two state officials denounced the titles as pornographic, the district announced Thursday afternoon. #oklaed
State Superintendent and gubernatorial candidate Joy Hofmeister accused Secretary of Education Ryan Walters on Thursday of withholding $12 million designated by the Legislature for early childhood programs because of the pending audit of Tulsa Public Schools ordered by Walters’ boss, Gov. Kevin Stitt. #oklaed
A federal audit is highly critical of the handling of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s administration, including current Secretary of Education Ryan Walters, of $31 million from a $39.9 million federal grant intended to provide emergency pandemic relief for Oklahomans’ educational needs. #oklaed
TPS superintendent says she welcomes any review of the district’s practices and processes.
Tuesday night’s unofficial returns indicate that Oklahoma Republican voters will need to go back to the polls in August to select their nominees for four statewide offices, including state superintendent.
Republicans will have four state superintendent candidates to choose from for Tuesday’s primary election. #oklaed
“Teachers, administrators, school staff — absolutely we should ensure that some of them are armed.” — Gov. Kevin Stitt’s secretary of education Ryan Walters, who is a candidate for state superintendent #oklaed
State House rams through bill segregating school restroom use by “biological sex,” while bathroom issue rankles some Gov. Kevin Stitt appointees on state Education board. #oklaed #okleg
April Grace, Jena Nelson, John Cox, and Ryan Walters all appeared at a Tuesday evening online candidate forum hosted by Oklahoma PTA. #oklaed
At issue is a policy Stillwater Public Schools enacted in 2015 that allows student to use the restrooms that correspond to their gender identity. #oklaed
Numerous districts across the state announced that they could no longer sustain in-person instruction with the latest numbers of children and employees absent because of COVID and other seasonal illnesses. #oklaed
Ryan Walters is running for state superintendent as a Republican alongside superintendents April Grace, of Shawnee, and John Cox, of Peggs. #oklaed
Oklahoma Secretary of Education Ryan Walters may not get all interested parties on the same page in the coming year, but he hopes to at least get them in the same room.
“As secretary of education, I believe it is non-negotiable that all Oklahoma students have access to the highest quality education possible,” said Ryan Walters.
Ryan Walters, CEO of Every Kid Counts Oklahoma, replaces Michael Rogers, who resigned but remained in the governor’s cabinet as secretary of state.
Aristotle once taught that the “the roots of education are bitter but the fruit is sweet.” A rigorous, challenging education system will produce students with the grit and intellectual capability to be successful in the most elite colleges and the 21st century job market.
You hear it pretty commonly.
State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister announced the finalists’ names Thursday morning during the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s annual conference.
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