Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller announces bid to replace Ryan Walters with rap: Watch

Yahoo

25-02-2025

Rapping his announcement on the Oklahoma Capitol steps during a celebration of public school education on Tuesday, Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller — who's been a thorn in the side of state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters — announced he was running for Walters' office in 2026, whether or not Walters seeks reelection.
Miller, 63, filed his candidacy papers with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission on Monday. He's the first Republican to officially file to run for state superintendent. Walters, who's a little more than two years into his first term as state superintendent, has not said anything about his future political plans, but it's widely believed he will seek the GOP nomination for governor.
Since 2018, Miller has served as the superintendent of Bixby, a suburb south of Tulsa. He was named as a region superintendent of the year in 2020. During his time as a teacher and administrator in Jenks Public Schools, he was named as the state middle school principal of the year in 2014. That fall, he was a finalist for the national principal of the year award. While working in the Sand Springs Public Schools district, Miller was the state assistant superintendent of the year in 2018.
Last week, Miller made a snow-day announcement for Bixby that went viral, as he rapped to the tune of Eminem's 'Lose Yourself.' He did a reprise for his campaign announcement, wearing a Marines beanie while doing so:
'Yo Oklahoma, listen up, it's time to decide / If you had one shot, one chance, can't let it pass by / You know the words, you know the beat, you know the song / But today, this moment, it won't last long / If you had one shot, one opportunity to stand for our schools and lead with unity / Would you capture it, rise up, answer the call, or let it slip, watch our futures start to fall,' Miller said.
'Well I'm not letting it slip, no way, not today / I'm stepping up, I'm all in, I'm here to stay / With experience, heart and a vision that's strong / For our kids, our teachers, I'm bringing it on.'
Miller is the first announced candidate for the superintendent's office. Jena Nelson, a Democrat who lost to Walters in the 2022 general election, told The Oklahoman she hasn't yet decided if she'll run again.
While not endorsing Miller, Erika Buzzard Wright, the founder of the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition, said she was 'absolutely thrilled that Rob Miller is stepping up to the plate to run for state superintendent. A man of his character is exactly what we need right now ― someone who recognizes it's about the kids and not self-serving ambition.'
Grace Kim, a spokeswoman for Walters, said decisions about his political future will be "made at a later time." Walters' critics have said he spends more time focusing on culture-war issues and on securing national media interviews — using public money to do so — than on the day-to-day operations of the Oklahoma State Department of Education and on improving educational outcomes for children.
"Superintendent Walters remains focused on keeping woke administrators out of the classroom, implementing President Trump's education reforms, and empowering parents to have a greater voice in their children's education," Kim said.
Miller moved into a broader state spotlight last summer. On X on July 27, Miller questioned why there had been a long delay in the Education Department informing school districts as to how much their federal funding allocations under Title I might be. After his post, Miller's counterparts from districts across Oklahoma said they, too, wondered about the delays but had received no answers from the state agency.
Title I money is allocated based on the number of low-income students served by schools. Those numbers, provided to districts by the agency's past administrations in late spring or early summer, are vital in helping districts plan budgets and determining how many teachers they could hire. The fiscal year began July 1.
After a State Board of Education meeting four days later, Walters verbally lashed out against Miller and hinted of potential financial improprieties within the Bixby district.
'He's a liar,' Walters said when asked about Miller. 'I mean, he's really a true embarrassment. He knows every year when he gets the Title I funds, and we're dealing with all kinds of financial problems with his district that we're hoping to address right now. So you know, Rob ― Rob's a clown and a liar. So he knows that. Same time every year — at least late August. It's the same way it's been every year for, my team tells me, over a decade. So he knows that has been communicated to districts. Rob's never reached out, never indicated there's an issue. There's not an issue. He made it up. So he wants his name in the press.'
Miller soon sued Walters in Tulsa County District Court for defamation and libel. Walters asked a judge to dismiss the case, but the judge allowed the case to continue and it's still pending. Bixby's most recent audit was clean and a document signed by Walters in July granted all of the district's schools accreditation with no deficiencies.
Earlier this month, Gov. Kevin Stitt — in what appeared to be an attempt to make a political point to Walters — recognized Miller during the governor's annual State of the State speech for the Bixby district's policy limiting cellphone use during the school day. As both Republican and Democratic lawmakers rose to applaud Miller, Walters sat stone-faced in his chair on the House floor.
'There's no wrong time to do the right thing,' Miller said Tuesday. 'The right thing right now is to stand up for the kids and our families in Oklahoma. Our state Department (of Education) needs strong leadership and a vision for the future.'
He said his announcement covers 'the governor's recent comments about his dissatisfaction with the direction of education in Oklahoma. He said that we need a new set of eyes and we need to renew our focus on what's really important and that's the kids.'
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Bixby superintendent running for Oklahoma superintendent: See rap