Latest news with #OklahomaStateBoardofEducation
Miami Herald
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
MAGA Superintendent Ryan Walters Hits Out at Porn Claims
Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters has hit back after colleagues alleged they saw images of nude women on a TV during a meeting in his office. Walters, a Republican, issued a statement on X on Sunday denying the claims as an investigation into the matter is reported to be underway. Newsweek has contacted Walters for comment. Walters has spoken out against showing what he deems to be "pornography" in schools and has pushed to remove books he says contain sexual content, including Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. He also made headlines for his endorsements of pro-religious policies in Oklahoma's public schools, including putting Bibles that mimicked the "God Bless the USA Bibles" endorsed by President Donald Trump in 2024, into classrooms. Two board members who attended the executive session of the Oklahoma State Board of Education on July 24, chaired by Walters, told The Oklahoman that images of naked women were displayed on a TV screen. The allegations came from Ryan Deatherage of Kingfisher and Becky Carson of Edmond, who described the ordeal as "really bizarre." The newspaper reported that it was not clear who was responsible for the alleged images, and that Deatherage said Walters was sitting with his back to the TV screen, so it wasn't in Walters' direct view. The superintendent allegedly turned off the TV after Carson alerted him to the matter. On X, Walters said the claims were "politically motivated attacks" as he is leading the charge for a "bold overhaul of education" in the state. "Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false," he wrote, adding that there was "absolutely no truth" to the allegations. Earlier, in a statement to The Oklahoman, Quinton Hitchcock, a spokesperson for Walters, described the story as a "junk tabloid lie." "Any number of people have access to these offices. You have a hostile board who will say and do anything except tell the truth, and now, the Woklahoman is reporting on an alleged random TV cable image," he said, using a term for the newspaper often adopted by Walters. The closed meeting was being held to discuss teacher licensing, student attendance appeals and other sensitive issues, the newspaper reported. "I was like, 'Those are naked women,'" Carson told The Oklahoman. "And then I was like, 'No, wait a minute. Those aren't naked, surely those aren't naked women. Something is playing a trick on my eye. Maybe they just have on tan body suits. … This is just really bizarre.'" "I saw them just walking across the screen, and I'm like, 'no.' I'm sorry I even have to use this language, but I'm like, 'Those are her nipples,'" she continued. "And then I'm like, 'That's pubic hair.' What in the world am I watching? I didn't watch a second longer." Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters wrote on X: "As I lead the charge for a bold overhaul of education in Oklahoma, putting parents back in control, rejecting radical agendas, and demanding excellence: it's no surprise to face politically motivated attacks. "Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false. I have no knowledge of what was on the TV screen during the alleged incident, and there is absolutely no truth to any implication of wrongdoing. "These falsehoods are the desperate tactics of a broken establishment afraid of real change. They aren't just attacking me, they're attacking the values of the Oklahomans who elected me to challenge the status quo. "I will not be distracted. My focus remains on making Oklahoma the best state in the nation, in every category." Board member Becky Carson said in a statement, according to KOCO 5 News: "I was appointed to the State Board of Education to serve Oklahoma students to the best of my ability. The images that board members were exposed to yesterday in this meeting were inappropriate to say the least. There has to be accountability." Board member Ryan Deatherage said in a statement, according to KOCO 5 News: "As an appointed member of the Oklahoma School Board, it is my top priority to protect the well-being of Oklahoma students. We hold educators to the strictest of standards when it comes to explicit material. The standard for the superintendent should be no different." An investigation is underway into the matter, according to reports. Related Articles Christian MAGA Singer Vows To Continue Despite Canada ProtestsDonald Trump's Odds of Completing Presidency Fall Amid Epstein UproarFull List of MAGA Influencers at Odds With Trump Admin Over Epstein FilesDonald Trump Reacts to Hulk Hogan's Death 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
USA Today
09-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Oklahoma committee begins search for textbook adhering to controversial social studies standards
Nuria Martinez-Keel Oklahoma Voice OKLAHOMA CITY — An ousted member of the state's top school board will lead the process to approve K-12 textbooks that align with controversial new academic standards for social studies. Former Oklahoma State Board of Education member Kendra Wesson will continue as the chair of a key committee that chooses all state-approved textbooks for public schools. She has been State Superintendent Ryan Walters' designee to lead the committee since she joined the state Board of Education in January 2023. 'Serving in this role and being able to still help my state is what it's all about, right?' Wesson said. 'It's not about (having my) name in lights. It's about doing the serving and coming in and being who I am and consistently being who I am. So, I value it very much.' Wesson, of Norman, said she brings high integrity to the role and has enjoyed the committee and its staff, so 'it meant a lot to me to be able to stay here.' Walters said he has full confidence in her ability to lead the textbook adoption process. 'Kendra is pro-student, pro-education reform and a pro-Trump conservative who will uphold pro-American principles throughout this process,' Walters said in a statement. 'I look forward to working with her as we are posed to introduce the best academic standards in the country to Oklahoma classrooms this fall.' Gov. Kevin Stitt replaced three state Board of Education members, including Wesson, on Feb. 11 while complaining the board had fallen victim to 'needless political drama.' The three removed members had voted with Walters to advance a now-defeated proposal to have public schools collect students' immigration status, an idea Stitt opposed. What Oklahoma's textbook committee will do during the adoption cycle Wesson and the State Textbook Committee gathered Friday, June 7, for an orientation meeting to initiate the 2025-26 adoption cycle, a process that determines which textbooks the state will approve for the next six years. The committee last met Feb. 7 to conclude the 2024-25 cycle. Like with the state Board of Education, the governor appoints all members of the 13-member textbook committee except for one — the state superintendent, who can choose a designee to serve as the committee's chair in his place. The committee, mostly made up of educators, will receive sample products by July 1 from textbook publishers interested in selling to Oklahoma school districts. The number of companies bidding in the small-market state has dwindled in recent years while political debates over classroom content grew. After the July 1 deadline, teams of subject-matter experts will begin quality reviews of the submitted learning material in August before making recommendations to the textbook committee, said Carolynn Bristow, project manager of educational materials for the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The process culminates in the committee's Nov. 14 vote to approve a list of textbooks aligning with the newly enacted standards for social studies education. The committee also will vote on instructional materials for personal financial literacy courses. The state will execute contracts with publishers in February after the board's final meeting of the adoption cycle. Wesson said the committee will follow the typical textbook adoption process and doesn't anticipate any differences from previous cycles. The committee and its review teams will adhere to a pre-approved rubric to evaluate textbook materials, she said. The rubric checks for classroom usability and compliance with state academic standards. Last year, the committee also added social and moral questions to the rubric asking whether the submitted materials 'degrade traditional roles of men and women,' promote 'illegal lifestyles' or neglect the importance of religion in preserving American liberties. 'We have a great team here at (the state Education Department) that keeps us on track, and that's why that rubric is there, to keep everybody on the same page,' Wesson said. 'And so you will always find this committee, especially, following that process.' Oklahoma's new social studies standards cast doubt on 2020 election results, require biblical teaching The new social studies standards, which dictate what public schools must teach to students in history and government classes, have been the source of significant public scrutiny this year. The standards now require schools to educate students about biblical teachings and Judeo-Christian values that influenced the American colonies and founding fathers, which Walters has said is crucial to ensuring students understand the full context of the country's history. Language casting doubt on the integrity of the 2020 presidential election results also is required teaching. Stitt's three new appointees to the state Board of Education said they were unaware of the 2020 election language at the time they voted on the standards on Feb. 27. Walters said he is responsible for adding the new content, but he didn't acknowledge it until weeks after the board vote. Despite bipartisan concerns among the state Legislature, the Republican supermajority in the state House and Senate permitted the standards to take effect. A lawsuit in Oklahoma County District Court contends Walters' administration failed to uphold proper transparency procedures. Wesson said the State Textbook Committee won't have any issues finding textbooks that align with the new social studies standards, even with the new content that has made headlines. 'We're not going to have a problem there at all,' she said. Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions:info@ Follow Oklahoma Voice onFacebook andTwitter.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Public school parent-led group provides social studies curriculum opt-out form
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – An Oklahoma public school parent-led group is providing easy access to forms that other parents can fill out with the intent of opting their children out of new controversial social studies standards curriculum. News 4 has covered the revised standards extensively, which were given the go-ahead by the Oklahoma State Board of Education in February, with a majority vote. The standards feature an increased use of the Bible in the classroom, and also tell students to examine 'discrepancies in the 2020 election,' which has seen a mix of praise and criticism. Some lawmakers questioned the contents of the social studies standards. They have said the proposed curriculum was factually inaccurate on several topics, including the 2020 election and the COVID pandemic. Legislators have also said the standards contain subjects that were not age-appropriate for each grade level. Legislative leaders allowed the standards to take effect regardless of those complaints. Lawmakers will not consider resolution to stop proposed controversial social studies standards 'It leaves a lot of room for teaching what a person's personal beliefs are for the teachers versus actual fact-based curriculum,' said Saralynn Boren, with 'We're Oklahoma Education.' Boren describes the group as being primarily led by Oklahoma parents, but says it has educators, grandparents, and other public education stakeholders involved across Oklahoma as well. She described the group as non-partisan, and said they come together from both sides of the aisle to advocate for inclusive public education. Boren said the group first started creating opt-out letters to address content from conservative media group, PragerU. The letters have now been modified to address the new social studies standards. 'They're pushing ideologies that all parents aren't going to agree with, all students aren't going to agree with. And that's what we want to give parents the option to opt out of,' said Boren. State Superintendent Ryan Walters addressed efforts to opt out of the standards during a May 22 news conference, calling the effort 'concerning' when it comes to teaching students American History. 'What we're trying to do is give your kid an understanding of history in America, where America came from, what beliefs influenced those individuals so that then they can understand American history,' said Walters. Boren pointed out that Oklahoma already allows parents, by law, the opportunity to opt out of instruction that may violate their moral or religious beliefs. 'It's something that the conservatives pushed for saying this parent bill of rights, that parents should have the right to have a say in their students education, and it's the same for all parents,' said Boren. Walters said Tuesday that while the effort was something he wished parents wouldn't do, he would continue to protect their ability to do what they thought was best for their kids. 'If he wants to talk about championing parents' rights, that he needs to understand that there are other parents that don't always agree with his right-wing ideologies,' said Boren. It's an effort that may or may not prove to be necessary, with an Oklahoma County District judge set to consider Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. whether to grant an injunction on the social studies standards, which could block them entirely or allow them to move forward. News 4 reached out to an OSDE spokesperson Tuesday for clarification on whether the opt-out forms are enforceable, but didn't hear back. The forms can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Oklahoma Senate confirms Gov. Kevin Stitt's four new state Board of Education nominees
The Oklahoma State Board of Education officially has four new members handpicked by Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt as he overhauled the board. The Senate confirmed Stitt's nominations of Michael Tinney, Chris Van Denhende, Ryan Deatherage and Becky Carson to the board without debate on Tuesday, May 27. The board governs the Oklahoma State Department of Education and sets policies for K-12 public schools. While Carson was confirmed to the board by a 47-0 vote, the other three nominees all received some pushback from the far-right wing of the Senate's Republican caucus. Tinney, from Norman, was confirmed by a 36-11 vote. Van Denhende, from Tulsa, advanced on a 32-15 vote, and Deatherage, from Kingfisher, by a 33-15 vote. The education board is chaired by Republican state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters, but the governor has the power to appoint its six other members. Stitt shook up the board's membership in February, saying it was due to 'ongoing controversy' at the Oklahoma State Department of Education and disappointing standardized test scores. The move also came as Stitt and Walters were increasingly at odds over a wide range of policies, including Walters' proposal to require schools to not just ask for the immigration status of students, but also of their parents. Stitt named Tinney, Deatherage and Van Denhende to the board on Feb. 11 to replace three sitting members. He named a fourth new member, Carson, from Edmond, to fill an open seat on April 28. Walters, who sets the board's agenda, had received no pushback from the board on multiple controversial decisions during his first two years in office, such as issuing a statewide Bible-teaching mandate. That's changed since Stitt appointed Tinney, Deatherage and Van Denhende to the board. During three meetings, the three men have challenged Walters on multiple occasions. Tinney's nomination drew additional interest when the senator from his home district, Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman, declined to carry his nomination, citing her friendship with the board member Tinney replaced, Kendra Wesson. In similar situations, the Senate president pro tempore can carry a nomination, which that title holder, Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, initially declined to do before reversing course before Tinney's confirmation hearing in the Senate Education Committee. Standridge was among the group of senators voting against Tinney's nomination. Van Denhende's confirmation hearing included fiery statements from Paxton, Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, and Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, the committee's chair, who all decried an email campaign aimed at derailing the nomination. The emails sent to Republican members of the committee compared Van Denhende to the former leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, and included personal attacks against Van Denhende and his family. Senators also criticized an anonymous conservative blog post opposing the nomination. Other nominations approved without opposition by the Senate included: • Dennis Casey of Morrison to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Casey, a former lawmaker, district superintendent and championship-winning football coach, has spent the past five years on the board that governs Oklahoma's 25 public colleges and universities and currently serves as its chair. He'll now serve a full nine-year term. • Tracy Poole of Tulsa to the OSU/A&M Board of Regents, which governs Oklahoma State University along with Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami and Connors State College in Warner. Poole, a venture capitalist, will serve an eight-year term. Poole is the founder and managing partner of FortySix Venture Capital in Tulsa. • G. Rainey Williams of Oklahoma City to the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents. Williams will serve a seven-year term. He is president of Oklahoma City-based Marco Capital Group, an investment partnership, and serves as chair of the University Hospitals Authority and Trust and the chair of OU Health. The OU board oversees OU campuses in Norman, Oklahoma City and Tulsa as well as Rogers State University in Claremore and Cameron University in Lawton. • Connie Reilly of Okemah to the Regional University System of Oklahoma board. The vote extended Reilly's tenure on the board, which governs six universities: the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford and East Central University in Ada. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Senate confirms four nominees to state Board of Education
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Oklahoma Senate approves governor's new education board members
Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, left, sits next to Oklahoma State Board of Education member Mike Tinney, right, before supporting Tinney's confirmation during a Senate Education Committee meeting May 20, 2025, at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday confirmed Gov. Kevin Stitt's four new appointees to the State Board of Education along with picks for several other state leadership posts. With no discussion, senators approved the appointments of Mike Tinney, of Norman, Christopher K. Van Denhende, of Tulsa, Ryan A. Deatherage, of Kingfisher, and Becky Y. Carson, of Edmond, to serve on the state board tasked with governing the state's public school system. Gov. Kevin Stitt in February removed three prior members from the board and criticized them for creating 'needless political drama' following their vote requiring schools to collect students' immigration status. Stitt then named Deatherage, Tinney and Van Denhende to fill the vacancies, saying the board needed fresh eyes. State Superintendent Ryan Walters accused Stitt of firing the three former board members for political purposes. The three booted members had voted in line with Walters since he took office in January 2023. They approved Walters' budget requests, which included $3 million to spend on Bibles, along with controversial new rules that would require the student citizenship checks and require teachers to pass a naturalization test in order to be licensed. During the session, the Republican-controlled Legislature rejected all three proposals. In April, Stitt appointed Carson, a retired educator, to fill a seat representing Congressional District 5 that has been vacant for two years. Walters and six members appointed by the governor make up the board. During the committee vetting process, some Republican senators objected to Stitt's decision to overhaul the board's membership. Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, carried Tinney's nomination after his hometown senator, Lisa Standridge, R-Norman, declined to do so. Standridge told some media outlets she was friends with Kendra Wesson, who served on the board before being booted. In other business, the Senate confirmed John Budd of Oklahoma City to serve as the Department of Commerce CEO. Richard L. Rose of Oklahoma City was confirmed as Office of Management and Enterprise Services director. Jeffrey Cartmell of Edmond was approved to serve as Department of Human Services director. Timothy N. Tardibono of Oklahoma City was confirmed as Office of Juvenile Affairs executive director. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
