Latest news with #Walters'
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Oklahoma schools superintendent: Bibles will be in classes despite no money to buy them
Oklahoma schools superintendent: Bibles will be in classes despite no money to buy them Show Caption Hide Caption Ryan Walters announces $3M request to purchase Bibles for Oklahoma schools Ryan Walters announces a $3 million request to purchase Bibles for Oklahoma schools during OSDE board meeting on Thursday. OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma's top education official is insisting classrooms will all have Bibles by fall, even though the state's Republican-controlled Legislature has no plans to give him the $3 million he requested to buy the books. Whether that — or state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters' broader attempts to require schools to teach from the Bible — will come to fruition could depend on the outcome of multiple lawsuits pending in Oklahoma courts, one of which will soon have an important hearing. Without providing specifics, Walters said during a May 16 news conference that his agency has "already been exhausting multiple avenues" to acquire copies of the Bible. His remarks came days after legislative leaders and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced a deal for the fiscal year 2026 budget, dismissing Walters' $3 million request to buy more Bibles despite slightly increasing funding for the Oklahoma State Department of Education. 'The Legislature can put the money there or not," Walters said. "We're going to have a Bible in every classroom this fall. So that's going to happen. So we're doing that. We've been very straightforward on how we're doing that.' Conservative lawmakers across the country have been leading an effort to spread religious teachings to public school classrooms, including introducing the Bible into reading lessons and requiring classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. In Louisiana, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed a law in June 2024 directing every public classroom to post the Ten Commandments. The law was later blocked by a federal judge who declared it unconstitutional, and was also challenged by parents and several civil rights groups. In November 2024, Texas officials proposed a curriculum incorporating teachings from the Bible in schools. It's not the first time. GOP leaders are calling for religion in public schools. How Oklahoma school districts responded to Bible mandate Walters announced his Bible-teaching mandate for public schools in June 2024. Most large Oklahoma school districts have largely ignored the directive during the 2024-25 school year. Since then, Walters made multiple attempts to spend up to $3 million in taxpayer money from the 2025 fiscal year's budget to purchase so-called "Trump Bibles," endorsed by President Donald Trump, who has received fees for his endorsement. While Walters' attempts to spend millions of dollars on Bibles have met pushback, Walters' agency purchased 532 Trump Bibles for less than $25,000. Walters said on May 16 that he's had Oklahomans tell him they believe students need to learn how Christian values forged the country's history. "That is absolutely something that I will continue to fight, till every kid understands that the history of America includes the Bible, includes biblical principles," he said. "I mean, my goodness, you would have to walk around with a blindfold throughout American history to not see that." A lawsuit over the mandate and the attempt to purchase Bibles is pending in the Oklahoma Supreme Court. As part of that lawsuit, the state's highest civil court paused Walters' most recent effort to buy Bibles. After the court order, Walters partnered with country music artist Lee Greenwood on a nationwide campaign to encourage donations of Bibles to Oklahoma classrooms. Asked how successful that effort has been, Walters did not offer specifics, saying only "quite a few" Bibles have been donated to the agency. "This is what's amazing about our state and our country," Walters said. "Once we started to say, 'We want to make sure that our kids understand the role the Bible played in American history,' once we started to get this out, once I started to go and talk to folks, and again, it's Oklahoma parents. It's Oklahoma teachers that say: 'Look, we want this.' We have continued to see the generosity of individuals say, 'Hey, if they're not going to fund it, we'll pony up.'" Who is Ryan Walters? What to know about Oklahoma's controversial top educator Oklahoma's new academic standards include religious references Walters also has infused new Oklahoma social studies academic standards with dozens of references to the Bible and the Christian faith. Those standards took effect earlier this month, when the state Senate and House declined to take action on resolutions that would have disapproved them and sent them back to the state Board of Education. Those standards, which include 2020 election-denial language slipped in by Walters, are the subject of a lawsuit filed by a group of Oklahoma taxpayers represented by former state Attorney General Mike Hunter. The lawsuit focuses on the methods used by Walters to push the standards through during a February board meeting. The lawsuit also addresses public concerns voiced by three new board members who said they felt Walters deceived them by making last-minute additions to the standards without notifying them or the public. It contends that board members were not provided enough time to review the revised standards. They were urged against tabling a vote on the standards after Walters falsely told them a vote had to be taken that day to meet legislative deadlines, when the board had two more months to submit the standards to the Legislature for approval. Oklahoma County District Judge Brent Dishman has set a hearing on May 22 to consider a request for a temporary restraining order by the plaintiffs, which, if granted, would halt the implementation of the standards. The timing of that hearing resulted in the monthly state Board of Education meeting, which had been set for May 22, to be moved to May 21. The agenda for that meeting must be posted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New state budget boosts funding for public schools, teacher incentives
Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, and House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, shake hands during an announcement of a 2026 budget deal on Wednesday at the state Capitol. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A budget deal state leaders struck on Wednesday will boost funding for Oklahoma public schools and raise the ceiling on teacher pay in the 2026 fiscal year. After giving a similar increase last year, Gov. Kevin Stitt and legislative leaders agreed to pour another $25 million into public education funding, but this time with a caveat from House Bill 1087. Accompanying the extra $25 million will be a one-day increase to the minimum length of an Oklahoma school year. Students must have at least 166 days of instruction rather than 165. HB 1087 also extends the teacher salary schedule by 15 years, meaning public school teachers will receive annual step raises for up to 40 years instead of reaching their maximum salary at 25 years. A classroom teacher with a bachelor's degree must earn a salary of at least $64,021 after 40 years, under the bill. 'What we have been saying again and again repeatedly is what we need to invest in (and) focus on in public education is making sure we're recruiting and retaining quality educators and making sure we're having as much quality time in front of those educators as possible,' House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said at a news conference Wednesday where the budget deal was revealed. Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, said $25 million is 'not adequate' to help public schools counteract rising costs from inflation, especially while the cap for tax credits supporting private school students is pre-scheduled to increase by $50 million. 'Twenty-five million dollars is not enough to do the transformative change we need to have in the classroom,' Kirt told reporters on Thursday. The Oklahoma State Department of Education budget, which covers most appropriations for K-12 schools, will increase by 3.15% to $3.98 billion. That's an even larger funding boost than the Education Department's head, state Superintendent Ryan Walters, requested. But in doing so, lawmakers and the governor discarded several of Walters' ideas. The agency's budget includes no funds for Bibles, despite Walters' request for $3 million to buy a copy for every public school classroom. His ask for $500,000 to give educators concealed-carry firearm training, $1 million for a new teacher induction program, and $1 million to recruit military veterans and former law enforcement officers to the teacher workforce also went unheeded. An Education Department spokesperson declined to comment Thursday. Another $1 million in 'efficiencies' from the agency, which has lost dozens of employees over the past two years, will transfer from the Education Department to public schools. The Legislature dedicated $5 million to a high-dosage tutoring program inspired by a similar initiative Walters established at the Education Department. Both the House and Senate have advanced legislation to pay reading and math tutors to meet with struggling students multiple times a week. Lawmakers agreed with Walters' request to boost the state's teacher maternity leave fund by $4 million. Walters advised that demand for the $2.5 million fund has been high and the number of participating districts is growing. Another major incentive for longtime teachers made the cut in the state's budget for higher education. The Legislature will dedicate an extra $740,310 to the Oklahoma's Promise college scholarship program to include children of classroom teachers with 10 or more years of experience. Members of the state's largest teacher union, the Oklahoma Education Association, are feeling 'optimistic' after seeing lawmakers prioritize teacher benefits this year, the organization's president, Cari Elledge, said. She said the 15-year increase to the salary schedule 'will hopefully give people a reason to stay' in the classroom. 'This might help keep some people in the profession longer, which could benefit students because these are people who don't have to be trained and know what they're doing,' Elledge said. The new state budget moves a $250,000 asthma inhaler fund away from the Education Department to the University Hospitals Authority and Trust, the entity that oversees hospitals on the University of Oklahoma medical campus. The state Legislature created the $250,000 fund in 2023 to distribute asthma inhalers to all public schools. Lawmakers became openly frustrated last summer after more than a year had passed without the agency disbursing any of the money. Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who was asked to investigate the matter, found the Education Department was 'neither speedy nor responsible' with the program and showed a 'lack of understanding of basic purchasing procedures.' The Education Department still has not spent the $250,000, said the Senate's budget leader, Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry. In the meantime, he said the University Hospitals Authority and Trust has been working with the Brendon McLarty Memorial Foundation to provide inhalers to schools. 'We now have experience with them and their ability and their desire to be part of this program,' Hall said of the hospitals authority. 'So we'll just take that money and put it over there and let them administer the program.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Daily Mirror
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Adolescence star Ashley Waters on 'finding peace' riding electric motorbike
"Pretty much everything I do is about trying to find peace," the TV star says Ashley Walters might be known for playing intense roles in high-octane dramas like Netflix's Top Boy and Adolescence, but off set, he looks for a life of peace and tranquillity. For Walters, 42, this looks like a long ride on his silent electric motorcycle, losing himself in the moment as he twists and turns down winding roads. His choice of ride - made by Maeving, a British electric motorbike manufacturer based in Coventry - is perfect for those who love the thrill of a fast ride without the fumes and noise that come along with traditional motorcycles. 'I'm riding for peace in the moment,' says the actor, who has also topped the charts with So Solid Crew and been named GQ's Man of the Year. 'Pretty much everything I do is about trying to find peace.' Walters says that he chooses to ride a Maeving motorbike for the same reason he acts: to lose himself. The actor might have been born in Peckham in South London, but he's drawn to the kind of silence and calm you can only get outside of the urban bustle. 'When I'm not working, I don't really want to be around people,' he smiles, speaking from a café in Herne Bay where he's filming a new short made with Maeving. 'I just get on the bike and ride. I don't know where I'm going, I don't know what I'm doing. I just ride and get myself back to where I need to be.' Walters' ride of choice is Maeving's RM1S: an electric motorcycle with no gears, no noise, and no emissions, making it a smooth, clean ride that's as kind on the environment as it is on Walters' mental state. "It reminds me of skydiving. After free-falling when the parachute opens—it's just quiet, it's just you, and you really feel like you're flying," he says. The RM1S model starts at £7,495, has a range of 80 miles on a single charge, and can reach up to 70mph. The bike comes with a 2-year warranty and 14-day money back guarantee. Maeving's motorbikes show how petrolheads can get all of the thrills of hitting the road while enjoying the benefits of zero-emission transport. In cities, an electric motorbike is a convenient and fun way to get around, and there's real joy to be had in letting them rip in the countryside, too. There are two different electric bikes available from Maeving currently: the RM1S, which Walters rides, and the RM1 which starts from £4,995. Both have a removable battery that riders can charge from any normal three-pin socket, and are stylish and functional with a vintage feel combined with modern eco-friendly technology. Electric vehicles as a whole are becoming much more popular in the UK, with charging points more readily available and clean air initiatives like London's ULEZ encouraging drivers and riders to go green. Bikers don't need to miss out on the green revolution, as there are plenty of brands offering electric motorbikes. Fans of the iconic Harley Davidson could invest in one of the brand's Livewire Electric Motorcycles, such as the thrilling S2 Alpinista which starts at £17,390. This ride packs a punch, going from 0-60mph in three seconds, and looks just as cool as Harley's petrol counterparts. Kawasaki, another notable motorcycle brand, also has eco offerings such as the Kawasaki Ninja e-1. Coming in a cool lime green and silver colour combination, this £4,299 zero-emission motorbike is lightweight, has removable batteries, and and boasts an e-boost function where riders can access increased power - and a higher top speed - for 15 seconds. Maeving customers have shared their views on the innovative motorcycles on Trustpilot, as one rider said: "I have a 32-mile commute to work, and it's a joy to ride this bike. I never write reviews, (but) I needed to do this as found everything faultless, it's just pleasant to have such good customer service," they added. Another biker said of the RMS1 model: "The bike seems good quality so far. The ride and seat are less comfortable than my mountain bike but, to be fair, the RMS1 goes a lot faster uphill. I suspect it will last well but obviously too early to tell." However, they did note an issue with speed: "The speedometer is optimistic, to say the least. The highest speed setting ('S') will get you to around 60mph consistently, maybe even 65 if the conditions are good, but it drains the battery a lot faster than the lower settings."
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma Republicans propose block on citizenship checks in schools
Demonstrators stand outside the Oklahoma State Department of Education on Jan. 28 to protest proposed rules that would require schools to check students' immigration status. Republican lawmakers have filed a resolution to reject the immigration rule. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — Republican lawmakers have suggested rejecting a controversial proposal to have Oklahoma public schools ask for proof of U.S. citizenship during enrollment. The rule has drawn opposition from Gov. Kevin Stitt, advocates within Oklahoma's Latino community and residents who spoke up against requiring schools to check students' immigration status. If the rule passes, schools would have to report to the state the number of students they enroll who couldn't verify their U.S. citizenship or legal residency. State Superintendent Ryan Walters said he suggested the rule to better account for school resources needed to serve immigrant students, like English learner programs. He said his administration would turn over the collected information to federal authorities, if asked, and would support immigration raids in schools. Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, filed Senate Joint Resolution 22 on Thursday to make several line-item disapprovals of Walters' proposed administrative rules from the Oklahoma State Department of Education, including a rejection of the entire immigration measure. Bergstrom leads the Senate Administrative Rules Committee, and his House counterpart, Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, is a co-author of the resolution. During a committee meeting Monday, Kendrix said he and Bergstrom worked together to draft the language. He said SJR 22 is one of three Senate resolutions that should reach the House committee 'in short order, I hope.' Each would have to pass a vote by the Senate committee and the full Senate before migrating to the House. The Senate Administrative Rules Committee is scheduled to meet at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. Bergstrom could not be reached for comment. Bergstrom and Kendrix's resolution also would reject a rule that would require all public school teachers to pass a written version of the U.S. Naturalization Test. Both Republicans and Democrats in the House expressed concerns about the rule potentially driving away qualified teachers. Walters' office did not return a request for comment. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘It's obvious nobody's watching': Former GOP lawmaker says Republicans failing to hold Walters accountable amid massive staff payments
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A former Republican lawmaker says members of his own party are failing to hold State Superintendent Ryan Walters accountable after News 4 and Oklahoma Watch uncovered a string of unexplained, five-figure payments the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) made to out-of-state political operatives Walters hired to work for the department. Last Wednesday, News 4 revealed OSDE paid its former spokesperson a final paycheck totaling more than $76, on Monday, News 4 reported Walters' new chief of staff, Matt Mohler, a Florida political strategist who once worked for the same political consulting firm as Walters' highly paid advisor Matt Langston, received a $32,000 bonus in February. New records reveal even more unexplained five-figure payouts to Ryan Walters' chief of staff As News 4 reported, that was on top of Mohler's six-figure base salary at OSDE — and despite him still appearing to work full-time for a company in Florida, according to the company's Tuesday, News 4 uncovered additional records revealing Mohler received another unexplained bonus payment in March for $12, Wednesday, Oklahoma Watch reported OSDE hired another out-of-state political consultant, a man named Chad Gallagher, from Arkansas. Oklahoma Watch reported OSDE hired Gallagher for a 'temporary' role, with a nearly $100,000 yearly salary. 'His background is pretty interesting,' Oklahoma Watch reporter Jennifer Palmer told News 4. 'He lobbied for ClassWallet, which, of course, you know, we've written about quite a bit here in Oklahoma,' Palmer News 4 reported, ClassWallet was a vendor Walters, prior to becoming State Superintendent, hired to distribute federal COVID-relief funds to help families buy school supplies. A state audit revealed that almost 20% of the total purchases families made through ClassWallet were on items not related to educational learning per the grant guidelines, including couches, Xbox consoles, and Christmas trees. Further investigations revealed Walters gave ClassWallet his 'blanket approval' for all the purchases. Despite that, the state later sued Oklahoma Watch reached out to OSDE spokesperson Grace Kim to explain Gallagher's hiring, she declined to comment. New OSDE chief of staff paid nearly $50K in first month, still listed as active employee for Florida company Kim also declined to comment to News 4 each time we reached out seeking explanations for the tens of thousands of dollars in payments OSDE made to Isett and News 4's reporting, Senate Democratic Leader Julia Kirt called on state lawmakers to take action. 'The superintendent has way too much latitude,' Kirt said in a TikTok post Tuesday. 'I keep asking my Republican colleagues to stand up to him and hold him accountable. They won't do it.' Her comments caught the attention of former Republican State Representative Mark McBride.'There's so many things we should be pushing back as Republicans,' said McBride, who served as the chair of the Oklahoma House Education Committee until he termed out of office in November. 'But no. We've got Democrats you can interview, but the Republicans won't step up to the plate and say, hey, this is wrong. Stop it.'While in office, McBride repeatedly criticized Matt Langston's role at OSDE, as Walters' Chief Policy Advisor. Langston runs a political consulting firm, 'Engage Right,' and worked as a strategist for Walters' campaign prior to being hired at OSDE. Despite making a six-figure salary with OSDE, Langston lives and works out of Austin, Texas. OSDE claims Langston is a 'part-timer' employee. In February, Oklahoma Watch reported OSDE paid Langston a nearly $ 45,000 bonus, without explanation. Records: State paid former OSDE spokesperson more than $75k in final paycheck 'He's a ghost employee pretty much, I've said that time and time again,' McBride said. 'At least when I was in office, we filed two subpoenas, multiple requests, had him come before us and talk to us.'But now— 'It's obvious nobody's watching,' McBride said. 'I don't know what they're trying to do.'This week, Governor Kevin Stitt also expressed concern about the reports.'Unfortunately, you know me, the Governor doesn't get to hire and fire the different state agency heads,' Stitt said at his weekly press availability Wednesday. 'We're not dumb. Oklahomans are not dumb. Oklahomans see these people in these different political positions, running for their next office.''The only people who push back against him are the governor and the attorney general,' McBride said. 'And there's not a comment—not one comment—from a Republican legislator pushing back on this misuse of state tax dollars. It's sad.'News 4 only heard from one currently-serving Republican lawmaker willing to speak on this issue: State Rep. Daniel Pae (R-Lawton).'It seems like there's always new developments happening at SDE,' Pae said. 'The more and more we have these issues arise, we have to follow the money.'Pae said he would like to see House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow) open a special investigation to look into the mysterious payments at OSDE. 'I know the Department of Mental Health has been the primary focus and there has been a select committee established by Speaker Hilbert,' Pae said. 'We could have a similar committee look into all these discrepancies at SDE. That would be my personal recommendation to have a formal process like that and have public hearings.'News 4 reached out to Speaker Hilbert's office to ask if he would support launching an office said he has no comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
