Oklahoma education board accredits Tulsa Public School with conditions

(The Center Square) – The Oklahoma State Board of Education agreed to accredit Tulsa Public Schools with deficiencies Wednesday and asked schools to examine policies dealing with pronoun use and Chinese-tied curriculum.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters cited low test scores and a problem with internal controls that he said led to the alleged embezzlement of school funds by a former employee.

In a video posted on social media earlier this month, Walters said that 65% of TPS schools are failing, and 15 elementary schools have a reading proficiency rate of less than 5%. He also said 52% of every dollar goes to administrative costs, not the classroom.

TPS Superintendent Deborah Gist, a frequent target of Walter’s criticism, resigned Wednesday. Dr. Ebony Johnson, chief learning officer, was appointed interim superintendent.

TPS school board members said they were committed to addressing problems within the system. Walters said he wanted results within a year.

“They now have a leader who ran the district into the ground out of the way,” Walters said. “But I want to be crystal clear. If that does not happen, I leave every option on the table to force this district to serve these kids. I am willing to do anything to turn this school around. Do not test me.”

TPS officials must appear in person at state board meetings to report on their progress.

Walters opened the meeting by discussing the curriculum in TPS with ties to China. His question stems from a report linking Tulsa Public Schools with a Confucius Classrooms program that teaches Chinese to students.

“We will be requiring school districts to report any funding…to us, where foreign dollars are being used directly or indirectly through nonprofits,” Walters said. “I am also going to be asking the state legislature to dive into this as well.”

Walters also asked the board to inquire about pronoun use at Oklahoma schools.

“The radical left has been on an attack here on our children to undermine families, institutions, traditions of this country,” Walters said. “Pronouns and requirements on teachers have been a direct way to put teachers right in the middle of the line of fire of this war that is going on in our classrooms.

The board agreed unanimously to inquire into both issues.