State Superintendent Ryan Walters continues to go after Tulsa Public Schools, now claiming the district is taking money from the Chinese government.
On Wednesday, Walters made these claims in a video posted to social media saying "it's unbelievable" that TPS allegedly takes money from China. His accusations come about a year after TPS board member E'Lena Ashley raised concerns about the Confucius Classroom program for a Chinese language class at Booker T. Washington High School.
"There is absolutely no way we should allow the Chinese government to undermine our institutions here in America," Walters said in his video.
Confucius Classroom is managed by the Chinese International Education Foundation, a non-government organization sponsored by the Chinese government’s ministry of education.
In a statement, TPS officials said they do not receive money from the Chinese government.
School board President Stacey Woolley said the district receives all money for the curriculum from the International Leadership of Texas, and that the district doesn’t receive any instructional material from the curriculum.
"We’ve seen this conversation before. We’ve seen this conversation of, I mean, of this othering that we are seeing and experiencing right now. I mean, this fear mongering of, 'This comes from China' — I mean, we have students that are excelling in learning Chinese, period," Woolley said.
The claims come as Walters has delayed TPS’ accreditation a full month in light of what he claims are severe findings in the district — a claim disputed by top district officials. This rhetoric first ramped up on July 21, when Walters held a rally at TPS to support Ashley after Superintendent Deborah Gist reprimanded Ashley for praying at a graduation.
At a news conference last week, Gist claimed state officials have told the district it should be accredited. Woolley agreed.
"I saw the final report of our accreditation. We know exactly what our accreditation should be on the report by the people who do that work," said Woolley.
Gist said the most significant knock to TPS' accreditation would be in reference to the district's former chief learning officer, Devin Fletcher. According to an affidavit, Fletcher allegedly gave more than $400,000 to family members from TPS and Tulsa Schools Foundation funds.
Gist has argued she's been up front about this incident, and has taken swift action in response to Fletcher's alleged actions.
