State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced funding to replicate Tulsa Public Schools’ supposed recent successes.
At a news conference at Lewis & Clark Elementary School Thursday, Walters said the federal grant secures almost $60 million over five years for school districts throughout the state.
Walters said the grant will be given to districts that demonstrate they’ll use the dollars to:
- Develop early language skills
- Target elementary and middle school reading proficiency
- Develop programs, resources or tutoring
- Develop teacher training and professional development
“We made sure to apply for grants that give us the flexibility so that districts can use the funds as they need to to improve literacy,” Walters said.
Walters added that the grant is part of his mission to “focus on the basics” and “end left-wing political activism in the classroom.”
The state department of education recently changed how it processes student test scores. Critics say big jumps in literacy are due to how data is adjudicated, not actual gains.
Walters nonetheless praised TPS’ success at the news conference — since fall 2023, Superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson has reported testing improvements and has said several campuses have moved off state and federal failing lists.
“What I’ve seen is unprecedented transparency, I’ve seen leaders in place that say, ‘Hey, we want to tackle any issues that occur here,’” Walters said of TPS.
While TPS officials could not say how much money they’ll receive, Johnson nonetheless said she’s excited about what the grant could mean for the district.
“We have plans to do more tutoring, we have plans to do even more interventions around literacy, and it is our expectation that around this same time next year, we will be celebrating even more growth,” she said.
The grant announcement comes as Walters has faced criticism for a U.S. Department of Education consolidated review that revealed more than half of 52 financial management indicators surveyed at four Oklahoma school districts need immediate action.
When asked how he can assure Oklahomans public money will be spent well following this report, Walters claimed the audit reviewed districts’ performance for the 2021-2022 school year, before he became superintendent. Walters was the state Secretary of Education at that time.
