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Ryan Walters’ visit to ‘school of privilege’ draws protestors

A protestor carries a sign at a demonstration against Ryan Walters on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
Elizabeth Caldwell
/
KWGS News
A protestor carries a sign at a demonstration against Ryan Walters on Thursday, January 30, 2025.

About 150 people gathered in the rain Thursday morning to protest Ryan Walters’ visit to a Tulsa elementary school.

Oklahoma’s superintendent of public schools visited Carnegie Elementary on 56th Street near LaFortune Park to mark the school’s academic achievements. But Kensey Wright, protest organizer and Carnegie parent, said Walters doesn’t deserve acclaim.

“Carnegie tested extremely high in their reading scores. So they’re coming with state reps to kind of see what we do. The problem is Ryan Walters trying to take credit for the extreme hard work of our teachers and our students, as well as ignoring the fact that we are definitely a school of privilege,” said Wright.

Protestors gather at a demonstration against Ryan Walters on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
Elizabeth Caldwell
/
KWGS News
Protestors gather at a demonstration against Ryan Walters on Thursday, January 30, 2025.

Wright said Carnegie only learned on Tuesday of Walters’ visit.

Nonprofit Defense of Democracy helped organize the protest that saw dozens of signs decrying Walters’ stance on undocumented immigrants.

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma State Board of Education advanced a rule requiring districts to collect citizenship information on parents and students.

“We will make sure that President Trump and his administration have this information,” Walters said at the board meeting.

The rule is pending legislative approval and is not in force.

Law enforcement confers at a protest against Ryan Walters on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
Elizabeth Caldwell
/
KWGS News
Law enforcement confers at a protest against Ryan Walters on Thursday, January 30, 2025.

Walters has been a controversial figure in Oklahoma politics for years. He’s known for pushing extremely conservative views around culture war talking points while advocating for the destruction of the federal Department of Education.

Most media members weren’t permitted inside Carnegie. The Tulsa World reported that as Walters exited, his motorcade attempted to speed away.

Before joining Public Radio Tulsa, Elizabeth Caldwell was a freelance reporter and a teacher. She holds a master's from Hollins University. Her audio work has appeared at KCRW, CBC's The World This Weekend, and The Missouri Review. She is a south Florida native.