Oklahoma State Superintendent

Amid mounting tension between State Superintendent Ryan Walters and district administrators over controversial mandates, Walters announced a proposal Wednesday to leave the jobs of school district superintendents in the hands of voters instead of being hired by local school boards.

The Oklahoma Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency said the State Department of Education did not do anything to warrant a criminal investigation for how it handled funding at its legislative presentation Tuesday. But, it said the agency should have communicated better with districts and lawmakers.

More than 30 parents, teachers and faith leaders filed a lawsuit in the Oklahoma Supreme Court Thursday over State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ directive to require Bibles in every classroom and to use them as an instructional resource.

A grand jury released a 31-page report detailing “irresponsible, disappointing and indefensible” oversight in pandemic-era federal education funds.

Oklahoma's top education official has made headlines for mandating Bibles in each classroom but once upon a time he was a high school teacher who enjoyed dissecting racy HBO dramas with students.

At Thursday’s State Board of Education meeting, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced in his annual budget proposal $3 million was already being spent on classroom Bibles, and the board voted to ask the legislature for an additional $3 million.

The requirement for monthly reports from TPS stemmed from a fight over the district’s 2023 accreditation.

The OSDE board considered a motion to end the regular in-person reporting to the state. A TPS official wants them to end now.

State Attorney General Gentner Drummond released an expedited opinion Sunday telling the Oklahoma State Department of Education it must release funds intended to enhance school safety measures.

The suit stems from Walters’ reaction to the Bixby school leader raising concerns about Title I funds.