TULSA, Okla. — Langston Hughes Academy is fighting to stay open after the state made the decision to strip the charter school if its accreditation last week.
Teachers at at the north Tulsa charter school self reported issues like grade tampering to the state in 2019. The school renewed their contract after an investigation, but made the decision to strip the campus of its accreditation by June 30.
For many families, students made the change to Langston Hughes after facing challenges in public school.
"He was angry. He was discouraged. He was hurt. He didn't understand why he had been treated so unfairly," mother Adrienne Evans said.
Evans' son Christian is a senior this year and preparing to go to college in the fall. He said as a Tulsa Public Schools student, he didn't have these kinds of dreams.
"They didn't seem to care about me at all as a student. I was just another number. I was just another student to help them get paid," Christian Allen said.
Dozens gathered Wednesday night to tell similar stories and share the fear they have for this community if the school closes.
"Our kids, they come to school hungry. They come to school from homes where there is very little support and very little value placed on education," Dean of Students Justin Daniels said.
Staff said they could stay open without the accreditation but that would mean no state funding. They're asking for at least another year to make improvements. Right now the state plans to bring in a transition team and begin enrolling students in TPS for the fall.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
