OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — A line formed hours before the meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting after officials placed capacity signs on the doors of the building Wednesday.
A Tulsa Public Schools parent told 2 News Oklahoma the line started forming around 7 a.m. — nearly 2 hours before the meeting. The parent said she attends every month and has never seen a line grow that early.
Several controversies surrounding State Superintendent Ryan Walters have led to larger crowds attending the monthly OSBE meetings. When 2 News arrived at the meeting, three signs were posted on the doors saying the room has a capacity of 49, with many more likely to try and attend.
This comes after, at the last OSBE meeting, two men were charged after an altercation related to handing out numbers and telling people who could go into the meeting room. State Open Meeting Act laws require ample space is available for the public to attend.
Last week Waltersvowed to take "swift action" in regard to TPS's accreditation. If Walters were to revoke TPS's accreditation, the school would be forced to close.
The accreditation status of Tulsa Public Schools is still in limbo after the board voted unanimously to delay a vote on the matter by a month. Walters said he wants to spend the next month on a “fact finding mission.” He said “officials” have uncovered severe allegations that need to be investigated.
These are allegations TPS superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist said Wednesday had already been addressed.
In a news release sent after the meeting Walters wrote, "“All options are on the table as corrective action for Tulsa Public Schools. We have to see significant improvement so every kid has the chance to succeed.”
Groups outside the meeting were divided from anything pro-Walters to against Walters.
Inside, the board room was at capacity of 49. The State Fire Marshall came in to ensure compliance after a citizen complaint of crowds at last month’s meeting. Crowds spilled into the halls, waiting for public comment time—which took over two hours.
“They all want Ryan Walters out of the way, so the NEA can achieve its goal to queer all children,” said one supporter of Walters.
“TPS is being targeted and I don’t understand it. It’s creating a toxic work environment,” said Mike Howe, a 50-year educator for Tulsa Public Schools.
Many of the speakers return monthly, like TPS parent Ashley Daly, overcome with emotion.
“I come here because I want us to talk and work on our education system and not threaten each other,” said Daly.
“TPS is plagued with scandal,” said Walters.
A vote to delay, accreditation renewal is rare— some believe unprecedented.
The board confirmed it does not impact the district headed into the school year—most of these reviews are a call to action to improve. And while a loss of accreditation is highly unlikely, many opponents believe Walters is looking for anything to pin on TPS.
The board voted to put three Tulsa charter schools accreditation status on probation: KIPP Tulsa, Deborah Brown Charter and Sankofa Charter.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum says he is trying to understand Walters' position before the next school board meeting on August 24.
Throughout my time as mayor, I have respected the independence of the three major school districts serving Tulsa. Their boards are independently elected, and their superintendents are professional educators. Each of the superintendents know I am eager to be of help when they identify opportunities for me to do so, and we have worked together well.
I reached out to State Superintendent Walters to better understand his position and the possible consequences of any action by the State Board of Education. He said he would keep me updated over the coming month in advance of their next board meeting, which I appreciate.
Four Tulsa City Councilors sent a letter to the Board of Education ahead of Thursday's meeting to show support for TPS:
"We, the four undersigned Tulsa City Councilors, kindly request that you keep Tulsa Public Schools accreditation intact. We represent the communities within Tulsa with most of our Title I Schools, primarily serving low-income students and families. We acknowledge and understand that there is significant, complex work to do to ensure all children in our community receive a high-quality education. We believe that work is best done collaboratively with a focus on solutions and support for the second-largest school district in the state."
Tulsa Public Schools issued a statement Thursday about the postponement of the vote on their accreditation. This meeting takes place seven days after the school will begin the 2023/24 school year. It is unclear how this vote will affect the school being in session. The statement says:
Today, the State Board of Education made the unprecedented decision to postpone the vote on Tulsa Public Schools’ accreditation until the August meeting. The district has corrected the deficiencies identified during the accreditation process and is adhering to the collaborative, improvement-oriented intent of school accreditation. Tulsa is accredited and remains focused on welcoming our 34,000 students back to school on August 17th as we kick off another exciting school year.
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