OKLAHOMA CITY — For the first time since Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters has been in office, there is no public comment listed on the agenda for the September board of education meeting.
“It is insane to remove public comment,” said Ashley Daly, parent. “If someone has made the time to get there, it matters.”
WATCH: Superintendent Ryan Walters nixes public comment from Sept. meeting
In 2022, Daly started attending monthly board meetings. That was prior to Walters taking office. She attended to advocate for smaller class size and higher teacher pay. At her first meeting, she was the only parent there.
But once the meetings became heated after Walters’ arrival, she said they became too much.
“It felt angry, it felt divisive, and a little scary,” she said. “No one should feel that way at a school board meeting to talk about what you want for your kids.”
Parent and educator Sandra Valentine also attends monthly. She said she’s watched as, each month, the rules regarding comment change, including time limits.
“From three minutes to sixty seconds, to now, zero, that’s where we are now,” she said.
Valentine liked public comment because there was a record of parent concerns.
Daly now attends her local school board meetings where she said she feels her voice has a bigger impact.
Walters office did not return our email and call with more information behind the reason.
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