Tulsa School Board members pushed back on an attack from Oklahoma Secretary of Education Ryan Walters on Friday. Walters, who is trying to become the Republican nominee for State Superintendent, issued a letter attacking DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) training.
Walters’ remarks came after community members called for board members to take diversity, equity and inclusion training. Community members plan to urge the action at Monday’s board meeting, following controversial comments from board members.
Walters responded by calling the requests for training to support students “an attack from the woke liberal mob”.
“Tulsa is a low-performing school district and I am demanding that you stop emphasizing woke policies over student achievement,” Walters wrote, even though school is not currently in session. “Stand up to the left-wing mob and start serving kids,” he said.
Walters’ grievance with DEI training runs counter to the growing effort across state agencies to establish safe and welcoming environments for all employees. In 2021, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services announced all of its employees would undergo DEI training.
Tulsa School Board members respond
Tulsa School Board members issued their own letter responding the Secretary’s attacks.
“You’ve chosen to dedicate your energy to politics,” the response from Board President Woolley and Vice President Croissant read. “We choose to dedicate our energy toward the long-term needs and outcomes of the children of Tulsa.”
In his letter, Walters also “demanded” that the board not to allow meetings “to be dominated by socialist issues”. According to the Secretary, this includes diversity training, even though such training is widely used.
“No.” the Tulsa School Board leaders responded in their letter. “We will not limit attendance at our school board meetings to exclude people with whom you, we, or anyone else disagrees.”
Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent shared both letters on her Facebook page Friday afternoon.
“I stand with the children,” Gist wrote. “All of them.”
SAD, SAD, SICK AND SHAMEFUL IN ACIREMA 2022, U SEE HER AND HIM, REALITY CHECK
Ryan Walters is not a Conservative. With endorsements from Ted Cruz and his followers, he is a Right Wing Radical of the Republican Party. The real Conservatives in that party are now being labeled as RINOS and didn’t cave in and follow 45’s lead of ignoring the law. They remained true to their oath of office and continue to do their job for the American People. Walters has followed his leader down the rabbit hole and will lose which will be a win for OK.