03/28/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/28/2024 09:03
Oklahoma City - As Oklahoma State Superintendent for Public Schools Ryan Walters faces increasing scrutiny and escalating calls for his ouster, state officials used ties and an extension cord to close off the entrance to the Oklahoma State Department of Education ahead of a highly anticipated State Board of Education meeting in what The Oklahoman is calling a "dramatic change of enforcement protocol." In a clear effort to silence Oklahomans waiting outside in order to gain entrance to the State Board of Education meeting, a new rule was posted on the building barring people from waiting outside the building between 11 p.m. Wednesday night and 6 a.m. Thursday morning. This occurred despite the fact that, as Fox 25reports, members of the public have previously camped overnight to reserve a spot at the board meetings, where seating and opportunities for public comments are extremely limited.
According to The Oklahoman, "spokespeople for both the OSDE and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, which handles security for the building, wouldn't say Wednesday night who asked for the change."
Laurel Powell, spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, responded to these developments: "It is the right of Oklahoma parents to be able to express their concerns to the State Board of Education. The fact that Ryan Walters, who is facing calls for his removal and scrutiny from all directions, appears scared to hear from them, once again shows his unfitness for office. What is he so afraid of hearing from Oklahoma parents and community members?"
This new escalation from OSDE comes as State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters faces continued backlash from Oklahoma parents and dwindling poll numbers. Under his watch, Oklahoma schools are in a race to the bottom of the national education standings (49th nationally in K-12 education), all while there continues to be a mass exodus of staff from the Oklahoma State Department of Education, repeated clashes with state legislatures, and dangerous rhetoric and policies that have left Oklahoma's 2SLGBTQI (two spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex+) students reporting feeling unsafe in the state's schools in the wake of the death of Nex Benedict.
"I believe we have a right as citizens to be anywhere we want to be on this ground... this is the people's ground," concerned resident Mike Howe told Fox 25.
Added Erica Watkins, ""We do want to have an ability... to speak as, you know, constituents and of parents that have kids in Oklahoma public school."
Read more on these latest developments:
Fox 25: 'This is the people's ground': Ties, electrical cord used to lock OSDE entrance
The Oklahoman: New security rule posted at the Capitol alarmed a group lined up for an OSDE meeting
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