OKLAHOMA CITY — State Superintendent and Education Secretary Ryan Walters, talking to the State Board of Education on Thursday, questioned whether the state should be sending its students to Oklahoma colleges and universities.
He introduced at first of the State Board of Education assembly that he has “great concerns about our state’s universities” being centered on ideology relatively than organising students for achievement within the workforce.
Walters mentioned he questions the present path students are receiving and “whether we should be recommending they go into these institutions.”
Walters, a Republican who was elected state superintendent in November and appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt to his Cabinet, has expressed an ongoing need to rid Oklahoma public colleges and universities of spending on range, fairness and inclusion, or DEI, applications.
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After his swearing in in January, he demanded a speedy 10-year overview of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s spending historical past on and present supplies used for DEI applications.
The regents responded by figuring out $10.2 million budgeted for DEI actions for the present fiscal yr, of which the state contributed $3.7 million. The regents mentioned that quantities to 0.29% of all greater training spending and 0.11% of state expenditures on greater training.
In addition to DEI applications coping with race and gender identification, about which Walters has expressed particular issues since his candidacy for elected state workplace over all prekindergarten by twelfth grade public colleges, the Higher Education Regents’ record of focused populations consists of navy veterans, adults, low-income students, disabled folks, single moms, worldwide students together with refugees, and students getting older out of foster care.
Three Republican leaders of Oklahoma House of Representatives committees coping with training watched the board assembly and responded later Thursday, taking challenge with Walters’ assault on greater training.
“It is clear the State Board of Education has no purview over Oklahoma’s system of universities and colleges, which are maintained by The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, a constitutional board. Even in his capacity as the governor’s appointed secretary of education, Walters has no true authority over the state’s system of higher learning,” says the assertion from state Reps. Rhonda Baker, R-Yukon; Mark McBride, R-Moore; and Anthony Moore, R-Clinton.
Baker chairs the House Common Education Committee; McBride chairs the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee for Education; and Moore chairs the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee.
“Data shows a college degree or Career Tech certification leads to better job opportunities and better salaries for young people,” their assertion continues.
“At a time when building our workforce is more critical than ever in our state, the superintendent should refrain from discouraging any student from pursuing higher learning.
“We implore the state superintendent to focus on the job he was elected to do, which includes supporting increased outcomes for the children and the educators in our preK-12 classrooms.”
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