OKPOLICY.ORG
Going back to school always brings both nerves and excitement: new teachers, different classmates, and high hopes. But this year in Oklahoma, students face a greater threat: schools, teachers, and classrooms shaken by the political ambitions and reckless decisions of our state’s school superintendent.
The most recent example came Friday morning when he unilaterally announced he was cancelling end-of-year testing. No vote from the State Board of Education. No legislative approval. Just a media blast; never mind that federal and state funding require those tests.
Ironically, the loudest critic of Oklahoma’s teacher union just sided with it on an issue the union has supported for decades. While changing how we measure learning is worth discussing, real reform cannot happen through impulsive press releases and media stunts. It demands inclusive leadership that unites people and demonstrates a commitment to improving schools. Instead, he’s chasing headlines.
Meanwhile, the human cost grows. Last year, Oklahoma schools filled more than 4,000 classrooms with emergency-certified teachers, or about 1 in 10 positions. That’s not a knock on the individuals who have stepped up to meet this critical need; it’s a symptom of a deeper problem. The chaos he continues to sow has driven highly qualified teachers to leave for other states or abandon the profession entirely.
For students, this means their teacher may be enthusiastic but lack the training or resources needed for the classroom. This high turnover also creates instability in the relationships that children need to learn and grow.
No matter the financial investment state leaders might make, Oklahoma’s children will continue to suffer if the state’s top education official is allowed to continue spreading misinformation and ignoring the rules.
Earlier this year, he quietly changed Oklahoma’s social studies standards to include misinformation about the 2020 election, a claim debunked by multiple bipartisan investigations. Slipped unannounced into the state education board’s packets, this new curriculum plants falsehoods in classrooms, undermines trust in our institutions, and teaches students that truth is just another political opinion.
Our children need stability, vision, and leaders truly committed to their futures, not chaos driven by political self-interest. Now is the time for Oklahomans to demand that our state senators and representatives use their power to hold him accountable.
Oklahoma’s children deserve a leader who shows up for them every day, not just for the cameras. Until that happens, classrooms will remain political battlegrounds instead of places where children can thrive.
