WATCH: Dr. Gist Interview On Resignation As Superintendent Of TPS

Dr. Deborah Gist sat down with News On 6's Jonathan Cooper to talk about her resignation and the future of Tulsa Public Schools.

For the first time since her announcement of plans to resign, we are hearing from Deborah Gist.

Outgoing TPS Superintendent Deborah Gist says she will be paid 9 months of her salary as part of her separation agreement with the district.

Dr. Gist tells me she negotiated the separation agreement with the board, and both sides felt it was fair based on the circumstances.

Gist's final day with the district will be on September 15th, and she tells me she felt her disagreements with the state were not going to get better.

She felt that resigning gives TPS the best opportunity to avoid a state takeover and that this entire process has been damaging for the city.

Yesterday, the state board decided not to lower the district's accreditation - something Gist says she was relieved to hear. She says her concern was that by not stepping down, the state board would have come to a different conclusion.

We also learned more today about her meeting with state superintendent Ryan Walters several weeks ago - that led up to this decision.

"I requested the meeting after he first raised the issue of our accreditation which was never in question before. Until the prayer rally that he had on our campus without telling us about it. He said because he believed that we were restricting prayer that he was going to go after our accreditation. He also threatened my professional accreditation."

Gist says the meeting was about 20 minutes long. She had brought up the district's plans for student achievement going forward, but Walters had no questions for her.

The board also decided to appoint the current district Chief Learning Officer, Dr. Ebony Johnson, as interim superintendent.

Related Story: TPS Board Appoints Interim Superintendent Following Gist's Resignation