OSDE Cuts Ties With Oklahoma-Based Education Groups

The Oklahoma State Department of Education will no longer work with a select group of Oklahoma education organizations. State Superintendent Ryan Walters is accusing its partners of working with "national extremist groups" and weaponizing against parents.

In its announcement, the department named those groups as the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center, and the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration.

News 9 contacted all three groups on Wednesday, but only received a response from the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration, which stated: 

"For the past five decades, the Cooperative of Council of Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA) – an individual membership organization - has served Oklahoma students by providing resources, professional development and public policy updates to superintendents, principals, special education directors and other school leaders throughout Oklahoma. Last year, over 5,400 educators attended CCOSA’s professional development events to serve those members, focusing on topics such as school finance, special education law and teacher evaluations.

These resources have been made available to educators in coordination and collaboration with the State Department of Education for the benefit of Oklahoma's 700,000 public school students. CCOSA has desired for continued partnership with the new administration.

As lifelong educators, we continue to encourage Supt. Walters and leaders at all levels to move beyond politics and prioritize public education with impactful investments and other support for Oklahoma students to succeed."

Walters did not provide any examples that prompted his decision when he spoke with reporters on Wednesday. "We look at groups that have continued to take money from schools and take money from taxpayers and say they're going to improve student outcomes and we see them weaponize against parents," Walters said. "We see them target parents and fight against parent rights and school choice."

Oklahoma State School Boards Association Executive Director Dr. Shawn Hime released a statement on Thursday saying:

"OSSBA is governed by locally elected school board members, and we’re proud of the work we do to support students through the education and services we provide to the state’s 2,500 school board members and their school districts. We strongly believe that students are best served when parents, families, communities, educators, and education leaders partner together. We know that every day matters for students. They are counting on us all to work in their best interest, and we are committed to continuing to establish and strengthen collaborative relationships centered on student success."

Websites for the targeted organizations reference support and training for educators and districts as their primary responsibilities. But, Walters claims the organizations have lobbied at the State Capitol against educational innovation and improvement.