Superintendent Ryan Walters Responds To Republicans Calling for Investigation

Despite efforts by Republicans in the House to drum up support for a formal investigation into his department, State Superintendent Ryan Walters is standing by his recent track record.

Rep. Mark McBride, chair of the appropriations and budget subcommittee on education, publicly released the letter on Tuesday. Initially, only 17 other names were attached. As of Wednesday afternoon, McBride said that number had grown to 26.

“He does whatever the teachers' unions tell him to do,” Walters said about McBride and his letter. “He starts this letter full of nonsense. He knows every issue in there has not only been addressed but is sitting at the Attorney General's office with multiple solutions that we've offered and we're waiting for legal guidance. He knows all those things.”

When asked how often the State Department of Education communicates with the Attorney General's office, Walters said the two agencies are in contact on a weekly basis. However, the Attorney General's office sent the department a notice in July regarding unfulfilled open records requests, which noted its staff struggled to reach staff at the Department of Education. Griffin Media, the parent company of News 9, is one of the media outlets that made a public access complaint to the Attorney General's office.

“We are contacting the Attorney General's office on a litany of matters throughout every week,” Walters said.

Walters said he has added additional staff to expedite open records requests.

The Attorney General's office confirmed it received a request to issue an opinion on the subject of whether funds appropriated for school security improvements can be rolled over from year to year. However, the office said it would need more time to verify if its office and the department are actually in contact every week.

Walters has labeled concern from party allies as warrantless political attacks. Last week, the Secretary of Education sent a letter intervening on behalf of the school security funding issue, which the Governor's office said has yet to be answered. Walters claims otherwise.

“We've been in constant conversations with the Governor's team since then,” he said.

As Oklahoma's students head back to school, Walters reiterated his expectation that schools enforce the directive issued in June, telling districts the Bible must be incorporated into education as a learning device.

However, major districts in Oklahoma have since issued their own local guidance citing plans that suggest they will not follow the directive.

“It will be beginning here within the next few weeks because the schools are starting, we're having orientations rolling out, and we're getting more resources to schools along the lines with all standards,” Walters said. “And this is pretty typical with the beginning of the year. So, we'll start having trainings, resources that are pushed out, [and] more available on our website. Those are all things that will be upcoming in the next few weeks.”