Dozens of school superintendents across Oklahoma are rejecting a directive issued by State Superintendent Ryan Walters, which mandates incorporating the Bible, including the Ten Commandments, into the curriculum for certain grade levels, such as grades 5 through 12. This initiative, announced earlier this summer, has sparked significant controversy.
Local news station KGOU reported that many school officials are not complying with Walters’ order. One superintendent, who spoke with KGOU, highlighted the challenges of enforcing such a policy, even in predominantly Christian classrooms.
“I told teachers that if they wanted to comply with this mandate, I would support them,” the superintendent explained. “If they need Bibles, we’ll provide them. However, most teachers, being Christians themselves, do not want another type of Christian teaching their children anything about the Bible, which is why they’re avoiding this directive.”
Rick Cobb, superintendent of Mid-Del Public Schools, expressed frustration over Walters’ leadership, describing it as erratic and causing uncertainty among educators and administrators.
“I’m not losing sleep worrying about how Walters might retaliate,” Cobb said. “I’ll handle it when it comes up. His unpredictability makes it hard to anticipate anything coming from the state department. We have to address issues as they arise.”
School districts across the state are resisting the order, citing Oklahoma law that grants local districts control over curriculum, reading lists, instructional materials, and textbooks. Despite this, Walters defends his decision, stating that it will improve students’ understanding of American history.
“We want Oklahoma students to grasp American history better than any other state, and we’re setting a roadmap for others to follow,” Walters remarked.
However, the likelihood of other states adopting Oklahoma’s education policies seems slim. A recent review by Forbes of standardized test scores revealed Oklahoma ranked last in the country.
“Oklahoma finished at the bottom of our ranking, with only 26.83% of fourth graders proficient or higher in math and 24.02% proficient in reading,” the report stated. “Scores declined further by eighth grade, with drops of 5.55% in math and 2.74% in reading.”