Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has been quite vocal about his plan to force the Bible into the state’s public schools. He has even threatened to fire teachers who won’t comply.
But what if Walters doesn’t even have the power to make these changes?
It’s by no means clear that he does. Earlier this month, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued an email saying that Walters has no legal authority to determine the curriculum in local schools, reported Tulsa’s KOTV-TV. Drummond said Oklahoma law leaves decisions about curriculum content in local hands.
The Norman Transcript reported that state law “gives local school districts the exclusive power to determine ‘the instruction, curriculum, reading lists and instructional materials and textbooks.’”
Walters has been playing fast and loose with the facts. He claimed on Fox News that Oklahoma has “academic standards that tell our teachers that you are to talk about the Bible in reference to the Mayflower Compact, letters from a Birmingham Jail, the Declaration of Independence.”
In fact, none of this is true. The Transcript reported, “The current Oklahoma academic standards do not list the Bible as a required text in public instruction. The standards do not mandate any specific curriculum or dictate how teachers should teach. The Bible is not listed as a material to be taught in reference to historical documents such as the Mayflower Compact, letters from a Birmingham Jail or the Declaration of Independence.”
Some local educators are pushing back against Walters’ directive. John Croisant, vice president of the Tulsa Public Schools Board, told KOTV, “There’s a reason we have elected officials in school boards, to make these decisions for what’s best for that local community.”
In Norman, Superintendent Nick Migliorino doesn’t intend to follow Walters’ directive. Migliorino said Bibles will be available for relevant instruction but added, “I’m just going to cut to the chase on that. Norman Public Schools is not going to have Bibles in our classrooms, and we are not going to require our teachers to teach from the Bible. The standards are clear, and our curriculum is very clear. And we’re not going to deviate from that.”
Americans United has noted that the Bible can be used objectively in public schools for secular instruction, such as classes that talk about its impact on art, literature and history. It’s clear Walters wants to go way beyond that. He has repeatedly made the false claim that the Bible is the source of the U.S. government, and he’s lining up a host of Christian Nationalist figures to “overhaul” the state’s social studies standards.
Educators and parents are stepping up their opposition to Walters. The fact that he doesn’t even have the power to make these changes is a strong argument for them. They should use it.
If public schools in Oklahoma or any other state do begin teaching the Bible in ways that coerce and indoctrinate students, AU is ready to step in and protect families’ religious freedom. You can report violations to us here.
