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Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider – taking you inside politics, policy, and government in Oklahoma. I’m Dick Pryor with Quorum Call publisher, Shawn Ashley. The State Board of Education met Thursday and again took exception to decisions of State Superintendent Ryan Walters. Shawn, this is not the first time the board has pushed back. What did the superintendent present to the board?
Shawn Ashley: On July 7th, Walters announced in a press release he was directing school districts to provide free lunches to their students and to pay for them by reducing administrative costs or using carryover funds. Walters announced in a press release July 10th, that the State Department of Education was partnering with PragerU, the conservative education group, to develop an assessment for out of state teachers relocating to Oklahoma from states with what Walters called “progressive education policies.” And on Tuesday, Walters unveiled in a press release a partnership with American Virtual Academy, an online provider of primarily high school level classes that Walters touted as “promoting American principles rather than pushing a liberal agenda” that he said, “has proven to be anti-American, anti-Semitic and anti-family.”
Dick Pryor: What were the board members’ objections?
Shawn Ashley: A common theme seemed to be they were unaware of the initiatives until Walters sent out the press releases and news organizations like ours reported on them. One member, Chris Van Dehende, asked whether these matters would be coming before the board for input or approval. Walters said they would not.
Dick Pryor: Did they object to anything else?
Shawn Ashley: Van Dehende and board members Mike Tinney and Ryan Deathridge expressed support for districts providing free lunches to students but also expressed concern that the numbers just didn’t seem to add up. Walters told the board members that school districts were sitting on dollars. Van Dehende asked if board members could get a full reconciliation of the figures from a member of the financial team. And Walters said the agency would provide some information. Tinney and board member Becky Carson also expressed concern about the American Virtual Academy, which is located in Arizona, applying to receive parental choice tax credit funding. That’s the state voucher program approved by the legislature for parents who send their children to private schools. Walters said the school would have an Oklahoma address and meet the qualifications for the program.
Dick Pryor: So, what happens next in this dispute?
Shawn Ashley: At the end of Thursday’s meeting, Van Dehende proposed holding a special meeting in the next couple of weeks to address the role of the board and the role of the president of the board, Walters, regarding the hiring and firing of positions that are assigned to the board under state statute. But it seems that the question may be bigger than that: What is the role of the board and the power of the superintendent who is an elected statewide official in determining the programs and policies public schools are going to be required to follow?
Dick Pryor: Attorney General Gentner Drummond has announced that his office is getting involved in two high-profile criminal cases. Now, it’s not common for the attorney general’s office to engage in prosecution of cases, but his office has done this before.
Shawn Ashley: Yes, they have. Drummond said his office would handle the prosecution of an Oklahoma City man accused of damaging a weather radar and a former Choctaw educator charged with multiple counts of rape. State statute gives the attorney general pretty wide authority as well as some specific requirements for prosecuting cases we normally think a local district attorney would handle. Now Drummond has exercised that authority more than many of his predecessors. In some cases, he did so to dismiss charges, but in other instances, those cases have gone to trial.
Dick Pryor: Summer is generally a slow time at the Capitol. What’s the pace of things there now?
Shawn Ashley: And you’re right, it’s pretty slow right now, but a lot of activity is taking place at agencies, boards and commissions as they work to implement the laws passed during the past year’s session. That includes writing, considering and approving administrative rules that will later go back to the legislature. And state lawmakers are beginning to prepare for interim studies, many of which will be heard in August, September and October.
Dick Pryor: For more information, go to quorumcall.online. You can find video of Capitol Insider segments on the KGOU You Tube channel. Audio and transcripts are at kgou.org. And look for Capitol Insider where you get podcasts. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I’m Dick Pryor.
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