State Board Of Education Upholds Mustang, Tulsa Public Schools Violations

The State Board of Education voted to downgrade the accreditation of Tulsa and Mustang Public School districts last month for violating a state law that regulates discussion of gender and race.

Both districts were looking to appeal that decision at Thursday’s meeting. A motion to further discuss the accreditation status of both school districts ultimately failed.

The meeting began with a lengthy public comment period with the accreditation status at Tulsa Public Schools and Mustang Public Schools as the main topic.

Related: Mustang Public Schools Sends Appeal Letter To State Board Of Education Following Accreditation Downgrade

Parents, administrators and attorneys for both districts asked the board to consider reconsidering the accreditation. 

“I don’t want my teachers to be scared to teach my daughter,” Tulsa Public Schools parent Ashley Daily said.

“A speech and debate teacher stated, ‘In my class, freedom of inquiry is key,’” Mustang High School principal Kathy Knowles said, reading from her phone. “’I'm concerned about having to restrain reasonable speech from students for fear of defending someone and it coming back on me.’”

“Students are wondering, ‘Am I going to be able to graduate and go to college? Does my diploma even matter?’” Mustang mayor Brian Grider said. “We were punished without this board's willingness to listen to the facts and allow Mustang to be part of the process.”

Tulsa Public Schools superintendent Deborah Gist expressed how upset she was with the decision that she called “arbitrary,” “capricious,” and “completely unjustified.”

“The board heard from people from Mustang, people from Tulsa who shared, what their actions have done are to create uncertainty and fear and tumult in our classrooms across the state, and they had no discussion on that,” Gist said.

Mustang Public School superintendent Charles Bradley said he was experiencing “disappointment with some dismay because all we were asking was for the decision to be reconsidered so that all facts could be present.”

With their accreditation statuses remaining at “accreditation with warning,” neither school district has lost funding.

Mustang and Tulsa district administration officials said their teachers have expressed concern of “messing up,” causing the district to lose accreditation and them to lose their certification. 

“I think there's true anxiety and fear in the minds of teachers, but it's that fear of, ‘Am I gonna (sic) accidentally mess up?” Bradley said.

“We're going to continue working with the state school board (and) the (state) department of ed(ucation) on how to make sure we continue to stay in good standing.”