Tulsa Public Schools Board Meeting Highlights Worries Ahead Of State Board's Decision On Accreditation

Students from Tulsa Public Schools are concerned about their education this year due to the uncertainty of the district's accreditation status.

Monday, August 21st 2023, 9:59 pm

By: Chinh Doan

TULSA, Okla. -

It's another full house Monday night at the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education meeting.

There are lots of concerns and questions ahead of the State Board of Education considering changing the accreditation status of TPS. More than two dozen people signed up to speak at the meeting.

Supporters of Tulsa Public Schools are passing out fliers on how people can support the district while its accreditation is up for debate.

"I have a daughter, and she's entering kindergarten in Tulsa Public Schools next year, and so I really want to do everything I can to protect the district and make sure it's got her back," said Gene Perry, Protect TPS organizer.

The group, Protect TPS, has given out dozens of these shirts saying "I Am" or "Yo Soy" in Spanish. Even the superintendent and board members are wearing the shirts.

"Tulsa Public Schools is of and by the community here in Tulsa, and we don't need somebody in Oklahoma City coming in and taking over and taking away our ability on the local level as parents, as teachers, as local voters to say, 'This is what we want our schools to be,' and that's what's being threatened right now," said Perry.

Inside the board meeting, 25 people signed up for the public comment portion. One of those is a former member of the state board of education, Tim Gilpin -- who says bringing up accreditation is like a nuclear bomb to a district.

"Tonight, I would just like to briefly talk about that there are rules and procedures that should have been followed that aren't, and because they're not being followed, it raises the issue of why and what is really the destination point here from the state level?" asked Gilpin.

Gilpin questions state Superintendent Ryan Walters' motives and hopes the current state board will do the right thing and what's best for students and teachers.

"The correct way to do would be address it with the school district what issues there are, there are a series of comments, a series of communications, there is a process of going through issues with the district that are all laid out in the rules and regulations,” said Gilpin.

The next state board of education meeting is this Thursday morning in Oklahoma City.

The group Protect TPS has an online petition that has more than 5,000 signatures.

WATCH: Ryan Walters Press Conference About Tulsa Public Schools

What Did Ryan Walters Say About Tulsa Public Schools?

State Superintendent Ryan Walters laid down a list of guidelines and benchmarks for the Tulsa Public Schools this upcoming year and called for new leadership while a vote on the district's accreditation status looms. Walters, under his TPS Improvement Plan, said he wants to see the district re-orient finances to serve students, increase reading proficiency scores to the state average, and get TPS schools off the F-List.

This comes after a slew of meetings over the past several weeks with the State Board of Education regarding that district's accreditation status. The State School Board plans to vote on the accreditation issue one week after school starts. The district's accreditation is currently in the warning status.

The TPS district was found to have been in violation of House Bill 1775 last year, which regulates how sex and gender are taught in classrooms.

Have other school districts been impacted by accreditation in Oklahoma?

News On 6 Political Analyst Scott Mitchell said he hasn’t seen anything like this before.

He said in the past, issues between the schools and the state were mostly financial, but this one appears to be more personal.

The state's Executive Director of Accreditation, Ryan Pieper, outlined some of the most aggressive actions the state has taken against schools in recent history when it comes to accreditation, saying students are in a better place today because of it.

The former charter school SeeWorth Academy lost its accreditation for the 2019-2020 school year, after the state said it wasn't complying with federal programs, and it impacted graduation credits.

Another situation involved the Western Heights School District in OKC, which was accredited with probation in for the 2021-2022 school year, after the state said the district had issues with financial audits, its nutrition program, and the district disabled the fire suppression system. It's the only district "takeover" Ryan Pieper can recall in state history.

Is the City of Tulsa or Mayor Bynum involved in TPS' Accreditation?

In a letter to the State Board of Education on Friday, Mayor GT Bynum asked members to accredit Tulsa Public Schools and said the City of Tulsa does not seek, want or need a state-mandated takeover.

Mayor Bynum made the two-page letter available on social media Friday afternoon.

This morning I hosted a meeting between Tulsa Public Schools Board President Stacey Woolley, Vice President John Croisant, State Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters, and Oklahoma State School Board Member Don Burdick. I appreciate the time and candor each participant brought to the discussion, and believe there is a sincere desire to work together to deliver a great education for students in Tulsa Public Schools.