School Districts React To State Department Of Education's Bible Curriculum Guidelines

Many school districts and state leaders are reacting after the State Department of Education sent out further guidelines about requiring the Bible to be taught in classrooms around the state.

It's also requiring districts to have copies of the Declaration of Independence, Ten Commandments, a physical Bible, and Constitution in every classroom.

Some lawmakers are encouraging districts not to make changes, especially with schools so close to starting.

Some lawmakers tell me districts shouldn't change their course requirements because it's up to the state legislature to change those.

Many districts already believe they're in compliance with these new mandates.

The new guidelines sent out this week outline the historical, literary, artistic and musical influence the Bible has had on American history as the reason for being required teaching in Oklahoma classrooms.

The guidelines also give ideas of how to apply Bible studies to different grades, like the use of similes and metaphors for kids in elementary school or critical essays on the Bible’s significance for those in high school.

"You are here to make sure that, when the pilgrims wrote the Mayflower Compact, and it's described there, why are they talking about God, why are they talking about Providence, what's their explanation for it," said Ryan Walters. 

State superintendent Ryan Walters said this isn’t about pushing Christianity on kids.

"You are not to promote a religion; this is not to promote one religion over another; it's to use the Bible in its historical context," said Walters. 

State Representative Melissa Provenzano advises each school district to continue with its current curriculum, especially with school just weeks away.

“To require districts to pivot is unfair and unlawful because if there is any new standard, we have statutes in place that the legislature has to approve changes to standards," said Provenzano. "Schools are safe to stick to what's in the law.”

News On 6 received responses from several districts like Broken Arrow, Tulsa, Union, Jenks and Owasso, who said they’re already in compliance with the state standards approved by the Oklahoma legislature.

Jenks Schools said it won’t change its curriculum and that “The guidelines distributed today by the State Department of Education lead to more questions than answers.”

The guidelines said every classroom has to have a physical Bible but the state department said it doesn’t have an answer on whether the districts or state department will foot the bill for that.

The state also doesn’t know which version of the Bible it’ll have districts teach, but Ryan Walters said if districts don’t comply, he will hold them accountable.