State Supt. Ryan Walters Comments On Bible Mandate, Bixby Public Schools At OSDE Meeting

Oklahoma's Superintendent of Schools, Ryan Walters, declared Wednesday that he will not tolerate districts that don't use the Bible in the classroom. Walters also labeled districts opposing his plan as "rogues" and, in the case of Bixby Public Schools, "liars."

Superintendent Walters specifically called Bixby's Superintendent Rob Miller a liar for claiming state funding is slow to arrive, lumping him in with superintendents who have said not much will change despite Walters’ insistence that teachers incorporate the Bible in lessons regardless of the subject.

Walters implied that Bixby has serious financial problems the state is trying to solve but offered broader criticism of districts that first claimed they didn't understand the mandate and now say they'll meet the new standard without changing current teaching methods.

"They've come out and said they're not going to teach the Bible because they don't agree with it, and they don't want it in our history even though it's clearly there. To be crystal clear, removing the Bible from our classrooms robs our children of a complete and well-rounded understanding of our country's history," Walters said.

Walters went on to state that districts must comply with the guidance from the state. Typically, the state sets standards for learning and leaves it up to districts to decide how to meet those standards. It remains unclear how these separate responsibilities will play out.