3 large Oklahoma districts among those that won't follow Ryan Walters' order to teach Bible

Three of Oklahoma’s largest school districts — Norman, Moore and Stillwater — are among those that have publicly said they won’t be following state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters’ directive that the Bible be taught in every Oklahoma classroom.

Other districts say they’re still awaiting further guidance concerning the directive from the Oklahoma State Department of Education, which Walters leads, with about a month remaining before students begin the 2024-25 school year.

The state attorney general’s office has said Oklahoma law already allows for the Bible to be taught in classrooms, but doing so is a district-by-district decision. The Center for Education Law also has issued a memorandum to Oklahoma school districts calling Walters’ mandate invalid under state law. That legal firm earlier this year successfully represented Edmond Public Schools in that district’s lawsuit against Walters and the Oklahoma State Board of Education. In that lawsuit, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled the content of school libraries was a decision to be made by a local school board, not the state board.

On June 27, the day of the most recent state Board of Education meeting, Walters, a Republican, sent his directive to Oklahoma school districts, ordering them to incorporate the Bible “as an instructional support into the curriculum" for grades 5 through 12, citing its importance as a historical document.

“Adherence to this mandate is compulsory,” Walters’ letter read. “Further instructions for monitoring and reporting on this implementation for the 2024/25 school year will be forthcoming. Immediate and strict compliance is expected."

Walters added: “This is not merely an educational directive, but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country.”

Since then, Walters has spoken to multiple national media outlets about his directive, as well as his plan to incorporate the Bible into a revision of the state academic standards for social studies, which is separate from his directive. But his agency has so far issued no guidance to the more than 500 school districts throughout Oklahoma about how he expects them to incorporate Bible teaching into current curriculum, who will pay for Bibles and what version of the Bible might be used.

The Oklahoman asked state Education Department spokesman Dan Isett on Wednesday about the lack of guidance provided by the agency and when districts might expect it, if it’s reasonable to expect districts to make major curriculum changes in such a short time frame, what Walters thinks about districts that have said they have no plans to implement the directive and what action he might take against them if they don’t. Here was Isett’s response, in full, which he attributed to Walters:

“Oklahoma students will be taught history, and that includes the influence of the Bible as a founding document. Any school violating the standards will have swift action taken to get them back on track. Several Oklahoma school districts have shown more concern about keeping porn in schools rather than teaching actual history. They may not like it, but they will do it.”

Not all school districts intend to comply with Ryan Walters' mandate

But some districts say they won’t. Norman Public Schools Superintendent Nick Migliorino was direct in an interview last Wednesday with the Norman Transcript: “I’m just going to cut to the chase on that. Norman Public Schools is not going to have Bibles in our classrooms, and we are not going to require our teachers to teach from the Bible. The standards are clear and our curriculum is very clear. And we’re not going to deviate from that.”

Migliorino also told the Transcript, “We’re going to follow the law, we’re going to provide a great opportunity for our students, we’re going to do right by our students and right by our teachers, and we’re not going to have Bibles in our classrooms.”

Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, D-Norman, and two other Democratic Norman legislators, Rep. Annie Menz and Rep. Jared Deck, issued a news release in support of Migliorino’s decision.

“State statute allows for Bibles to be classrooms already,” Rosecrants said. “When I was teaching, not only did I have one in my classroom library, along with other sacred texts from various religions, I used it in compare and contrast lessons while covering the major world religions, which is also in our academic standards. But there never should be a mandate to have a Bible in every classroom nor should there be a requirement to teach out of it, as the state superintendent has declared. I’m proud of Norman Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Nick Migliorino, for standing up for local control and common sense, and I fully expect other public school districts to do the same. The Constitution is on their side.”

In response to a survey of school districts in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, Stillwater Public Schools spokesman Barry Fuxa said, “Knowing that there is disagreement at the state level, we are waiting for that legal matter to be resolved. At this time, we have no plans to place Bibles in classrooms or incorporate Bible lessons into any curriculum.”

On Wednesday, in a back-to-school letter sent to parents of Moore Public Schools students, Superintendent Robert Romines had similar thoughts. Romines said Moore’s curriculum currently adheres to Oklahoma State Academic Standards, which “acknowledge the significant influence of various religions in the development of world history and culture.” He said the district has adhered to those standards since they were implemented in 2019.

“MPS students have been and will continue to be allowed to bring their own religious texts, including the Bible, and additionally, are not prohibited from using their library access and/or district-provided technology devices to access religious texts,” Romines said.

“However, it is important to clarify that while students learn about religion's role in historical and cultural contexts, teaching any specific religious doctrine or practice is not a part of the current standards. Our goal is to continue providing a respectful environment that acknowledges various perspectives while adhering to the set and approved Oklahoma educational standards.”

Walters referenced those standards in his directive, saying it “is in alignment with the educational standards approved on or about May 2019, with which all districts must comply.” However, those standards are what he’s now seeking to change, with an “executive review committee” consisting mostly of national conservative political voices — and no Oklahoma public-school teachers or administrators — overseeing that process.

Districts still awaiting guidance from Walters' agency

Other districts are taking a wait-and-see approach before making a final decision about Walters’ directive.

“We do not have any information regarding this outside of the directive,” Millwood Public Schools Superintendent Cecilia Robinson-Woods said.

Crooked Oak Public Schools Superintendent Brad Richards said simply, “I am not sure yet.”

New Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Jamie Polk, who started in that job July 1, said she's seeking to find out where her district already has incorporated Bible teaching into curriculum.

"I tell my people, I do not have the authority to go outside of policy or law. I'm bound by that," Polk told The Oklahoman. "I philosophically believe any problem of practice ... you bring your people to the table, so that's what we're in the process of doing — bringing my people to the table to educate all of us in regards to, 'Where is it already in the curriculum?' The historical documents are there. I need to know when it's actually taught. I have not stepped out there to say one way or the other (about teaching the Bible), because I'm learning also. It's going to be real important I speak, and speak correctly, when that time comes."

Polk said her main duties in making that decision will be to "support principals and protect teachers. That's it."

The Mustang Public Schools district also is waiting for communication from the state agency.

“As a district, we are committed to providing our students with a comprehensive and well-rounded education while respecting our community's diverse beliefs and backgrounds,” Mustang spokesman Kirk Wilson said. “At this time, we are awaiting additional information and guidance from the State Department of Education on how to implement this mandate effectively and appropriately. Our priority is to ensure that any changes to our curriculum or classroom practices comply with state regulations and uphold our commitment to an inclusive and respectful learning environment.”

Spokespeople for Edmond Public Schools and Mid-Del Schools said those districts had no comment. Other districts — Putnam City Schools, Yukon Public Schools, Guthrie Public Schools, Purcell Public Schools, Shawnee Public Schools, Piedmont Public Schools, El Reno Public Schools, Western Heights Public Schools and Oakdale Public School — did not respond to requests for comment from The Oklahoman.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 3 large OKC-area school districts won't follow Bible-teaching order