Meeker’s Board of Education took decisive action this week when its members voted unanimously in directing School Supt. Jeff Pruitt not to follow memorandums from the State Department of Education regarding its Bible mandate.
In essence, the board told State School Supt. Ryan Walters that the Meeker School District is not going to follow the unconstitutional mandate requiring the Bible and Ten Commandments be incorporated into the curriculum of all classrooms from grades 5-12 beginning this school year.
For many school districts across the state, the school year has begun. Meeker’s School District welcomes its students today as do many others in the area.
The Meeker Board of Education should be congratulated for its action. We hope other area school boards will follow suit.
StateAttorney General Gentner Drummond has stated that Walters doesn’t have legal authority to set curriculum. That responsibility lies with local school boards, he has asserted.
The Constitution is more important than Walters and his political agenda and pandering.
Meeker School Board’s action this week lived up to its responsibility that AG Drummond has tried to explain to Walters, who doesn’t seem to want to follow the state Constitution.
Oklahomans deserve better from their State School Superintendent.
His mandate on the Bibles came on the heels of a State Supreme Court decision that ruled a contract with a religious charter school violates the state and federal law and is unconstitutional. The court ordered the Statewide Charter School Board to terminate its contract with St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School.
Drummond had filed the lawsuit claiming the Statewide Charter School Board’s decision to approve the contract was unconstitutional.
While Walters was not a party in that lawsuit, he criticized the State Supreme Court’s decision.
Not until earlier this week did the Statewide Charter School Board comply with the State Supreme Court’s order and terminate that contract.
In recent weeks Walters and the State School Board have come under investigation by the AG’s office for a potential violation of the Open Meeting Law.
Some Republican lawmakers this week have questioned Walters’ leadership abilities and on Tuesday reports surfaced that a group of Republicans are circulating a letter seeking an investigation of Walters and the State Department of Education on several matters.
It’s past time for Walters and the State Department to straighten up and start focusing on what matters most.
Leave curriculum matters to local school boards and allow their teachers to teach.