by Theresa Hinman
Last week, Governor Stitt replaced three state board of education members citing poor standardized test performance and controversies. He pointed to low NAEP scores that rank Oklahoma 49th nationally—even though the board is entirely his appointees—raising questions about his judgement.
So why remove only half the board, if performance was the issue?
Adding complexity, the Governor later shifted his rationale. He postured that collecting addresses and immigration status for children ages 6 to 8 is not a public safety concern. He weaponized this alteration to justify removing board members who supported the rule requiring proof of U.S. citizenship or legal status for school enrollment. Ponder this, if Governor Stitt truly prioritized student outcomes, he should have overhauled the entire board—or even reconsidered his own leadership.
Could the Govenor be using education and students as political pawns to advance his political aspirations?
How will this impact of the upcoming state board of education agenda scheduled for the end of the month?
At that meeting, the Board was supposed to vote on the proposed academic standards which included the incorporation of American Indian social studies curriculum into the classroom. The curriculum was developed in collaboration with Citizens of Tribal Nations.
Until Govenor Stitt's appointees are confirmed by the Senate, will the former Board of Education members be permitted to serve?
The time sensitive State of Oklahoma Board of Education vote is necessary to move the curriculum forward for legislative approval during their session. Because of the dismissal of these members, the Govenor removed the only Citizen of a Federally recognized Nation of American Indians, Kendra Wesson. Because of this, our Tribal Nations are without representation on the Board of Education.
Oklahomans are urged to scrutinize the motivations behind these decisions.
