Time for Ryan Walters to drop the 'culture wars' and improve our schools | Opinion
I suppose that I am naive. I always thought it was the responsibility of state school superintendents to promote the educational well-being of students. Yet it’s difficult to know where to begin to sort out the multitude of offenses against Oklahoma students and teachers that Ryan Walters has perpetrated or attempted.
We can point to his hatred toward LGBTQ+ students. We can note the constant political drama, the travel to Washington, D.C., the attempt to force Trump Bibles on public schools, the use of an X account to support Trump, his payment of bonuses to an out-of-state employee, and the denial of new Oklahoma State Board of Education members’ requests to place items on meeting agendas.
In an editorial of March 28, The Oklahoman observes that Walters’ track record on the use of federal funds is lacking. That editorial reports that “In a January poll with more than 4,000 respondents, 95% gave Walters an F for his performance since he’s been in office.” Even Gov. Kevin Stitt told Walters to do his job, and according to The New York Times, believes that Walters’ proposal for public schools to collect citizenship data from children “crossed a line.”
According to a U.S. News and World Report in 2024, Oklahoma ranked 49th out of all 50 states in education. Why is this man still in office? Should Senate Bill 990 — which would loosen requirements on election recalls of elected state officials — become law, it is possible that Walters could be removed by disgruntled Oklahomans. If so, Oklahomans would have an opportunity to elect someone genuinely concerned about education in the state.
As it stands, all that Walters seems concerned with is leveraging “culture wars” to advance his political career. This is clearly a breach of trust. Believe it or not, elected officials have a duty to do their jobs. Walters is not in office to promote his political agenda. He should be overseeing salary increases for the many dedicated, hard-working teachers in Oklahoma, and ensuring that students get access to good facilities and up-to-date textbooks. These are basic respects in which education in Oklahoma is clearly lacking. Might it be possible that addressing these deficits could actually help teachers and students? In other words, there are actual educational issues that Walters should address, instead of “culture wars.”
No matter one’s stance on “culture wars,” I hope Oklahomans can agree that a standing of second to worst education system in the United States is not good for the children of this state, its economic future, or the survival of an educated citizenry. A May 6, 2024, article by the Mises Institute posted that “ ... for Americans born in 1951 — that’s baby boomers — fully 80% were earning more than their parents. By Gen X that was down to 60%. For Millennials it’s barely 50%. We can only imagine what’s coming for the Zoomers.
Oklahomans, is this really what you want for your children?
Nancy E. Snow is a professor of philosophy at the University of Kansas. She formerly was a philosophy professor at the University of Oklahoma and director of the Institute for the Study of Human Flourishing.