As Oklahoma schools gear up for the new academic year, a political scrimmage unfolds at the helm of education. Senate Democrats, led by Julia Kirt and Senator Carri Hicks, have cast a critical eye on Ryan Walters, the State Superintendent, over his recent declaration concerning standardized testing, according to the Oklahoma Senate.
Their collective voice echoed concerns of being led astray by what they deem a diversion tactic—a smokescreen to obscure the purported failures stacking up beneath Walters' tenure. "Another day, another Superintendent Ryan Walters political stunt. Oklahomans are tired of it," Senate Democratic Leader Julia Kirt stated, as stated by the Oklahoma Senate. They accuse Walters of leveraging the topic of high-stakes testing to shift attention away from numerous scandals.
Senator Carri Hicks echoed her colleague's sentiments, focusing on timing and opacity as the crux of Walters' missteps just as schools are opening doors to students. "Just days before school starts, the State Superintendent creates confusion instead of clarity," Hicks remarked, adding, "He's proven – again – that he doesn't understand how to do the job." Hicks commended the teachers and principals for their focused commitment to students amidst the ongoing political turbulence, as reported by the Oklahoma Senate.
