Why is Tulsa on Oklahoma schools Superintendent Ryan Walters’ mind?

Tulsa Public Schools was a common punching bag for Gov. Kevin Stitt during the pandemic as he criticized the district for closing buildings even though, like many large districts, it often lacked enough COVID-free staff to keep them open.

Now, state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters has picked up that baton to continue targeting the state’s largest school district, a predominately nonwhite school system of more than 33,000 students he says faces “significant and severe issues” and is “plagued by scandal.”

“They’ve been one of the worst performing schools in the state of Oklahoma,” Walters said at a state Board of Education meeting last week after threatening to remove the district's accreditation.

Stitt's criticisms of Tulsa schools during the pandemic were often a vehicle for him to promote school choice as he claimed parents "trapped" in the school system needed other options.

More: Why is Gov. Stitt targeting issues at Tulsa Public Schools?

Ryan Walters critics say focus on Tulsa Public Schools is part of a focus on 'culture wars'

But many of Walters’ critics believe his focus on the school district has nothing to do with classroom performance or parental choice, rather it’s that the highly diverse district has become a convenient foil in his continued pursuit of culture war politics.

“The culture wars he has decided to focus on involve so much of what Tulsa is becoming as a city, which is a diverse place that is accepting,” said Rep. Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa. “This is a district that has the most African American kids in the (state), and diversity is something he has really zeroed in on.”

Asked why he thought Walters hasn’t been as outspoken against Oklahoma City Public Schools, a similarly sized diverse urban district, Monroe said one big difference might be who is leading each district.

“Look at the district leadership of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, what's different?” Monroe asked, referring to the fact that OKCPS is led by a man, while Tulsa’s superintendent is a woman. “I don't think you can ignore that either.”

Deborah Gist, superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools, has publicly defended her district against Walters. During a news conference on Thursday, she said the state superintendent's accreditation threats weren’t focused on students, but rather politics.

“This kind of single-minded agenda and focus on these inflammatory threats are really the opposite of what I know Tulsa families want,” Gist said.

In a letter to Walters last month, Gist referenced the words “diversity, equity and inclusion,” which have become negative buzzwords in far-right conservative circles.

“Like you, I grew up in Oklahoma,” Gist wrote in her letter, which was first obtained by Oklahoma Watch. “I was raised with values such as hard work, honesty, kindness, compassion and service. In addition to my personal values, I share the five core values of Tulsa Public Schools: equity, character, excellence, team and joy.

“Equity is our most closely held value. At its simplest, equity is about fairness.”

'(Tulsa Public Schools) is being targeted'

Walters has said he is concerned about the low academic performance of Tulsa students, although district leaders have said he isn't doing enough to combat the social challenges their students face.

Academic performance in the Tulsa district varies from school to school, often correlating with levels of poverty. Just 13% of all Tulsa students met or exceeded grade-level standards by scoring at or above the proficient level on the state test, compared to the statewide average of 28%, according to state report cards from the 2021-2022 school year. The Oklahoma City district was at 12%.

Walters drew attention during last year’s campaign for his rhetoric against LGBTQ+ communities, claims of rampant pornography in schools, and his threats to remove classrooms of liberal teachers. That rhetoric has mostly remained since becoming superintendent, including a push to make evangelical Christianity prominent in schools.

More: Matt Langston sticks to playbook as top adviser for state superintendent Ryan Walters

Those in the Tulsa community say the rhetoric is particularly focused on them and it's doing harm to the students Walters said he’s trying to protect.

“TPS is being targeted, and I don’t understand that. It’s creating a toxic working environment,” Mike Howe, a former Tulsa principal and current substitute teacher, told the state Board of Education last week. “I have watched many former teachers — teachers I hired — choosing to retire and quit. We can’t afford it — we cannot afford to lose any more teachers."

Nichols, the Tulsa lawmaker, said he hopes other districts take notice of how Walters is “weaponizing” accreditation for political purposes.

“I think when you use accreditation as a weapon, it sends a really chilling message across the state that if you don't do perform to Walters’ worldview, he’s going to come after your accreditation,” Nichols said.  “I think he is making a calculation that Tulsa is a district with few allies, but that’s not the case at all.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Like governor, Ryan Walters often criticizes Tulsa Public Schools