On Tuesday, state lawmakers took the lead in a power struggle over the executive branch in an ongoing fight over public school policy.
One of the bills coming out of the committee would add four seats to the Oklahoma State Board of Education, with two seats each to be appointed by House and Senate leadership. Senate Bill 1395 is currently being considered on the Senate floor.
House Bill 3550 would give the Oklahoma State Legislature final authority to deny or revoke a school's accreditation, rather than the Board of Education having that authority.
A third bill, Senate Bill 520, was scheduled for Tuesday until its authors withdrew it from consideration. If passed, the bill would move the entire accreditation standards process from the Oklahoma State Department of Education to another agency outside of the control of State Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters.
While the bill's authors do not directly address ongoing tensions between lawmakers and the Walters-led school board, ignoring the fact that the school board's handling of school accreditation has been controversial. I can't. Mr. Walters threatened accreditation last year because of Tulsa Public Schools' track record, a challenge that was criticized by others who felt Mr. Walters was politically motivated to turn his attention to the district.
Preparing to vote: See who's running for president and compare their positions on important issues with our voter guide
Walters then threatened to reinstate Western Heights Public Schools' accreditation after learning that one of the district's principals was active as a drag queen in his personal life.
And just this month, Edmond Public Schools went to court after the Walters Department of Education threatened to lower its certification because of two books in its high school library that contained material Walters deemed pornographic.
Senate Bill 1395 passed the Senate Education Committee on a 12-1 vote.
“This is the largest single government agency and we felt that legislative oversight was important,” said author and committee chair, state Sen. Adam Pugh (R-Edmond).
Strengthening legal control over accreditation decisions
Across the rotunda, the House Education Committee introduced House Bill 3550 by Tecumseh Republican Danny Sterling.
“De-accrediting a district is a significant decision that impacts local taxpayers, and this bill simply gives Congress some say before local districts ultimately lose their accreditation,” Sterling said. he said.
State Rep. Chad Caldwell (R-Enid), one of the two lawmakers who voted against the bill in committee, said a no vote would allow for more political interference in certification decisions. He doubted that this could occur.
“Since Congress is elected, do you think that if you move it to an elected body, that certification decision becomes more or less political?” Caldwell asked.
Sterling disagreed, saying decisions would still be made on the merits of individual school districts.
Certification standards reform bill withdrawn
But those hoping to reform the Department of Education didn't get everything they hoped for Tuesday. Another of Pugh's proposals, included in Senate Bill 520, was considered after Pugh said he had received “feedback” from his colleagues and suggested they may not have enough votes to pass. removed from
Pugh's education committee is unlikely to meet again by this week's deadline, so his bill will likely die this session.
This bill would completely change who has the authority to determine school accreditation standards. This would remove the Accreditation Standards Division from the state Department of Education and place it under the control of the Educational Quality and Accountability Commission.
Pugh said he has been working for years to reform the accreditation process to reduce the administrative burden felt by school districts. He also alluded to controversial decisions made by Walters and the Department of Education.
“I'm worried that we're justifying bureaucracy when it's meeting our needs, and delegitimizing it when it's not meeting our needs,” Pugh said, adding that the Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service, the border It was reminiscent of modern conservatives' battles against federal agencies such as the Guard.
“But if we like the agency, we just say, 'Well, that's fine, we can weaponize this agency,'” Pugh said. “I have always tried to stand on firm principles and principles, but I believe that is dangerous to the way we do business.”
Mr. Pugh reminded the committee that they had “done a lot of good conservative things.”
“But unfortunately, I've been told a lot that I'm unconservative just because I have bills that I think might be a better way for us to govern,” he said. Said.
