OKLAHOMA'S MAGA MAD MONK OF EDUCATION RYAN 'RASPUTIN' WALTERS GOES AFTER TPS SUP DEBORAH GIST LIKE SHE STOLE HIS LUNCH MONEY
Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) and Oklahoma's State Superintendent, Ryan Walters, are currently engaged in a heated dispute over the district's accreditation status. Walters has accused TPS of having failing schools, poor reading proficiency, excessive administrative spending, and mismanagement of funds. Meanwhile, TPS has defended its performance and accused Walters of playing politics. The situation has become so absurd that it's hard not to laugh.
In response to Walters' criticism, TPS Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist expressed confusion over a video released by the Oklahoma State Department of Education that targeted the district's literacy and test scores. Gist said that the district has a plan in place to improve scores and that her focus is on the start of the new school year. Meanwhile, Walters called for a change in leadership for the district, claiming that TPS leaders do not want to face the facts of their failure. It's like watching two kids argue over who gets to sit in the front seat of the car.
The dispute has also led to accusations of financial mismanagement and a lack of specificity around academic programming. If TPS is downgraded, students could be reassigned to the nearest accredited school. This has led to anxiety among parents and students, with some seeking counseling services to help them cope with the uncertainty. It's like watching a soap opera where everyone is overreacting to everything.
But perhaps the most amusing aspect of this whole situation is the personalities involved. Walters is a Republican politician who was elected as the state superintendent of public instruction in 2022. He is a former teacher and a vocal critic of critical race theory and teacher's unions in Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Gist is a former teacher and an education leader who has been the superintendent of TPS since 2015. She is a proud graduate of TPS and has led the district to improve graduation rates, teacher retention, student growth, and curriculum diversity. It's like watching two characters from a sitcom who are complete opposites but have to work together.
In August 2023, Walters held a press conference at the Tulsa GOP headquarters where he singled out TPS for poor student test scores and alleged financial mismanagement. He also called for the dismissal of Gist and threatened to revoke the district's accreditation, which would force the students to enroll in other districts. Gist responded by holding a meeting with the TPS Board of Education where she defended the district's performance and refuted Walters' claims as inaccurate and false. She also received support from many board members, city leaders, teachers, parents, and students who rallied behind her.
In conclusion, the situation between Tulsa Public Schools and Oklahoma's State Superintendent Ryan Walters is nothing short of absurd. The dispute over accreditation status has led to accusations of financial mismanagement, poor reading proficiency, and excessive administrative spending. But at the end of the day, it's all just politics as usual. Let's hope that everyone involved can take a step back, have a good laugh, and work together to improve public education in Oklahoma.
'We Don't Understand It': Superintendent Gist Responds To Criticism Against Tulsa School District https://www.newson6.com/story/64da2dfb4809c0072d71709a/we-dont-understand-it:-superintendent-gist-responds-to-criticism-against-tulsa-school-district
'Where's the accountability': TPS board member says Walters financial attack is a misdirect | KTUL https://ktul.com/news/local/wheres-the-accountability-tps-board-member-says-walters-financial-attack-is-a-misdirect
'We need you here': Tulsa Public Schools offers families reassurance amid accreditation debate | KTUL https://ktul.com/news/local/we-need-you-here-tulsa-public-schools-offers-families-reassurance-amid-accreditation-debate
State Superintendent sparring with Tulsa Public Schools over accreditation https://kfor.com/news/local/state-superintendent-sparring-with-tulsa-public-schools-over-accreditation/
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FROM BING AI
Situation between Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters and Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Deborah Gist. Here are some of the main points:
- - Ryan Walters is a Republican politician who was elected as the state superintendent of public instruction in 2022. He also serves as the secretary of education for Governor Kevin Stitt. He is a former teacher and a vocal critic of critical race theory and teacher's unions in Oklahoma⁶⁸ [^10^].
- - Deborah Gist is a former teacher and an education leader who has been the superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools since 2015. She is a proud graduate of Tulsa Public Schools and has led the district to improve graduation rates, teacher retention, student growth, and curriculum diversity¹¹¹².
- - In August 2023, Walters held a press conference at the Tulsa GOP headquarters where he singled out Tulsa Public Schools for poor student test scores and alleged financial mismanagement. He also called for the dismissal of Gist and threatened to revoke the district's accreditation, which would force the students to enroll in other districts¹².
- - Gist responded by holding a meeting with the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education where she defended the district's performance and refuted Walters' claims as inaccurate and false. She also received support from many board members, city leaders, teachers, parents, and students who rallied behind her¹²³⁴⁵.
- - The Oklahoma State Board of Education is scheduled to vote on Tulsa Public Schools' accreditation on Aug. 24, 2023. The outcome of the vote could have significant implications for the future of public education in Tulsa and Oklahoma².
Bing, 8/15/2023
- (1) Ryan Walters (politician) - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Walters_%28politician%29.
- (2) Oklahoma’s top education official embraces culture wars. https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-education-teachers-superintendent-walters-c5c55e473eaeb0c94545c8ae5753149a.
- (3) Top Oklahoma official alleges teachers unions, China are cheerleading .... https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/education/fri-oklahoma-state-superintendent-says-teachers-unions-are-cheerleading.
- (4) Superintendent - Tulsa Public Schools. https://www.tulsaschools.org/about/superintendent.
- (5) DEBORAH GIST - Chiefs for Change. https://www.chiefsforchange.org/members/deborah-gist/.
- (6) State Superintendent Walters Continues Attack on Tulsa Public Schools .... https://theokeagle.com/2023/08/08/state-superintendent-walters-continues-attack-on-tulsa-public-schools/.
- (7) Tulsa leaders speak up about school district's accreditation fight with .... https://www.kosu.org/education/2023-08-10/tulsa-leaders-speak-up-about-school-districts-accreditation-fight-with-oklahoma-superintendent-ryan-walters.
- (8) Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Deborah Gist Responds To Walters .... https://www.news9.com/story/64d21fec33a09209cc76524e/tulsa-public-schools-superintendent-deborah-gist-responds-to-walters-improvement-plan.
- (9) 2 News interviews State Supt. Ryan Walters, TPS Supt. Deborah Gist. https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/2-news-back-to-back-interviews-with-state-supt-ryan-walters-tps-supt-deborah-gist.
- (10) Walters Announces Guidelines For Tulsa Public School District; Calls .... https://www.newson6.com/story/64d1731813ee03072ad7e8ab/walters-announces-guidelines-for-tulsa-public-schools-this-year-calls-for-new-leadership.
- (11) Why Oklahoma is Paying its Education Superintendent More Than the .... https://oklahomawatch.org/newsletter/education-watch-why-oklahoma-is-paying-its-education-superintendent-more-than-the-governor/.
- (12) Billionaire philanthropists pushing charter schools and school vouchers .... https://www.readfrontier.org/stories/billionaire-philanthropists-pushing-charter-schools-and-school-vouchers-also-fund-oklahomas-secretary-of-educations-six-figure-salary/.
- (13) Deborah Gist - Ballotpedia. https://ballotpedia.org/Deborah_Gist.
- (14) DEBORAH A. GIST - SUPERINTENDENT - Cloudinary. https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1530382043/tulsaschoolsorg/chi2qxljz86v6jiyw9az/deborah_gist.pdf.