OKLA STATE ED SUP RYAN WALTERS CONTINUES TO ATTACK OKLAHOMA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
In a shocking turn of events, it seems that the Oklahoma State Department of Education is in a bit of a pickle. According to a former employee, State Superintendent Ryan Walters is neglecting to fill "key personnel" positions, which could jeopardize grant money.
Terri Grissom, the former Director of Grant Development, claims that Walters is not hiring important staff members in a timely manner. Grissom, who had planned on staying with OSDE until her retirement, resigned on April 18th due to feeling underutilized and wasting taxpayers' money.
Apparently, some "key personnel" grantor positions have been listed on OSDE's website, but one particular position for a new grant called "Project Respect" has not been filled since the Project Director resigned in March. Grissom believes that there is a lack of transparency and direction under the current OSDE administration, which could put competitive grants at risk.
But fear not, dear readers, for there is still hope. The Oklahoma State Department of Education's website currently has nine positions available as of Monday afternoon. However, grant writing or managing is not listed in any of the job descriptions. News 4 reached out to OSDE for clarification on how many grant positions are open and how many have been filled in the last month, but their questions were met with a vague statement from OSDE spokesperson Justin Holcomb.
Holcomb claimed that the reporting was inaccurate, which left News 4 scratching their heads. A follow-up email was sent to Holcomb asking for clarification on what was inaccurate and if OSDE intended on answering the above listed questions. But alas, Holcomb has yet to respond to News 4's latest inquiry.
So what does this all mean for the future of Oklahoma's public education system? Will grant money be lost due to a lack of "key personnel" positions being filled? Will OSDE ever answer News 4's questions? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the Oklahoma State Department of Education could use a bit of a wake-up call.
In the meantime, if anyone is looking for a job in grant writing or managing, it seems like OSDE could use your help. Just be prepared to wait for federal approval before you can even be offered the job. And who knows, maybe you'll be the missing piece that OSDE needs to turn things around and avoid losing grant money. It's worth a shot, right?
Fmr. OSDE employee claims 'key personnel' positions are not being filled, jeopardizing grant money https://kfor.com/news/local/fmr-osde-employee-claims-positions-are-not-being-filled-jeopardizing-grant-money/
