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The Oklahoma Supreme Court this week temporarily halted the state’s implementation of new social studies standards.
The court prohibited state Superintendent Ryan Walters and his agency from spending any state funds on the standards and ordered the state to continue using the prior version of the social studies standards, enacted in 2019.
The order came in a case filed in July by more than 30 Oklahoma parents, children, teachers and faith leaders. They oppose the standards because they present Bible stories as historical facts and include unfounded claims about the 2020 elections and the origins of COVID-19. The plaintiffs claim the standards violate religious freedom by favoring Christianity over other religions.
They also objected on procedural grounds and said the Oklahoma State Board of Education wasn’t properly notified the version they voted on Feb. 27 had been changed.
Five of the court’s justices signed the order. Two recused. Two dissented, with both indicating they would prefer the case go through a lower court first. Chief Justice Dustin Rowe wrote a full dissenting opinion, stating that issuing an injunction now — months after the board meeting and after the start of the school year — would be contrary to legal precedent and disruptive to school curriculum statewide.
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— Jennifer Palmer
Recommended Reading
- Oklahoma’s top education official has threatened to ban from the classroom any teacher who “attempts to glorify” the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. [Oklahoma Voice]
- The National Assessment for Educational Progress, called NAEP or the Nation’s Report Card, has long been considered the gold standard for understanding how American students are doing. So bad headlines were inevitable last week when the long-delayed 2024 results for 12th graders in math and reading and for eighth graders in science were finally released. [The Hechinger Report]
- Amid a political climate increasingly hostile to renewable energy, Oklahoma’s public schools could be losing out on a crucial revenue source. Over the past year, the Commissioners of the Land Office have voted down several wind and solar leases on state-owned land, going against the recommendations of their own staff and forgoing millions of dollars that could have directly benefited the state’s education system. [Oklahoma Watch]
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