No school districts have announced following Bible mandate, OSDE responds
It is under a month until the first day of school and so far no school districts have said they will obey the recent mandate from State School Superintendent Ryan Walters to have a Bible in every class.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - It is under a month until the first day of school and so far no school districts have said they will obey the recent mandate from State School Superintendent Ryan Walters to have a Bible in every class.
Wednesday in a back-to-school letter Moore Public Schools announced that they will obey the current regulations for academic standards which include not having a Bible in every class.
“Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum across specified grade levels,” the June 27 memorandum from Walters said.
"Making teachers teach from the Bible is excessive, and it's asking our teachers to do something intimate. That's why it feels like it's crossing a line because faith traditions are intimate, personal, and important to each of us. And it's all different and individual eyes asking teachers to teach from a context they might not be familiar with or uncomfortable with because there are lines and places asking way too much," said Rev. Dr. Shannon Fleck.
Rev. Dr. Fleck is a leader at the Oklahoma Faith Network and has been majorly outspoken since the announced mandate from Superintendent Ryan Walters.
"I would urge our state superintendent to focus on the education of the children in Oklahoma. We are near the bottom in public education, and this is not how we will improve our children's outcomes," said Rev. Dr. Fleck.
"Teaching any specific religious doctrine or practice is not a part of the current standards," the district wrote in the letter.
Later Thursday afternoon Bixby Public Schools posted on their website and stated that they will follow the current academic regulations as well.
"His (Walters') statement seems to be a tacit acknowledgment that his directive may not pass constitutional muster," wrote the district on its website.
Moore and Bixby are the latest districts that came out and said they will not follow the mandate.
KFOR reached out to others and heard back from Oklahoma City Public School District who said, "Teams are evaluating this new directive while also carefully considering its implications for OKCPS."
OKCPS joined Mustang Public Schools Thursday and responded to KFOR when asked if they are mandating a Bible in every classroom. Both districts agreed that they wanted OSDE to explain how to follow the mandate while also not breaking state regulations or laws.
So KFOR asked the Spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) Dan Isett to respond to Moore and Bixby having said they won't do it.
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KFOR also asked what directives are there for how schools implement this without breaking state regulations.
"Anyone that I've worked with has heard me talk about the rise of Christian nationalism for a while now. I think what we're seeing at this moment is a turning point where it's not being hidden anymore, it's just bluntly being said," said Rev. Dr. Fleck. "Christianity is not about power and authority. It's about taking care of one another, uplifting the poor, and standing alongside your neighbor."
KFOR also asked what would happen to districts that don't follow the directive.
"Oklahoma students will be taught history and that includes the influence of the Bible as a founding document. Any school violating the standards will have swift action taken to get them back on track. Several Oklahoma school districts have shown more concern about keeping porn in schools rather than teaching actual history. They may not like it, but they will do it."
Supt. Ryan Walters, OSDE
According to the academic standards currently in place a Bible is not mandated in the classroom. It is still unclear also if the rule collides with the recent Supreme Court decision leaving book mandates up to the local school districts instead of the State Department of Education.
With under a month left until school starts, it is also still unclear what swift action will come to districts that don't obey the mandate among many other questions.
In response to the school districts who have said they aren't putting a Bible in every classroom, Rev. Dr. Fleck said, "I would respond that with support. You know, that's that's something that I can't support enough. The line being drawn that is we're not going to teach religious doctrine. What we need to understand, though, is where is that line. Where does historical context become religious doctrine?"