~~~~A longtime grant writer has shared with legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle claims that State Superintendent Ryan Walters lied to them at a recent public hearing and concerns that current and future federal grant funding for Oklahoma public school students is in jeopardy.
Walters has vowed that the State Department of Education will not apply for federal grants that run counter to “Oklahoma values.” https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/education/longtime-grant-writer-says-ryan-walters-lied-to-lawmakers-federal-grant-money-for-oklahoma-in/article_9963c36e-f028-11ed-a34f-ef0cab7f9acc.html
Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, expressed concern that Walters, who has centered his administration on culture wars, will not apply for grants related to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts or those that could benefit LGBTQ students. Walters has railed against diversity initiatives in schools and taken aim at school library books that include LGBTQ issues.
“We are very diverse, and I can’t allow myself to think that we’re not going to apply for grants simply because of (political) buzzwords or because they would benefit people that look different or believe different things than our superintendent,” Provenzano said. “That would be unethical not to support everyone with these federal dollars.”
She and Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, said they plan to reach out to the State Department of Education to seek clarity on the meaning of “Oklahoma values.” https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/education/ryan-walters-administration-pursuing-only-those-federal-grants-that-align-with-oklahoma-values/article_2d55e996-ef3c-11ed-9c2a-c308876eaa93.html
