Ryan Walters, the leader of Oklahoma schools, shared his ideas about what will happen if the U.S. Department of Education (the federal office that helps schools) is closed or made smaller. Right now, about 20% of Oklahoma’s school money comes from this federal office. Walters said Oklahoma will probably still get about the same amount of money, maybe even more, because there will be less government paperwork.
Ryan Walters Wants More Bibles and Local Control in Schools
This means Oklahoma can decide more on its own how to use the money in schools. Walters thinks the problem is not how much money schools get, but how the money is spent. He says too much money goes to office work and not enough goes to teachers and students. He wants more money to be spent directly in classrooms. One big idea Walters talked about is buying more Bibles for classrooms using Oklahoma’s tax money.
He believes the Bible is very important to understanding American history and wants every classroom to have one. Some courts have stopped sending Bibles to schools and said local schools can decide what books to use. Walters also said that the state lawmakers, not him, decide how federal school money is used. He said he is frustrated but also said Oklahoma has given schools more money than ever before.
In short, Walters wants Oklahoma schools to have more control over money, less federal rules, more money spent on students, and Bibles in classrooms to help teach about America. This shows how Oklahoma’s schools might change if the federal education office is closed, focusing on local control and traditional values.
