Less than a month before Oklahoma school districts begin classes, the state schools superintendent
issued guidance for how public schools might incorporate his directive that the
Bible be taught in every classroom.
In late June, Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters ordered school districts statewide to integrate the Bible “as an instructional support into the curriculum" for grades five through 12. While the controversial mandate has prompted outrage from civil rights groups and some Democratic lawmakers, Walters has argued that the Bible is "foundational for education" and a "cornerstone of Western civilization."
The guidelines from Walters detail how teachers should add the Bible to their lesson plans and how it should be taught for different grades.
“Immediate and complete implementation of these guidelines for the 2024-2025 school year is required,” Walters said in a memo sent to district superintendents. “This memorandum and the included standards must be provided to every teacher, as well as providing a physical copy of the Bible, the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Ten Commandments as resources in every classroom in the school district. These documents are mandatory for the holistic education of students in Oklahoma.”
But the list of large districts that have said
they won’t be altering their curriculum despite the directive has grown to at least eight.
The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office has said
state law already allows for the Bible to be taught in classrooms, but doing so is a district-by-district decision. Based on comments to the media and letters sent to patrons, most of the districts that don’t plan to implement the directive have leaned on that principle of local control in making their respective decisions concerning curriculum.
The Center for Education Law also has issued a memorandum to Oklahoma school districts calling Walters’ mandate invalid under state law. Earlier this year, the legal firm successfully represented Edmond Public Schools in the district’s lawsuit against Walters and the Oklahoma State Board of Education. Responding to that lawsuit, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled the content of school libraries was a decision to be made by a local school board, not the state board.