BY: ERIN CARSON
The legislative landscape of America has begun undergoing major changes recently, part of which stems from the new Trump administration that stepped into office near the start of the year, but another part of which is due to the actions of individual states. For instance, within the state of Oklahoma, there has been action and reaction at the federal and state levels, and various changes have taken hold within the state regarding education, such as the proposal of a bill that would ask for proof of citizenship with public school enrollment, varying responses being made regarding the potential dissolution of the Department of Education, and an investigation of possible racial bias in scholarships offered by the University of Oklahoma.
One major development that occurred at the end of January was when Ryan Walters, the state superintendent, proposed a new regulation that would ask parents enrolling children in the state’s public schools for proof of U.S. citizenship. The state governor and Legislature would need to approve of the rules before they’d take effect, however. Considering that the regulations have already sparked varying reactions from people throughout the state, plus that federal courts shut down a comparable law in Alabama about a decade ago, it doesn’t seem very likely right now that these rules will pass in Oklahoma. Walters had described the proposed directives as being merely a matter of taking count of the number of children from undocumented families currently attending Oklahoma public schools; it would not be a means of preventing such students from attending school. In fact, according to the Oklahoma Attorney General, the proposed rule would state that failure to produce valid documents as a sign of citizenship wouldn’t preclude enrollment. At the time it was made though, the proposed ruling came on the heels of President Trump’s first executive orders, which included taking measures to secure the American border, and declaring a state of emergency at the southern border.
Views on the Federal Actions:
In even more recent news, several Oklahoma leaders responded to Trump’s executive order meant to dissolve the Department of Education. The University of Oklahoma released a statement in response, merely assuring students that the university would work to keep everyone up-to-date with the most current information available, and meanwhile, that students should continue filing for financial aid as usual, finishing with a statement that it would keep advocating for policies that would support students, faculty, and staff. The Oklahoma Education Association President also responded to the legislation, though far more unfavorably. Condemning the act, he viewed it as an attack on public education, and a severe threat to the instruction, and accessibility to that education, of Oklahoma students, despite the way that the executive order instructs the Secretary of Education to continue “to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely” in the midst of closing the department. The House Leader of the Oklahoma Democratic Party responded as well, and also condemned the action, also seeming fearful that support would be taken from students with this executive order, and even that the state superintendent would take this opportunity to act irrationally going forward. The leaders of the Senate Education Committee, alternatively, were optimistic about the change, and though they also acknowledged the uncertainty that would come with the new bill, they seemed relieved that greater authority has been given to states, which would allow them to better serve their own students, and acknowledged the importance of these relocated funds being utilized to support students that need it most.
Seen From the Federal Perspective:
In addition to action being performed by Oklahoma however, there has also been recent federal activity regarding Oklahoma. In the wake of an investigation request from representative Mark McBride being submitted last August, which petitioned the federal government to investigate the management of more than $2.7B by the Oklahoma State Department of Education over concerns of it being improperly administered, there comes a new investigation into Oklahoma’s school system. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is now looking into scholarships offered by the University of Oklahoma, the School of Community Medicine in particular, as they may have been operating on conditions of racial bias. The investigation, a form of which is being conducted at 45 schools, followed a letter from the DoE’s Office for Civil Rights asking schools to “end the use of racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs and activities.”
As is evidently seen here, actions taken at both the state and federal level are affecting the educational scene in the state of Oklahoma, with it being undoubtedly one among many other states facing change.
