{"id":23520,"date":"2024-07-24T11:01:27","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T15:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=23520"},"modified":"2024-07-24T11:01:27","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T15:01:27","slug":"oklahoma-school-districts-defy-oklahoma-superintendents-order-to-teach-the-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2024\/07\/oklahoma-school-districts-defy-oklahoma-superintendents-order-to-teach-the-bible","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma School Districts Defy Oklahoma Superintendent\u2019s Order to Teach the Bible"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Abode Stock | Inset: @RyanWaltersSupt \/ X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Several Oklahoma districts are resisting the Oklahoma State Superintendent\u2019s mandate that the Bible be taught in public schools<\/a>. State Superintendent Ryan Walters issued a memo with the new directive, stating, \u201cThe Bible is one of the most historically significant books and a cornerstone of Western civilization, along with the Ten Commandments. They will be referenced as an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like, as well as for their substantial influence on our nation\u2019s founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution. This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country.\u201d Walters stated he was making the directive to communicate the importance the Bible played in the historical founding of the United States, as well as other events in Western Civilization that would eventually lead to its founding.<\/p>\n

The directive, however, has not set well<\/a> with a number of districts in the state, including Norman Public Schools, which issued a memo<\/a> refusing to comply with the new directive. Norman Public Schools Superintendent Nick Migliorino wrote the memo, saying, \u201cI\u2019m just going to cut to the chase on that. Norman Public Schools is not going to have Bibles in our classrooms, and we are not going to require our teachers to teach from the Bible. The standards are clear and our curriculum is very clear. And we\u2019re not going to deviate from that. I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m just going to be direct on that one.\u201d Moore Public Schools Superintendent, Robert Romines, also issued a statement saying that he believed the state\u2019s current standards are already sufficient. He noted that students could bring their own religious materials if desired. \u201cHowever, it is important to clarify that while students learn about religion’s role in historical and cultural contexts, teaching any specific religious doctrine or practice is not a part of the current standards. Our goal is to continue providing a respectful environment that acknowledges various perspectives while adhering to the set and approved Oklahoma educational standards.\u201d Stillwater Public Schools spokesman Barry Fuxa said, \u201cwe are waiting for that legal matter to be resolved. At this time, we have no plans to place Bibles in classrooms or incorporate Bible lessons into any curriculum.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walters told The Christian Post<\/em><\/a> that directives for the mandate will be released to school in the next few weeks. Many districts have stated they are awaiting those directives before deciding whether or not they will comply with the mandate. Walters, however, made it clear that the directive is non-negotiable. \u201cWe made clear with the directive; this is not an ask.\u201d It is unclear what type of enforcement Walters plans to use should districts choose not to comply.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Several Oklahoma districts are resisting the Oklahoma State Superintendent\u2019s mandate that the Bible be taught in public schools. State Superintendent Ryan Walters issued a memo with the new directive, stating, \u201cThe Bible is one of the most historically significant books and a cornerstone of Western civilization, along with the Ten Commandments. They will be referenced…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":664,"featured_media":23526,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nOklahoma School Districts Defy Oklahoma Superintendent\u2019s Order to Teach the Bible<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Several Oklahoma districts are resisting the Oklahoma State Superintendent\u2019s mandate that the Bible be taught in public schools.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2024\/07\/oklahoma-school-districts-defy-oklahoma-superintendents-order-to-teach-the-bible\" \/>\n<meta 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