On Thursday, News 9 spoke with Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters about his plans to implement a 50-question test for teachers coming to the state from New York or California.
RELATED: Superintendent Ryan Walters defends test to keep ‘radical ideology’ out of Oklahoma classrooms
Some of the questions directed toward Walters focused on a dispute between him and members of the State Board of Education after a television displaying explicit imagery in Walters’ office was reportedly witnessed by members of the board.
Fact Checking Ryan Walters: What was played on the TV during board meeting controversy?
Do you feel you owe the members of the Board of Education an apology?
A: I think that’s one of the most ridiculous questions I’ve ever heard. Absolutely not.
Why do you say that? You said they were lying. According to the House Speaker, what you said was true, and what they said was true.
A: My statements stand for themselves on this. I will not be distracted. Absolutely not.
You did say it was a coordinated attack. You leveled some very harsh words about that.
A: Go look at what I said. Absolutely.
You said it was a disgusting nature of lies leveled against you by board members. It was a coordinated attack. Crucifying your character. Do you still stand by that?
A: Absolutely, absolutely.
The next board meeting is one week from today. How are you going to face the board members? What’s going to happen there?
A: We’ll see how it goes. All of this has been a tremendous distraction. I know the media love to run with the story, run with fake headlines and nothing else. My focus has been on Oklahoma students on Oklahoma kids, and this being the best school year ever. We were leading up to the weeks before school started with all of this nonsense, which has been our focus. We are getting record teacher recruitment. We’ve had record tutoring over the summer. We’ve got the new standards in place, the best history standards, the best science standards in the country now implemented this year, that’s my focus. No matter what is going on, I will not be distracted from fighting for the parents of Oklahoma and the outcomes for their kids.
You said it was an attack on your character, but you also came out and called them liars. Is that not an attack on their character?
A: I know this is what you’ll want to talk about, and I’ve told you I’ve made my statements on it. You can go back, replay them every day if you want. I am moving on to better the education system for our kids. I’ve made it very clear how I feel about the situation and what was done. I am moving forward because that’s what we should be doing for our kids, and by the way, guys, I am constantly attacked and tried to be stopped from the agenda that parents put me here to do. Everything that you’re saying, when the teachers union is going crazy, peddling their lies against me and attacking me, this agenda is not Ryan Walters’ agenda. It is the people of Oklahoma. When I looked every voter in the eye and said I will do all that’s in my power to bring education back. That’s what we’re doing. But as you see, the coordinated attacks on me are because of what we’re standing for, and that’s what Oklahomans want.
With all due respect, it does appear that they were telling the truth. They did see something, you said you saw something to the speaker, and so that was the truth.
A: No, no, no. I would tell you, you need to do a little more in-depth reporting. You need to do a little more in-depth reporting on what was said in the aftermath by each one of those individuals. What they said in their interviews, and I would ask you to do that.
The next board meeting could be tense. How will you greet them? Will you have a private conversation with them? What’s your plan moving forward?
A: I mean, I couldn’t care less about that. What I care about, what I’m concerned about, are the kids of Oklahoma and the parents. I will not be distracted by nonsense. I will not be distracted by lies. I will not be distracted by attacks. My focus is going to be that every single child, every parent out there watching, has the best school year possible, so I’m not going to be distracted from that again. I know the media likes to get their clicks, and they want to continue a story going on, but listen, my focus is what I was voted on to do, which is make Oklahoma education the best in the country, the best it can possibly be, and that’s what I’m dedicated to doing.