Sarah Lepak Board Members | Oklahoma Department of Education
The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), with Superintendent Ryan Walters at the helm, has expressed approval for the Trump administration's recent decision to end $1 billion in federal grants aimed at school-based mental health services. Walters argues these grants were advancing DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) principles, which he believes were politically motivated.
Superintendent Walters stated, "From day one, I've been clear: Oklahoma will not accept federal funding that comes with strings attached, especially when those strings are used to inject left-wing ideology into the classroom. These grants were never about helping kids—they were about pushing a political agenda."
Despite objections from Walters, Speaker McCall and Representative McBride advocated for Oklahoma to apply for these federal grants through SB36x in 2023. This special session push has not deterred Walters from his commitment to keeping politics out of classrooms.
The Biden administration's grant program faced scrutiny when the U.S. Department of Education determined it violated federal civil rights laws by prioritizing race-based hiring and mandating certain ideological training. Recipients were required to educate counselors on topics like "systemic injustice" and "antiracism," which Walters contests do not align with evidence-based mental health services.
Walters further commented, "I applaud President Trump and Secretary Linda McMahon for taking bold action to eliminate these misguided, DEI-driven programs. Washington bureaucrats may want to push political activism on our students, but Oklahoma will continue to focus on academic achievement and student support that is free of ideological interference."
OSDE continues to focus on enhancing student outcomes through neutral and proven educational strategies, and under Superintendent Walters' leadership, commits to resisting federal overreach to maintain state control over its classrooms.
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