Oklahoma’s public school superintendent has responded to a woke school that tried to ban students from flying the American flag on their trucks last week.
Republican State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters released a statement X days after Edmond North High School boycotted Old Glory with student vehicles.
“No school in Oklahoma should be telling students they can’t wave the American flag,” Walters said.
‘Americans died for that flag, died so that students had the right to carry the flag, to wave the flag, to be proud of that American flag.
“My office is currently developing guidelines that we will provide to school districts to ensure that no student is ever targeted for attack for wearing an American flag. We also want our schools to promote patriotism.”
Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has responded to a woke school that attempted to ban students from flying the American flag on their trucks last week
Locals said they were furious about the decision, with one protester saying the flag “represents us as one and it is our freedom. There are people who fight and die for that flag every day.”
Walters’ outrage was shared by parents and students at Edmond North High School, who launched a patriotic protest in response to the ban.
Caleb Horst, a senior, said he found it odd that the school told him to stop using the stars and stripes on his pickup truck, especially since he had been flying them “for a while.”
“I’ve never really had a problem with it, and it’s our First Amendment, so it’s pretty hard for them to violate our rights,” Horst said. KOCO last week.
During the protest, the group flew several American flags on campus in support of the student.
Since Horst spoke out about his school’s decision, he has received an outpouring of support from other students, parents and local lawmakers demanding that the decision be reversed.
According to Edmond Public Schools, the district prohibits the flying of flags on vehicles.
“This is intended to prevent disruptions and distractions during the school day,” the school district told KOCO.
“We also do this to create a safe school environment, as flags on vehicles create safety issues in the parking lot and can cause damage to other vehicles.”
Caleb Horst, a senior at Edmond North High School in Oklahoma, sparked a local protest after he was banned from flying an American flag on his truck on campus
Edmond High School said it will handle each discipline on an individual basis
The protests in Edmond even received support from Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider, who said in a Facebook video that he “applauded” the student’s efforts.
“These are the people we must not only continue to support, but shout from the rooftops about, as well as their patriotism,” Schneider said.
“Caleb, you’re doing great. Keep doing it, and I want all of you to continue to support this amazing young man.”
Walters previously made headlines when he instructed teachers to incorporate the Bible into their lessons and keep a copy of the holy book in every classroom.
Republican State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters issued the order Thursday.
“Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools must include the Bible, including the Ten Commandments, as an instructional aid in the curriculum for specific grade levels, such as grades 5 through 12,” Walters said.
Compliance with the mandate is mandatory and ‘immediate and strict compliance is expected.’
Republican State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters ordered teachers to incorporate the Bible into their lessons and keep a copy of the book in every classroom
Effective immediately, all schools in Oklahoma must use the Bible, including the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support in the curriculum for grades 5 through 12.
“The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone,” Walters added.
“Without basic knowledge, Oklahoma students cannot properly contextualize the foundations of our nation. That’s why Oklahoma’s education standards focus on this.”
According to Phil Bacharach, spokesman for Attorney General Gentner Drummond, Oklahoma law already explicitly allows for the use of the Bible in the classroom and allows teachers to use the Bible in their lessons.
It is unclear whether Walters has the authority to require schools to teach the subject. Critics have spoken out against the order.