OSDE board member urges focus on improving Oklahoma's education system amid Ryan Walters controversy

A Department of Education board member prefers to address other issues rather than the recent incident involving State Superintendent Ryan Walters, who other board members allege had pictures of nude women on his TV during a closed meeting.

Chris Van Denhende says he's more concerned with Walters' plan to test teachers who transfer from other states, and Walters' violation of state statute.

The bigger picture

Chris Van Denhende says that this isn't about Ryan Walters or the board members; it's about helping Oklahoma's kids and urging the state to improve its national education ranking.

Related: Oklahoma ranked 50th in education, study says

Van Denhende recalls last week's incident

When two board members said they saw a video of naked women on State Superintendent Ryan Walters' TV last week, board member Chris Van Denhende was there, but says he didn't see it.

"My back was to it. Have no reason to doubt what Ms. Carson or Mr. Deatherage said, based on the reaction from Becky Carson, it was certainly something that was alarming to her, and based on Superintendent Walters' reaction to get it off the TV, he certainly seemed to believe that to be the case," said Van Denhende.

Related: Supt. Ryan Walters under investigation following allegations of inappropriate images in office; What to know

Redirecting focus

What's more pressing to Van Denhende is Walters' plan to give a loyalty test to teachers transferring to Oklahoma from other states that Walters says have progressive education policies like California and New York.

Related: Ryan Walters launches 'America First' teacher screening for out-of-state educators

"We're short. I think last year we had 5000 emergency certified teachers. The reality is, what teachers teach in the classroom in Oklahoma is dictated by this state's standards, and those standards cover the type of things that someone might be concerned about in terms of a quote, woke nature," said Van Denhende.

Another concern he has is Walters' violating state statute, which says the Board of Education is supposed to appoint the board secretary and the attorney. 

Van Denhende says 10 minutes before last week's meeting, he learned a new secretary had been hired.

"The message I received was that the superintendent, by statute, is named as the president of the board. It seems as though the superintendent is functioning as a board of one, making decisions and calling them board decisions. And that's just not how that works," said Van Denhende.

What's next

Van Denhende says he tried to call a special meeting to make clear who's responsible for hiring a new secretary or any position the board seems fit, but he says the board attorney wouldn't allow him to call one.  

News On 6 contacted the State Superintendent's office for a comment, but we have not heard back yet.