Two public hearings held Friday for proposed new Oklahoma State Department of Education rules drew zero speakers. The new rules would enact policies regarding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and teacher behavior.
The public comment period for state Education Department rules proposals often ends the same day the public hearings — which are required by law — are scheduled to take place. Members of the public also had the opportunity to comment on the rules proposals via email or regular mail, among other options.
Only nine people — five state Education Department employees and four members of the media — were in the board room in the Oliver Hodge Building during a morning hearing over the DEI rules proposal, which state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters unveiled right before Christmas to much criticism and praise. Erin Smith, the agency’s assistant general counsel, held the meeting open for 20 minutes but no one signed up to speak.
During the afternoon session over the teacher behavior proposal, the same group of people, minus one media member, waited as assistant general counsel Nathan Downey did the same thing Smith did in the morning.