Oklahoma City Schools Issue Guidance on Bible Teaching
New superintendent says the Bible should be taught only in 鈥榮pecific鈥� historic and literary contexts.
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OKLAHOMA CITY 鈥� New guidance from Oklahoma City Public Schools regarding a state mandate to teach the Bible requires teachers to reference the text鈥檚 historical and literary aspects only in the 鈥渟pecific instances鈥� that state academic standards allow.
In issuing the guidance on Wednesday, Superintendent Jamie Polk also advised teachers to document detailed lesson plans and not to stray from district-approved curriculum materials.
The Bible must 鈥渘ot be used for preaching or indoctrination,鈥� and Oklahoma City schools, the state鈥檚 second largest district, must maintain 鈥渁bsolute neutrality and objectivity鈥� when referencing it, Polk said.
鈥淥ur goal is to provide a balanced, objective approach that respects diverse beliefs by adhering to both state requirements and federal laws and regulations,鈥� she said in a memo to teachers, who returned to work this week.
Last month, state Superintendent Ryan Walters starting in the 2024-25 school year.
His mandate also includes a provision that all classrooms keep a copy of the Bible, the Ten Commandments, the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
Walters鈥� order aims to add extra guidelines to the state academic standards, which are a lengthy list of topics and concepts that Oklahoma public schools must teach. The Bible is not mentioned in the existing standards for social studies, English language arts, fine arts or music 鈥� the subject areas Walters identified for Bible instruction. However, the social studies standards require schools to teach about major world religions and the role of religion in the establishment of some American colonial governments. Walters鈥� guidelines seek a much deeper exploration of the Bible, including analysis of biblical passages, instruction on its influence in Western civilization and American history, and references to it in literature and fine arts. 鈥淭o ensure our students are equipped to understand and contextualize our nation, its culture, and its founding, every student in Oklahoma will be taught the Bible in its historical, cultural, and literary context,鈥� Walters said in a statement on the mandate. The order quickly became controversial over concerns for church-state separation and local control of school curriculum. Leaders of multiple school districts have since said their districts won鈥檛 implement more instruction on the Bible outside of what state standards already require.
Polk said her guidance is meant to give legal cover to teachers in case one of them faces a complaint. 鈥淲e have to protect teachers, and when this came out, one of the first things we did was we rallied together as a team, and I had the curriculum department at the table and I had the legal department at the table,鈥� Polk said in an interview with Oklahoma Voice. 鈥淚 asked the legal team, 鈥業f one of our teachers got in trouble because of the Bible, what would you need to defend them?鈥欌�� Documenting lesson plans, including the way teachers present the information to students, will be 鈥渆ssential,鈥� she said. The Center for Education Law, an Oklahoma City law firm that provides legal counsel to OKCPS, raised doubts over the viability of Walters鈥� Bible mandate. Any attempt by the state to direct how Oklahoma schools teach academic standards would infringe on local district authority and is 鈥渋nvalid under Oklahoma law,鈥� the law firm wrote in a letter to schools. Polk鈥檚 statement to teachers on Wednesday also referenced another, similarly polarizing announcement from Walters asking schools to provide a cost analysis of educating undocumented students. Walters said his administration would release guidance on the matter in the coming weeks. Families don鈥檛 have to provide information on their immigration status to enroll their children in public schools. The Oklahoma City district doesn鈥檛 ask for these details, and Polk said it doesn鈥檛 plan to start doing so.
The recent orders created a tricky start this summer to Polk鈥檚 tenure as Oklahoma City鈥檚 superintendent, but after 36 years in education, she said she knows 鈥渢here鈥檚 always something鈥� that will stir debate. She said she still aims to maintain a working relationship with the state Education Department to ensure students 鈥渞eceive what they need in order for them to have a diploma in one hand and a plan in the other as they walk across the stage.鈥� 鈥淭he topics change, but there鈥檚 always conflict,鈥� Polk said while looking back on the national controversies that erupted over past decades. 鈥淏ut as Americans, how do we navigate problems? 鈥淗ow do we come to the table then and let me hear your voice so I can accept your viewpoint, but you too then get to hear my voice?鈥� is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: [email protected]. Follow Oklahoma Voice on and . Did you use this article in your work? We鈥檇 love to hear how 社区黑料鈥檚 reporting is helping educators, researchers, and policymakers.