TULSA, Okla — State Superintendent Ryan Walters has zeroed in on Tulsa Public Schools lately—criticizing the district’s academic performance and financial management. He’s threatened stiff penalties that could include pulling TPS’s accreditation at a board of education meeting next Thursday.
City leaders, parents and teachers have spoken in support of TPS—and now, it’s the student's turn.
Lance Brightmire graduated from Booker T. Washington in May. His recent impassioned speech was met with multiple applause.
“This is… a well-financed and coordinated right-wing attack on America’s public students and institutions,” he said during Wednesday’s news conference that included various city and state leaders.
Brightmire is helping organize a student-led town hall to voice concerns about the state targeting TPS.
“It sends the message that the state doesn’t care about our education,” he said about the accusations against the district.
Brightmire says Walters’ allegation undermines Tulsans’ intelligence.
“When he claimed 52% of our costs are administrative when the definition of administrative under the law would make it 4.2% at TPS,” he said. “It’s dishonest and demeaning to students who know better.”
Walters recently inaccurately claimed Booker T. Washington High School gets funding from the Chinese government for its Chinese program.
Representative Monroe Nichols joked about it at the news conference on Wednesday.
“I thought Booker T was in North Tulsa,” Nichols remarked. “Apparently, it is somewhere in Asia, I didn’t know that.”
Brightmire did not take the Chinese program, but several of his friends did.
“They are not being indoctrinated, I can tell you that,” he said. “A lot of them are quite critical about what’s going on in China because they talk about that because a lot of that cultural education is about what is happening in China.”
Brightmire worked as a page at the state capitol learning about the legislative process. He wishes the governor or legislature would intervene.
“When he has the ability to say ‘I don’t support this’ in public and he doesn’t, that’s concerning to me,” Brightmire said after Governor Stitt’s recent comments about the situation, which Brightmire called “vague.”
It’s no surprise to learn Brightmire took Speech and Debate during his time at Booker T. He credits his teacher, Kelly McCracken, for his public speaking skills.
Brightmire soon leaves for Brown University to study Anthropology and Political Science. He hopes to return to Tulsa to see a district he loves in tact and succeeding.
The Protect TPS student-centered town hall is Saturday, August 19 at the University of Tulsa’s Helmerich Hall from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend.
Click here for additional information.
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