TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson responded to State Superintendent Ryan Walters' proposed rule changes on immigration with a video on Facebook.
In a State Board of Education meeting, Walters announced he made proposed rules available for public comment on how to handle a student's immigration status.
A public hearing will be held on Jan. 17 at 11 a.m. to discuss the new rules.
The new rules would require legal guardians to provide proof of citizenship to enroll their students. They would also require schools to document how many students could not provide proof of citizenship.
Read the full rule changes here.
Johnson and Maricarmen Mitchell, Bilingual, Immigrant, and Refugee Services Manager responded to these rule changes in a video in both English and Spanish on Facebook.
Johnson said "Nothing at Tulsa Public Schools has changed in our processes or how we welcome or engage with our families. TPS does not collect, require or report any information related to immigration status to the state or federal governments."
Further, she pointed out that the federal government protects a child's right to free public education regardless of immigration status.
The Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe (1982) ruled that a state cannot prevent children of undocumented immigrations from attending public school unless a substantial state interest is involved.
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