Judd Legum: Oklahoma parents fight back

[Nevilledog]

https://popular.info/p/update-oklahoma-parents-fight-back

Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters installed a new social studies curriculum that will require all of the state's public school students to be taught conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and the tenets of Christian nationalism. Walters said the new curriculum will allow "students to think for themselves" and "not be spoon-fed left-wing propaganda."

Now, a group of Oklahoma parents is fighting back.

A group called "We’re Oklahoma Education," or WOKE, is distributing a form letter that allows parents to opt-out of aspects of the new curriculum, including lessons on "discrepancies in 2020 elections results" and "Judeo-Christian concepts of ethics and government as the basis for American civilization." The letter also allows parents to opt their children out of instruction created by right-wing groups, such as PragerU and Hillsdale College. Parents can also request that their child not have "[a]ny interaction with State Superintendent Ryan Walters in any capacity, including viewing any video or audio recording of Mr. Walters."

WOKE Director Erica Watkins says the group created the opt-out form because they consider some lessons in the new curriculum "propaganda" that is not "appropriate to be taught in school."

Ironically, WOKE is taking advantage of a law passed by the Republican-controlled Oklahoma legislature in 2024. The law allows "parents who object to any learning material or activity on the basis that it is harmful" to "withdraw their children from the activity or from the class or program in which the material is used." The letter warns schools that if the opt-out requests are "not honored, or if our child experiences discrimination or any mistreatment, we will pursue any and all legal, equitable, and injunctive remedies available to us at law and equity."

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