Oklahoma’s public schools chief responded to a progressive school that tried to ban students from flying the American flag on their buses last week.
Republican State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters issued a statement ten days after Edmond North High School boycotted Old Glory from student vehicles.
“No school in Oklahoma should be telling students they can’t wave an American flag,” Walters said.
‘We’ve had Americans who have died for that flag, who have died so that students have the right to carry the flag, to wave the flag, to be proud of that American flag.
‘Right now my department is working on guidelines that we will issue to districts to ensure that no student is targeted for having an American flag and also that our schools promote patriotism.’
Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has responded to a progressive school that attempted to ban students from flying the American flag on their buses last week.
Locals said they were outraged by the decision, while one protester said the flag “represents us as one and it’s our freedom, we have people fighting and dying for that flag every day.”
Walters’ outrage was echoed by parents and students at Edmond North High School, who launched a patriotic protest in response to the ban.
Caleb Horst, a senior at the school, said he was confused when the school told him to stop flying the stars and stripes on his truck, particularly since he had already “been flying it for quite some time.”
“I’ve never had a problem with that before, and it’s our First Amendment, so it’s pretty hard for them to infringe on our rights,” Horst said. COCONUT last week.
The protest involved the group waving several American flags on campus in support of the student.
Since Horst spoke out about her school’s order, she has received an outpouring of support from other students, parents and local lawmakers demanding it be repealed.
Edmond Public Schools said the district prohibits flying any flags on vehicles.
“This is designed to prevent disruptions and distractions during the school day,” the school district told KOCO.
‘It is also done in an effort to provide a safe school environment, as flags flown on vehicles create safety issues in the parking lot and can also cause damage to other vehicles.’
Caleb Horst, a senior at Edmond North High School in Oklahoma, sparked a local protest after he was banned from flying an American flag on his pickup truck on campus.
Edmond High School said it will handle any discipline on a case-by-case basis.
The protests in Edmond even garnered support from Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider, who posted a video on Facebook saying he was “applauding” the students’ efforts.
“These are the kinds of people we need to not only continue to support, but to shout their names and their patriotism from the rooftops,” Schneider said.
“Caleb, you are doing a great job… keep doing it and I want everyone to continue supporting this wonderful young man.”
Meanwhile, Walters previously made headlines for ordering teachers to incorporate the Bible into lessons and keep a copy of the holy book in every classroom.
Republican state Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters issued the order Thursday.
“From now on, all Oklahoma schools will be required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support in the curriculum for specific grades, for example, 5-12,” Walters said.
Compliance with the mandate is mandatory and immediate and strict compliance is expected.
Republican state Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters ordered teachers to incorporate the Bible into lessons and keep a copy of the book in every classroom.
From now on, all Oklahoma schools will be required to use the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional aid in the curriculum for grades 5 through 12.
“The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone,” Walters added.
‘Without a basic understanding of it, Oklahoma students cannot properly contextualize the foundations of our nation, which is why Oklahoma’s educational standards guide their instruction.’
Oklahoma law already explicitly allows Bibles in classrooms and allows teachers to use them in teaching, said Phil Bacharach, a spokesman for state Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
It is unclear whether Walters has the authority to order schools to teach it, and critics have spoken out against the order.