OKCPS Families and Staff,
As we start this new school year, I want to provide an update on the OSDE guidelines and directive to incorporate the Bible as instructional support.
First and foremost, I want to reassure you that we will continue to follow the law and Oklahoma Academic Standards as approved by the Oklahoma State Legislature.
While we will continue to work closely with OSDE partners to understand and implement these guidelines appropriately, I want to be clear about what our approach will be at OKCPS:
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Teachers have been asked to continue with their current plans using the rich district resources that have been provided.
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Any reference to the Bible in our instruction will focus solely on its historical and literary aspects. There are only specific instances where this is appropriate according to the Oklahoma Academic Standards. Guidance on those instances can be found here.
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The Bible will not be used for preaching or indoctrination. We will maintain absolute neutrality and objectivity in our instruction.
Our schools are a safe and welcoming place for all students, and I want to emphasize OKCPS's unwavering commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and respect for all religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds. It is the core of who we are and must guide all that we do.
Our goal is to provide a balanced, objective approach that respects diverse beliefs while adhering to both state requirements and federal laws and regulations. We have to trust in our teachers’ professionalism and their ability to implement the curriculum as intended, while being mindful of our requirements as we navigate this moment in time.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that I have been publicly quiet on this issue over the past few weeks, and that was my intention. I needed to ensure our curriculum team could identify when the historical document was referenced in our pacing guide and allow the legal team to do their research. I also took this time to receive input from the teachers' and principals' unions.
Along with doing our due diligence internally, it was also very important to me that we allowed our teachers to enjoy the rest of their summer with my commitment that when they returned to the classroom, I would share our plans with them first—and our families right after that, before we speak to anyone on the outside. In my family, when there’s a challenge, we come to the table together inside the house to talk about it before we discuss it with others. OKCPS is my family, so I wanted to be sure we had time to talk about it together here first.
It’s important that we continue to move through this together - because we do it better when we do it together.
Thank you for your ongoing support of OKCPS and your unwavering dedication to our kids. As we move forward together, please trust that in all things I am committed to focusing on students, supporting our principals, and protecting our teachers.
Take care,
Dr. Jamie Polk
Superintendent
