Yesterday afternoon, The Oklahoma State Department of Education held its annual Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Awards ceremony at the Cowboy Hall of Fame (or whatever it’s called now) in Oklahoma City.
Taking place since 1955, it’s kind of like the Miss America pageant for Oklahoma educators, only minus the swimsuit, evening gown, and talent competitions.
Okay, I guess that means it’s not really like Miss America, but winning the award is a pretty big deal. Finalists have to go through a methodical nomination and selection process, while the winner becomes a teaching ambassador, traveling the state to spread the gospel about the importance of Oklahoma teachers and public education.
Knowing all that, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Ryan Walters – Oklahoma’s anti-public education Superintendent of Public Education – took this year’s event about as seriously as a high school pot dealer does a geography test.
In fact, he didn’t attend rehearsals and showed up an hour late to the ceremony, just in time to screw things up and present an award to the winner.
For the most part, the 90-minute-long production went off without a hitch until a disheveled Ryan arrived (once again) an hour late with his OHP security detail in tow. He then proceeded to stumble his way through the ceremony like a new barista starting their first shift at the Harbor Mountain Coffee House.