Things are getting kinda spicy on the Oklahoma political playground!
Yesterday afternoon, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt stunned the Oklahoma education community when he rescinded the nomination of SUV video auteur Ryan Walters – the publicly elected Oklahoma State School Superintendent – to serve a dual role as his personal Secretary of Public Education.
As a replacement, he nominated Dr. Katherine Curry – a professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at OSU.
I'm proud to appoint Dr. Curry to serve as Secretary of Education during my second term.
— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) April 11, 2023
Our team is aligned and committed to improving education across the state for all parents, students, and teachers.https://t.co/6RUeyJfHiQ
In the official announcement, which totally ignores the snub, Stitt and Walters praised Dr. Curry – a.k.a. Katherine – and tried to spin the news as a positive. Here’s what Stitt said:
"Katherine brings a wealth of experience to oversee the many different areas of education across the state, including higher education and career tech. I look forward to her leadership and service as we work towards making Oklahoma a Top Ten state in education," said Governor Stitt.