Norman House Democratic representatives have voiced their support for Norman Public Schools (NPS) following its recent decision not to enforce the State Superintendent’s directive requiring the Bible as instructional material. The move, reported by The Norman Transcript, marks a divergence from State Superintendent Ryan Walters’s mandate for Oklahoma educators to integrate the Bible, including the Ten Commandments, into classroom teachings.
Superintendent Nick Migliorino affirmed that while the district will continue to make copies of the Bible accessible to students and teachers, its usage will remain optional and not obligatory within lesson plans.
In a joint press release, Annie Menz, Jared Deck, and Jacob Rosecrants, all representing Norman districts and affiliated with the Democratic Party, expressed solidarity with Migliorino’s stance. Menz underscored the district’s commitment to prioritizing student welfare, referencing its initiatives such as free lunch programs, which she contrasted with what she described as external pressures to curtail such programs.
Menz, who previously proposed legislation aimed at broadening access to free lunches in Oklahoma, asserted, “Our children cannot learn when they’re hungry. Our focus should be on expanding essential programs like free lunches, not on ideological mandates.” She applauded NPS for standing firm on its principles in safeguarding local autonomy in education.
Rosecrants, drawing on his experience as a former educator, emphasized the unconstitutionality of imposing a Bible mandate in public schools. He emphasized the importance of comparative religious education without compulsory adherence to any religious text, affirming, “There should never be a mandate to have a Bible in every classroom or to teach exclusively from it.”
Echoing these sentiments, Deck criticized what he labeled as unconstitutional overreach by the State Superintendent, accusing him of promoting what he termed “Christian Nationalism” through coercive educational policies.
While Walters had stipulated strict adherence to his memorandum, Superintendent Migliorino reaffirmed NPS’s commitment to its established curriculum and autonomy, emphasizing adherence to constitutional principles of separation of church and state.
The Norman House Democratic representatives concluded their statement by urging other public school districts to uphold similar principles of local control and academic freedom, suggesting a broader resistance to what they perceive as undue governmental interference in educational policies.