News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed
Education Department Seeks to Buy Bible Lessons for Elementary Kids
Education Department Seeks to Buy Bible Lessons for Elementary Kids
While its effort to buy Bibles for classrooms is tied up in court, the Oklahoma Department of Education initiated a new vendor search to purchase materials containing Bible-infused character lessons for elementary-aged students.
The department is looking to buy supplemental instructional materials containing age-appropriate biblical content that demonstrates how biblical figures influenced the United States. Additionally, the materials must emphasize virtues, significant historical events, and key figures throughout Oklahoma history, according to bid documents published Friday.
The request for proposals doesn’t specify how many copies the state wants to buy, only that the vendor must be willing to ship directly to districts.
Like the Bibles the department sought in the fall, this request could be challenged under the state constitution, which prohibits public money from being spent for religious purposes.
“This RFP seems to be another constitutional violation,” said Alex Luchenitser, an attorney for Americans United for Separation of Church and State and one of the attorneys representing Oklahomans in the Bible lawsuit.
“It seeks to inject the Bible into public school curricula, and only refers to the Bible and doesn’t refer to any other religious texts, so it’s clearly a move to push Christianity,” he said.
The Education Department wants the character materials to align with Oklahoma’s new social studies standards, which have been revised to contain more than 40 references to the Bible and Christianity, compared to two in the current version. But the proposed standards haven’t been approved.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is expected to present the standards to the Board of Education at its next meeting, scheduled for Thursday. It will be the first time the board meets since Gov. Kevin Stitt replaced three members. If approved, the standards will move to the Legislature for consideration.
The standards review committee included several nationally prominent conservatives: Dennis Prager of PragerU, David Barton of the Christian Nationalist organization Wallbuilders, and the president of the Heritage Foundation, Kevin Roberts.
While standards guide what schools are to teach, school districts have sole authority to choose curriculum and books.
In November, the state abruptly canceled a search to buy 55,000 King James Bibles, an effort that attracted criticism for appearing to exclude all Bibles except an expensive version endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Walters vowed to reissue that request, but a coalition of parents, students, teachers and faith leaders asked the Oklahoma State Supreme Court to block the purchase and Walters’ mandate to teach the Bible.
The Office of Management and Enterprise Services, the state’s central purchasing agency, also wants to wait. It asked the court for an order allowing it to delay the new Bible request for proposals until the case is resolved. Two OMES employees are named in the lawsuit.
This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
The post Education Department Seeks to Buy Bible Lessons for Elementary Kids appeared first on oklahomawatch.org
News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed
Oklahoma City breast cancer survivor defying the odds
SUMMARY: Oklahoma City breast cancer survivor Genna was told she had about a year to live four years ago. After over a decade battling cancer, including being on oxygen and using a wheelchair, she joined a clinical trial at OU Health’s Stephenson Cancer Center. Now, she feels great, no longer senses her cancer, and is holding stable. Genna is back to gardening and training for the National Senior Games in Des Moines, Iowa. Her mindset is crucial—she fights back from setbacks and encourages others to keep trying and consider clinical trials. Genna’s legacy is resilience, inspiring her family and community.
An Oklahoma City breast cancer survivor is redefining what’s possible after what appeared to be a terminal diagnosis.
Stay informed about Oklahoma news and weather! Follow KFOR News 4 on our website and social channels.
https://kfor.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/kfor4news
https://www.facebook.com/kfor4
https://twitter.com/kfor
https://www.instagram.com/kfortv4/
News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed
Body of missing 22-year-old swimmer recovered
SUMMARY: The body of 22-year-old Michael Jayden De Barra, who went missing while swimming in the Deep Fork River on the 4th of July, was recovered Saturday morning. Rescue crews initially suspended their search Friday due to turbulent waters but resumed at 11:00 AM Saturday after a police drone located his body downstream. Family members, devastated by the tragic loss during their holiday celebration, described Michael as charming, a family man who loved God, animals, Morgan Wallen, and was a proud business owner. The family has requested privacy, and a GoFundMe has been established to support them during this difficult time.
New Event Stay informed about Oklahoma news and weather! Follow KFOR News 4 on our website and social channels.
News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed
Search on hold for missing swimmer
SUMMARY: Search efforts for a missing 22-year-old swimmer in Northeast Oklahoma County have been put on hold after he went under the Deep Fork River near Bullhead Falls. The incident occurred around 1 p.m. on July 4 during a holiday outing with friends. Emergency crews from Oklahoma City and Luther, including a helicopter, searched extensively but were forced to call off the operation due to dangerous conditions like strong currents, recent heavy rains, and submerged trees. Rescuers say the man was swept away by roaring rapids; despite attempts, it was too risky to continue water searches. The family remains in grief, hoping for updates.
Search on hold for missing swimmer
Stay informed about Oklahoma news and weather! Follow KFOR News 4 on our website and social channels.
https://kfor.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/kfor4news
https://www.facebook.com/kfor4
https://twitter.com/kfor
https://www.instagram.com/kfortv4/
-
News from the South - Arkansas News Feed7 days ago
Real-life Uncle Sam's descendants live in Arkansas
-
News from the South - Georgia News Feed6 days ago
'Big Beautiful Bill' already felt at Georgia state parks | FOX 5 News
-
News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed6 days ago
LOFT report uncovers what led to multi-million dollar budget shortfall
-
Local News6 days ago
Maroon Tide football duo commits to two different SEC Teams!
-
The Center Square4 days ago
Here are the violent criminals Judge Murphy tried to block from deportation | Massachusetts
-
News from the South - South Carolina News Feed7 days ago
South Carolina lawmakers react as House approves Trump’s sweeping economic package
-
News from the South - Texas News Feed6 days ago
Hill Country flooding: Here’s how to give and receive help
-
News from the South - North Carolina News Feed6 days ago
Raleigh caps Independence Day with fireworks show outside Lenovo Center