Oklahoma Senate Confirms Governor’s Four New Education Board Members

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has overhauled the State Board of Education by removing three members and appointing four new ones, including Mike Tinney, Chris Van Denhende, Becky Carson, and Ryan Deatherage. Stitt cited the need to reduce "political drama" and improve the state's poor reading and math scores as motivations for the shakeup. The former board members had supported controversial proposals by State Superintendent Ryan Walters, such as collecting immigration status information from students, which Stitt opposed and the legislature ultimately rejected. The Senate confirmed the new appointees despite some opposition from the Republican caucus, with votes ranging from unanimous to contested. Walters criticized the governor's actions as politically motivated and an attempt to undermine efforts aligned with the Trump administration's agenda. The new board members have since challenged Walters on various policies, signaling a shift in the board's direction under Stitt's leadership.