Tulsa schools leader resigns as GOP superintendent threatens takeover, loss of accreditation
Oklahoma's second-largest city's school superintendent has resigned in the midst of a running dispute with State School Superintendent Ryan Walters.
Deborah Gist, superintendent of the Tulsa school district, announced her resignation Tuesday, the Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network is reporting.
"It's no secret that our state superintendent has had an unrelenting focus on our district and specifically on me," Gist said in an email she sent to district colleagues. She said she was confident her departure would prevent a state takeover of the district.
The Oklahoma Board of Education is scheduled to hold its regular monthly meeting Thursday to consider the district's accreditation. At its meeting in July, the state board agreed with Walter's request to hold a decision on Tulsa while other districts' accreditation was approved.
"What we have seen is a district that has failed the students," Walters said after the July meeting.
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Repeat performance critics
Walters and state Gov. Kevin Stitt have been frequent critics of the district's performance.
Stitt criticized the district for closing schools during the COVID-19 panic and Walters picked up the baton to continue targeting the state’s largest school district, a predominately nonwhite school system of more than 33,000 students he says faces “significant and severe issues” and is “plagued by scandal.”
The State Auditor is currently investigating the district for alleged embezzlement.
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'A step in the right direction'
In a statement released after Gist sent out her email, Walters said: "I am optimistic that this is a step in the right direction. I’ve been crystal clear that Tulsa Public Schools needs a dramatic change in leadership."
"Making the decision to leave Team Tulsa is the hardest decision I have ever done," said Gist, who has been the district's superintendent since 2015.
She said the Tulsa School Board would hold a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss her departure and the appointment of Ebony Johnson as her interim successor. Johnson is currently the district's chief learning officer.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Deborah Gist, Tulsa schools leader, resigns amid dispute with Walters
