Tulsa Superintendent to Step Down, in a Showdown With State Officials – The New York Times

The superintendent of Tulsa, Okla., announced on Tuesday that she planned to step down, in an 11th-hour attempt to stop the state from taking over the largest school district in Oklahoma.

The superintendent, Deborah A. Gist, and the school system in Tulsa, one of Oklahoma s rare Democratic footholds, had become targets of Ryan Walters, the state s divisive schools chief who is known for his conservative politics and provocative statements.

Mr. Walters, a Republican who took office in January, has raised a litany of complaints against the Tulsa schools, including low test scores and financial mismanagement, and has battled over cultural and religious issues.

Questioning Dr. Gist s leadership, he threatened to take over the school district, which could include appointing a new superintendent, and even said that he had not ruled out revoking accreditation entirely which would force schools to close. Tulsa public schools serve nearly 34,000 students, with a student population that is 80 percent economically disadvantaged and majority Hispanic and Black.

Ahead of a State Board of Education meeting to discuss Tulsa s fate on Thursday, Dr. Gist wrote in a letter to the Tulsa community that stepping aside would be the district s best chance to avert a takeover.

via www.nytimes.com

Hmmm.