Thread by @tcblume

Happening now: Tearful plea from parent of 3 at OK Dept. of Education: “To you, Ryan Walters, I’m here to beg for the safety of my children…change the words you choose… because currently they are vitriolic, dishonest and dangerous…” (thread)

A line of speakers are waiting for their turn. This is streaming on Facebook page of OK Dept. of Education.
facebook.com/OklaSDE/videos…

President of OCPAC, Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee Bob Linn praises Ryan Walters, and discusses Voltaire and attacks on Christianity. "On behalf of the vast majority of Oklahomans, I want to thank you... for returning sanity to education."

Parents brings stack of books by Bob Goff, and talks about Micah 6:8:
"I'm a Republican, not that that matters, I'm not a leftist crazy person, I don't hate Catholics, but yet you (Ryan Walters) attacked me just for disagreeing with your opinion."

Joy Howell says "I know Mr. Walters and he does not speak rudely. He loves children and he loves teachers and he loves parents."

Howell says "Marxism is at the root of all of this" criticism. Also... "If there is any sex education that needs to be done in school, it should be abstinence."

I missed this gentleman's name-- he's discussing China eclipsing USA on math and reading, and Oklahoma's lack of proficiency in these areas.

Julie Collier is a parent who recently moved to OK from California and says her children's teachers are amazing. She doesn't think students should have to take the ACT as part of testing. Thanking Walters for educating and "not indoctrinating" students.

Parent Sandra Valentine: "April 19th, complete silence is broken by an F-2 Tornado... you (Walters) showed up 9 days later." She talks about traumatized kids having to be bused for testing after this. "we are fed this notion that kids are failing... letter grades are a scam"

Librarian Melanie from Putnam's Capps Middle School: "Being in the middle of this fight is... demoralizing." "I am a conservative Republican, and I want kids to read... I want to leave my contact information so you can visit and see what I do."

James Hall from OKC: "Love is sex, sex is love, maybe not.... positive giving between two persons is love. Porn is harmful, destructive."

"Porn is the opposite of keeping fire in the fireplace."

Quotes King Solomon and Plato and discusses intercourse.

Jay Hall.... (not James)

Tierny Gardener: She says she's forced to compare career options in education vs Walmart, and encourages a renewed focus on OK students and their needs.

Public school teacher with a Muslim background & Catholic education: "We also have the right & responsibility to advocate for every single child that walks through the door."
"When you break our hearts by telling us we have to dehumanize children, we will not stand for that."

Kit Fairchild: "Stuck in campaign mode is what I see."
He decries disparagement of teachers by calling them terrorists or Marxists.... calling them "boogeyman words."

"We live in one of the most corrupt states in the nation."

Gary Holt (not sure on last name) : Discusses a teacher that he believes hurt his daughter, who fled to Texas, and is now back teaching in OK.

"This rhetoric of indoctrination is not happening."
Susan Whitehorse Johnson speaks about OK teachers as caring, with a strong faith in the system working for the best of students."

Walters discusses teacher recruitment, and says Texas is jealous that we're attracting their educators.
"God gave kids to parents, and not the government."
"This agency will do all we can to ensure parents to choose..."
"I want to address lies going on in the press..."

"We have a teachers union that has intentionally lied... they found lawmaker Mark McBride that parrots their lies."
Discusses grants, and says they're all on track and the press "willingly printed lies" and "when you intentionally report lies, you're an enemy of taxpayers."

"I will not be deterred by... woke, sell-out legislators"

Working to get a video from Fox News to play...

It helps if you can read backwards... quickly... no audio yet, at least on Facebook stream.

Moving on to minutes, and discussion on Aviation Academy in Norman, and the FAA's offer to lend schools materials for flight school education.
I'll dip out of live-tweeting now.