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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Ryan Walters has asked at least nine Oklahoma teachers who applied for his new teacher bonus to return the money. Jennifer Palmer and Beth Wallis from Oklahoma Watch first broke the story on January 25.
In an effort to bring in new teachers, the State Department of Education created a signing bonus program. Eligible teachers could receive up to $50,000 for relocating to Oklahoma and committing to teach in the state. It’s not news that the state has had a hard time retaining educators. This could be due in part to low teacher salaries and growing restrictions on classroom curriculum.
Superintendent Walters believed a financial incentive could remedy teacher shortages.
One teacher, Kristina Stadelman, told Oklahoma Watch that she was awarded $50,000 from OSDE. After taxes were deducted, she had $29,000 remaining. Stadelman received the money in November, but in January, she got a letter from OSDE saying that she needed to return the full amount, including the $21,000 withheld for taxes.
A different teacher who had been asked to return the bonus filed a lawsuit against Walters. Stadelman has joined Kay Bojorquez as a plaintiff in the case. They say that it would be impossible to return all $50,000 of their respective bonuses by February 29.
There has been widespread confusion about the qualification process. Even the updated document that illustrates criteria and bonus amount levels is misleading about which teachers are eligible. One district encouraged all teachers to apply, believing that if they were not eligible, the state would not issue the bonus. Oversight from the department let non-eligible applicants slip through the cracks.
Statement from Ryan Walters
Walters held a press conference on Wednesday, January 31 at the state capitol to address the issues.
He stated, “What we have seen is a deliberate lie pushed by reporters [and] the media, to push a certain perspective.” Walter continues, “They are trying to undermine my administration; they are trying to attack conservatives and education reform, and I won’t stand for it.”
He also said that the sign-on money is from the federal ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) program. Congress established ESSER funding in 2020 to assist schools during the pandemic.
“The state holds no liability, teachers hold no liability,” Walters added. He also says that only four teachers need to return the money, not nine.
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Response from Oklahoma Watch
To combat accusations of misinformation, Oklahoma Watch released the bulk of correspondence between the independent publication and Walters’ office. The 20-page document showcases the back-and-forth email communications with Dan Isett, OSDE Director of Communications, and reporter Beth Wallis.
The administration instructed some teachers to repay only a portion of the bonus while others must return the full amount.
In the written response from Oklahoma Watch, they state, “We have asked the Department of Education repeatedly to specify what erroneous information they believe our work contained. They have not identified any inaccuracies except to say there were four teachers involved rather than nine. That conflicts with the written information the department provided.”
Previous Money Mismanagement of OSDE
This isn’t the first money scandal for OSDE. State agencies have previously called out the department for misusing federal money.
The State Dept. of Education misspent over $8 million under the Governor’s Education Emergency Relief Fund. GEER money utilized funds allocated through the federal COVID Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
An audit from State Auditor Cindy Byrd revealed that a digital wallet program had over $1 million in unauthorized expenditures. Additionally, the report highlighted the misappropriation of more than $6 million in funding under the Stay in School program.