Just a few short years ago, if arrows were flying from Oklahoma’s deep state, both Governor Kevin Stitt (R) and now State Superintendent Ryan Walters (R) were likely the targets. During Stitt’s first term, with Walters as his appointed Secretary of Education, the two were positioned as the Lone Ranger and Tonto combination seeking to return control of the state’s education system to the people.
In November of 2022, Walters was overwhelmingly (+13%) elected as State Superintendent of Public Instruction as Stitt entered his final term. Walters went to work directly for We the People, no longer serving at the pleasure of the governor. The public alliance between the two has since faded, and with a state election cycle approaching in 2026, the Lone Ranger just punched Tonto square in the kisser and joined a rogue band of political outlaws resisting the will of the majority of Oklahomans.
The Oklahoma State Board of Education (SBE) under Walters has been aggressive in bringing accountability to the district accreditation and teacher certification processes, the only significant reform tools available to that body under state law. For the first time, new SBE rules link funding to student performance and teacher misconduct, a blasphemous concept for education unions and the legislators they promote.
Since 2023, the SBE has revoked a record number of teaching certifications, many for sexualized crimes against students.
On February 11th, without notice, Stitt removed the majority of the board’s appointed members. Ironically, all three (3) ousted members were Stitt appointees.
With his recent removals, Governor Stitt joined an ongoing pig pile of high-ranking state legislators from both parties, Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R) and the education establishment in their attempts to redirect the SBE now chaired by Walters (links to previous reporting):
V1SUT reached out to Kendra Wesson, who was among those recently removed from the board. Wesson, a reform advocate who maintains close alliances with grassroots organizations seeking greater parental influence within public education, had much to say about recent events.
Bio former SBE member Kendra Wesson (sde.ok.gov)
According to Wesson, Stitt’s public and private explanations for pulling the rug out from under the SBE differ significantly. Even more revealing, Stitt discussed another state agency board seat for Wesson, this time paid, if she would agree to abandon both Walters and the Trump immigration policies he supports.
In speaking with Wesson for the first time, it quickly became clear she is a purist, not a politician, and is observably kind. In recalling the questionable actions of others, she consistently slipped in verbal footnotes declaring “heis a good person” as though simultaneously defending those she believed shared her values while processing their behind-the-curtain duplicity in real-time.
According to Wesson, Governor Kevin Stitt (R) phoned her on Monday, February 10th at approximately 4:10 pm. At first, it was a follow up to two previous conversations between the two about another possible board appointment for Wesson who is the president of an accounting business.
At the governor’s Christmas party in December, Wesson says she reintroduced herself to Stitt as an SBE member, the two discussed Wesson’s possible appointment to the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) and he asked her to “grab ahold of Ryan (Walters)” concerning a social media post. Wesson later identified the post as involving Stitt’s recently signed energy MOU with the Ambassador of Denmark which involved “sustainable industrial energy clusters, wind power, eSAF (low carbon aviation fuel), biogas, pyrolysis and electrolysis”.
After seeking clarification from someone on Stitt’s staff, Wesson reports sharing the Governor’s message with Walters and encouraging him to contact Stitt.
A short time later, Wesson says she and her family bumped into the Stitts at the airport where Stitt asked, “What board were we looking at for you?” The two again identified the OTC as a potential fit for Wesson’s skills and her ideas for more appropriately handling education tax credits.
When Stitt phoned on February 10th, Wesson expressed her willingness to serve where needed.
“I said governor, you know I'm here to serve, and I've always just wanted to serve my state so if you can utilize my skills in a better position, I'm open to talking about that,” says Wesson.
According to Wesson, Stitt did not mention any other planned changes to the SBE beyond her removal. Late in the call, Stitt began to express his dissatisfaction with Walters’ recent statements concerning the impact of illegal immigration on public education stating, “What we’re not going to do is go after kids.”
Wesson reports pushing back and informing Stitt there were legitimate strains on the state’s public education system due to the influx of non-English speaking students.
“I said governor, there is a problem in Oklahoma…Oklahoma City spoke at our board meeting last month and said there were 71 languages spoken at Oklahoma City schools,” stated Wesson. “At the textbook presentations I attended last summer, the conversations were all about books coming in up to 52 languages and that was the selling point they were using which also raised red flags for me. I feel like Oklahoma doesn't want to have this conversation about how we maintain the integrity of our students’ education while also helping these non-English speaking kids.”
Wesson reports Stitt replied, “We are working on it, but we're not going to do it publicly.”
OKCPS 71 student languages (slide - 1/28/2025 SDE Mtg): presented by Supt Dr. Jamie Polk & Asst Supt Alisha Suffield
When asked if Stitt expressed any other areas of concern with the SBE during the call, Wesson states, “Nope, nothing else ever mentioned about NAEP scores, never mentioned any of the things he put out later.”
Stitt’s dissatisfaction appears to have stemmed from the January 28th SBE meeting in which Walters and the three (3) members in attendance, all since removed from the board, voted to require schools to collect information about the immigration status and origin of incoming students to assist in planning educational services.
According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), “This proposed rule to accurately track undocumented students will ensure resources are used wisely, staffing is effective, and every Oklahoma child gets the tools to succeed.”
Following the call, Wesson texted what she believed was Stitt to inquire about timing. Abegail Cave, the Governor’s Communications Director, confirmed a Wednesday announcement.
Wesson says she was stunned the following day (Tuesday not Wednesday) when Stitt publicly announced his removal of herself, Katie Quebedeaux and Donald Burdick from the board.
Stitt’s announcement stated, “After months of headlines followed by disappointing NAEP scores this month, it’s clear that our education infrastructure has fallen prey to needless political drama.”
“It reads like we were removed because of low performance,” exclaims Wesson, “I'm reading it and I'm like political drama, you’ve got to be kidding me. We've done nothing but serve and do the job well as unpaid volunteers.”
At the time, Wesson was at the state capitol for appointments and a prayer lunch. “I was bombarded with comments, questions, hugs…all of it was very emotional,” recalls Wesson. “They told me the announcement would be the next day…I was totally unprepared. People were coming up to me saying what did you do to the governor?”
Wesson went to the Governor’s office for clarification but was told Stitt was working remotely. With the assistance of State Senator Shane Jett (R-Shawnee), Wesson met with Cave who, according to Wesson, admitted “sometimes we're not real good at the collateral damage”.
Cave then revised Stitt’s announcement on X by pinning a comment stating “I’m grateful to the service of the outgoing members of the Board of Education. They have brought much needed reforms and helped root out liberal ideology in our schools.“The governor’s official statement was not altered.
“I kept hearing comments like the governor does this all the time, he'll just remove people when he gets upset,” says Wesson of her interactions at the capitol that day. “I don't think they counted on people knowing me because it's usually his elite people. It's very rarely grassroots people in these positions.”
Following SBE Shakeup by Gov Stitt: Walters Makes Wesson and Quebedeaux Co-Chairs of Trump Committee
On November 4, 2024, State Supt Walters announced the formation of a Trump Education Advisory Committee to “oversee federal public education policy changes that are anticipated under the incoming Trump Administration”.
Upon learning of Stitt’s February 11th removals from the SBE, Walters made Wesson and Quebedeaux co-chairs of the committee.
“The Trump Advisory Committee is not here to play politics,” said Walters. “We are here to fight on behalf of the hearts, minds and souls of Oklahoma students, their families and our educators. The weak will be exposed. The corrupt will be held accountable. And Oklahoma’s children will finally have access to the educational journey they deserve.”
Stitt Combines Potential Job Offer to Wesson with Ultimatum: Are You Team Stitt or Team Walters/Trump?
Gov Kevin Stitt X post promoting Politico interview (Feb 19, 2025)
On February 12th, just hours after being named co-chair of the OSDE’s Trump Advisory Committee, Tom Newell, Governor Stitt’s latest chief of staff, texted Wesson requesting a call. Newell is a former pastor and State House Representative (2010-2016).
Public LinkedIn page for Tom Newell, Chief of Staff, Governor’s Office.
Wesson says she felt comfortable taking the call since she and Newell previously served together on the America First PAC and she “knew him to be a Godly man”.
Wesson states Newell presented an ultimatum on behalf of Governor Stitt stating, “I want to make this crystal clear, a line’s been drawn in the sand. Are you with Team Walters or Team Stitt?” Newell told Wesson there could be no further conversation about placing her on any other board such as the OTC, until she decided.Wesson says she was shocked.
Currently, each of three (3) OTC commissioners are paid more than $168,000 annually. Wesson says Newell encouraged her to pray about it, talk to her husband and get back to him.
Then, according to Wesson, Newell went further stating, “There’s one more thing, it’s kind of awkward…the governor wants to be clear…you have to disavow this committee that Ryan (Walters) has put you on, the Trump DOGE thing…you’re going to have to do it publicly.”
Since Trump’s return to the White House, Stitt has made significant efforts to publicly align himself with Trump’s policies. Trump endorsed Stitt in 2018 and 2022 yet Stitt endorsed Florida Governor Ron Desantis (R) in the 2020 Republican presidential primary.
Gov Kevin Stitt X post (Feb 6, 2025)
An inside source informs, “Stitt’s trying to get favor from Trump on immigration, Ryan stepped on his toes.“ The source states a yelling match over immigration recently took place between Stitt and Walters by phone after Stitt advisor Fred Mendoza expressed his disapproval of Walters’ public comments about immigration.
Fred Mendoza, Gov Stitt and Dr. Mautra Staley Jones (OCCC)
Mendoza is chair of the Governor’s Hispanic Council and the Oklahoma Hispanic Institute as well as a member of the Governor’s Business Development Committee and previously part of Stitt’s transition team.
This publication reached out to the Governor’s Office for comment. As of publication, there has been no response.
Wesson Rejects Potential Paid Opportunity at OTC for Volunteer Work on Trump Board
Wesson shared a February 13th text conversation in which Newell pressed her for a response to Stitt’s previous ultimatum. After expressing such a choice “goes against my integrity and character”, Wesson ends the conversation by stating, “I’m team OKLAHOMA!!!”
“What a thing to ask me, like you want me to disavow Ryan Walters and Trump,” expresses Wesson, “I'm done with it, I'm done with the whole thing, I'm disgusted, I'm disappointed, I'm hurt…my heart has always been to serve and I've done everything they’ve have asked of me.”
“I felt like a political ping pong ball. And only one side was asking me to cut the baby in half,” says Wesson. “Ryan (Walters) has never put me in a similar position. He encourages people to do what they believe is right even if he doesn’t agree. We can’t play in their system.”
Wesson reports the Trump Education Advisory Committee has been in the works for months, she’saccepted the co-chair position alongside Quebedeaux and has no intention of abandoning the opportunity to serve Oklahoma families, even for a paying slot on another state board.
“It's going to be a national speaking platform to talk about education reform. For me, at the end of the day, it's about doing what I can to repair education, and I believe in Trump's policies on schools. He's spot on just like he's been spot on with everything else.”
Retained Board of Ed Members Conspicuously Absent During Jan Immigration Vote
Stitt’s plans to fracture the SBE may have started months ago. For over a year, Stitt neglected to fill a still vacant seat on the board but had three (3) new appointees ready to go on February 11th.
State Board of Ed (SBE) prior to Gov Stitt’s Feb 11th removals/replacements.
The January SBE meeting has the makings of a setup. Both board members retained by Stitt, Sarah Lepak and Zachary Archer, were inexplicably not in attendance at that meeting, and therefore, did not vote on the board’s motion to begin collecting student immigration data, the very issue Stitt identified during his call with Wesson.
“Only the people that voted for the immigration rule were removed,” says Wesson.
Live feed of Jan 28, 2025 SBE Meeting: Lepak & Archer not in attendance.
Potential conflicts of interest concerning Lepak and Archer remain publicly unaddressed.
According to her LinkedIn resume and bio as a current OU Price College of Business instructor, attorney Lepak worked for Stitt’s Gateway Mortgage for five (5) years prior to her appointment in February of 2022. Her brother Ben Lepak is currently general counsel for Governor Stitt.
Lepak’s time at Gateway Mortgage is oddly omitted from both the 2022 announcement of her appointment and her bio on the State Board of Education website.
Bio SBE board member Lepak, Gateway Mortgage employment omitted (sde.ok.gov)
Zachary Archer, like Stitt, works in finance. Archer is Managing Director at Great Plains Investment Services, a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Archer is also an appointee to the State Board of Career and Technology Education.
Archer’s cousin, State Rep Nick Archer (R), is chair the of the House Energy Committee. Given Stitt’s recent and controversial focus on green energy and related partnerships with Denmark, it’s difficult not to at least be on guard for potential grift from a lame duck office holder.
New Stitt Appointees Sworn in Minutes Before Meeting Without Senate Confirmation on AG Drummond Opinion: Quickly Move to Halt Immigration Talk
In yet another 11th-hour ambush of Walters’ SBE, Stitt’s three (3) new SBE appointees, Chris VanDehende, Michael Tinney and Ryan Deatherage were sworn in minutes before last Thursday’s meeting. None have been approved by the State Senate.
Walters began the February 28th meeting by reviewing last month’s rule vote to collect student immigration status which awaits legislative approval. Walters also confirmed his recent request to AG Drummond for clarification as to how President Trump’s recent executive order ending taxpayer subsidized support for illegal immigration will affect federally funded services within Oklahoma’s public schools.
Immediately, new member VanDenhende, owner of two Stroud businesses (Southwest Fuel Systems and Mint Turbines LLC), jumped in. Given Stitt’s recent handshake with Denmark involving eSAF (low carbon aviation fuel), the appointment of VanDenhende, an aviation fuel company owner, raises questions. VanDenhende’s first public comments as an SBE member involved Stitt’s hot topic of immigration.
“I’m concerned about the immigration status issue because we’ve had a lot of pushback in my area from parents, students. I would respectfully request that until we get all of this sorted out with the AG that we suspend all activity related to immigration,” stated VanDenhende.
VanDenhende’s request was not on the current meeting’s agenda and could not be addressed with a motion or vote due to restrictions within the Open Meetings Act.
During the meeting, it was disclosed that AG Drummond (R) provided an opinion allowing the newly appointed members, though not yet confirmed by the State Senate, to immediately begin serving with full voting privileges. That reportedly recent opinion has not been made public but previous SBE appointees, such as Wesson and Archer, started serving as voting members prior to confirmation.
New board members knew little about the topics slated for review on the agenda but revealed knowledge of AG Drummond’s latest opinion.
While discussing the proposed approval of new history and social studies standards, new SBE member Michael Tinney asked, “Is there a way in the future, and I don’t know how, we may not even be around on this board when the next thing rolls around, but is there a way to get this ahead of time where the board has more time to do it?”
Michael Tinney is the spouse of Ginger Tinney, longtime founder and president of Professional Oklahoma Educators (POE), one of two Oklahoma teachers’ unions, making him a potentially conflicted appointee.
In reply to Tinney, Walters stated, “Well, I will say that you guys were appointed here pretty recently. So, the governor decided to put you guys on this board on a very short timeline. This has been something that’s been going on for nearly ten months here. We try to get these material in front of you as quickly as possible.”
Shortly after, OSDE counsel Michael Beason added his ongoing willingness to assist in informing board members and commented, “With regard to the relatively short nature of this, correct me if I’m wrong board counsel, I don’t believe there’s even been Senate confirmation yet, has there?”
Board counsel Chad Kutmas confirmed, “No, there has not.”
New member VanDenhende immediately asked to clarify stating, “Yeah, and that is correct, we have not been confirmed. But my understanding is there’s an AG opinion that says we’re immediately on the board and have all rights and privileges of being on the board because of our interim nomination status.”
Late in the meeting, prompted by Deatherage, a 911 director in Kingfisher County, the new appointees pushed for more control over the board’s future agenda topics. None seemed aware that Walters’, as State Superintendent and the only board member elected by We the People, is recognized executive officer of the SBE under Article VI Section 1 of the Oklahoma Constitution.
There’s no voting among members to select a chair of the SBE as the people have already chosen the executive in charge. State statute also defines the greater role of the elected executive officer of the SBE:
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction is the official provided for in Section 1 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution who shall be the executive officer of the State Board of Education and have control of and direct the State Department of Education. (70 OK Stat § 70-1-105)
If readers are feeling deja vu, in 2012, former Governor Mary Fallin (R) employed a nearly identical political tactic in appointing Joy Hofmeister (R then D) to the SBE to disrupt then State Superintendent Janet Barresi (R) in her similar efforts to reform public ed.
This last minute swearing in of new members is Drummond’s third pre-meeting disruption of Walters’ SBE. In August of 2024, Drummond reversed a 45-year precedent to allow legislators access to the board’s executive sessions where sensitive cases of teacher misconduct are discussed. Hours before the SBE’s September 2024 meeting, Drummond removed the board’s attorney, temporarily substituting his highly conflicted general counsel Brad Clark to advise board members.
Drummond is a declared candidate for the 2026 governor’s race and remains closely aligned with the state’s education unions.
AG Drummond & CCOSA/OASA leaders (school administrator unions). Jan 2025.
An inside source informs the seventh seat on the SBE has remained empty for over a year because Walters’ suggestions to Stitt for possible appointees “all faced behind the scenes refusals for Senate confirmation”, yet three members were just sworn in prior to that process.
Walters took to X following the meeting to reiterate his ongoing support of President Trump’s immigration policies:
Wesson Recaps Education Successes, Concerns & Ongoing Political Attacks on State Board During Her Tenure
Wesson has weathered her share of conflict in her two years of service on the SBE. During her first meeting, she recalls requesting two $1,400,000 line items for Imagine Math and Imagine Reading be removed from the education budget. In a local control state, district-level boards of education have the right and responsibility to approve and purchase curriculums and contract with online providers.
“I said these are specific curriculums, why would these be on there,” says Wesson. “I was told Mark McBride as a legislator had asked that those two be line items in our budget which meant it didn’t go through curriculum review…I always wondered if that started the rift between Mark McBride and Ryan Walters…I assume McBride had something to lose by us taking those nearly $3 million of items off our budget.”
Oklahoma Ethics Commission filings confirm Wesson’s hunch. Imagine Learning, Inc currently has four (4) lobbyists who regularly wine and dine Oklahoma legislators and sponsor both Republican and Democrat caucus events and banquets.
Filings show Rep McBride (R) continued to take money from a number of lobbyists and ed union executives to pay himself back for personal loans to his campaign after his final (2022) race ended. McBride exited the State House on term limits in 2024. Pam Deering, Executive Director of CCOSA, gave to McBride’s expired campaign fund in 2023, and Ivy Riggs, lobbyist for OEA, gave in 2024.
McBride would later team with AG Drummond to stall the SBE’s passage of new accountability rules for districts and promote legislator attempts to disrupt the board’s executive sessions. “Attorney General Drummond believed that the legislature has to tell us to make a rule before we can make a rule. Our position is no, when you have rules that are telling schools to follow the law, there should not be any discussion or argument in that case.”
During her tenure, Wesson is proud the board was the first to fully fund American Indian Education and to stand up against Biden’s Title IX mandate that put males in girls locker rooms. “We were first to say we’re not going to follow it as a Department of Education.”
She still carries concerns about Oklahoma’s focus on sports over academics, dependence on expensive and ineffective outside vendors and consultants, and history of rewarding failure with more money. “If you’re an F school, you get more money. We should start funding excellence. Your school does well, your teachers get bonuses.”
Wesson believes a faulty power structure trained and fostered by education unions and organizations is at the root of Oklahoma’s education woes. “Superintendents are viewed as supreme beings. Often their board members in Oklahoma tend to listen to a superintendent's advisement rather than the other way around.”
Wesson is deeply concerned about the exploding number of child sexual abuse cases within public education. “We have got to have a real conversation about these coaches and predatory behavior, all of these sexual abuse cases.” She sees a connection between schools overstepping family boundaries, the push for books involving adult sexuality and increased student sexual abuse by school staff.
When legislators attempted to enter the board’s executive sessions, Wesson says all SBE members were concerned about the privacy of students and families. “In executive session, we are talking about personnel records of teachers, we are talking about child sexual abuse and physical abuse cases, we are talking about children who have been denied transfers.”
With state legislators so often aligned with the education unions and district superintendents, Wesson shares, “When you allow a legislator into a private executive session where people are speaking freely is it not possible for that private information to become political currency?”
Wesson has great respect for the board’s former attorney Cara Nicklas of the law firm McAlister, McAlister and Nicklas who was removed by AG Drummond’s hours before a scheduled meeting. “She basically pushed back on some of their advisement, especially when it came to letting legislators in executive session…there was no knowledge they were going to gain in there that was going to help the people…it was private, sensitive information.”
When asked if Wesson sees the constant attacks on the board, and now her removal, as attempts to pull support away from what the people voted for Walters to accomplish, Wesson said, “That’s correct. 100% correct.”
In recapping her experience, Wesson reflects, “It’s time for the grassroots to become a stronger voice and come together if they don’t want men in a backroom with a chess board deciding the fate of Oklahoma. We shouldn’t be allowing that.”
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Thank you for this. I did wonder why Stitt made a 180 on this topic. Keep up the good work!
Once again, EXCELLENT reporting. Thank you for this!