In the same way Trump was attacked for standing between Americans and the federal deep state’s complete control of their way of life, the power grab that recently unfolded within Oklahoma public education was ultimately not about now former State Superintendent Ryan Walters (R). It was about control, money and the education establishment’s war on parents.
Within this multi-part series, Return of Public Ed Deep State, we’ll cover those unfolding developments from angles the main stream media won’t. In Part 1, we’ll peek behind the scenes at the last Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting led by Walters to expose the latest state legislators working in the shadows to thwart the will of Oklahoma voters and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) they serve.
Part 1: UniParty Legislators Linked to USAID-Funded NGOs Work State Ed Boardroom
After a highly collaborated and prolonged UniParty attack campaign orchestrated by Governor Stitt (R), Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R), state legislature leadership and the education establishment, State Superintendent Ryan Walters (R), the only elected representative on the Oklahoma State Board of Education, announced on September 24th, he would be stepping down.
Walters replacement, along with all other board members, has been appointed by Governor Stitt. Voters, parents and their opinions about education have been kicked to the curb.
For details about exactly how Oklahoma’s education elites teamed with double-dealing, elected and appointed officials and the legacy media to crush both Walters and the people’s mandate for school reform and safety, see V1SUT’s Public Ed page:
The unrelenting attacks by those with no concern for the will of voters worked. On the morning following Walters’ resignation announcement, the board met for its regular, monthly meeting. As with so much happening in Oklahoma’s duplicitous government, observation of the boardroom before and after the meeting, when legacy media cameras weren’t watching, revealed much about the players and motivations that worked for more than a year to push Walters and voters out.
Former Ed Tech Administrator & Teachers Union Lobbyist (Now UniParty Legislators) Take Victory Lap of Pre-Meeting Board Room: Both Steeped in USAID-Funded NGO
Prior to the start of the September 25th meeting, State House Rep Dick Lowe (R- Caddo, Canadian, Grady Counties) approached each of Governor Stitt’s newest appointees to the board in celebration of Walters resignation. As a former agriculture teacher and Canadian Valley Tech Center administrator, Lowe is education establishment.
Sept 25, 2025: Rep Dick Lowe (R) with OK Board of Ed members Chris Van Dehende (left) and Becky Carson (right).
Lowe recently co-authored HB 1937 alongside fellow ag teacher and school administrator Danny Sterling (R-Cleveland & Pottawatomie Counties). The measure proposed to again allow educators to text privately with students rather than add a parent or guardian to those conversations as required by recently enacted HB 3959. After serious blowback from grassroots parent groups, HB 1937 never made it to the floor for a vote.
Once the board meeting commenced, self-described “conservative Republican” Lowe huddled against the back wall, command center of Walters’ overthrow with Rep Ellen Pogemiller (D-OKC), a far-left politician who supports abortion on demand, pushes boys in girls’ locker rooms, and marches in pride and immigration rights parades. Both Pogemiller and Lowe serve on the House Common Education Committee.
Sept 25, 2025 OK SBE Meeting: Reps Pogemiller (D) and Lowe (R) (center)
Pogemiller relocated to Oklahoma from Ohio in 2008. Concerning her platform, she stated on Facebook, “I am passionate about public education, women’s reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. In the legislature, I will fight right-wing extremism and push for progress.” For those confused, “right-wing extremism” is a progressive catchall for the deeply held beliefs and opinions of most Oklahomans.
Rep Ellen Pogemiller (D): public sources - LinkedIn and Facebook.
Prior to gaining office in November of 2024, Pogemiller was a lobbyist for the Oklahoma Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union.
Ed Union Lobbyist Turned Legislator Pogemiller Hangs with Cross-Dressing School Culture Consultant Hired by Rep Lowe’s Tech Center
Last month, according to her Facebook page, Pogemiller celebrated Mexico’s 215th Independence Day alongside former Western Heights district administrator Dr. Chris Culver and his partner Dr. Kelly Forbes at the Consulado de México en Oklahoma City which operates as an official representative of the Mexican government and provides document processing and legal assistance to Mexican citizens illegally in the US.
Interestingly, Gov Stitt’s turn against Walters began when Walters pushed to collect immigration and language information for public school students.
As reported in December of 2023, Dr. Culver was the cross-dressing, district administrator at chronically failing Western Heights Public Schools (WHPS) who recommended the hiring of drag queen Dr. Shane Murnan as an elementary principal despite the district’s admitted knowledge of Murnan’s previous child porn charge.
Also during his time at WHPS, Culver recommended the Western Heights Board of Education approve two (2) contracts worth $67,160 for 27.8 days of work to his romantic partner Forbes’ consulting business (Kelly B’s Consulting LLC). In paying Forbes, those taxpayer funds went into Culver’s own household representing a direct conflict of interest.
Reported more recently, since being ousted at WHPS, dozens of Oklahoma districts have paid Culver and Forbes tax dollars to speak to their teachers about school culture through Orange Sparrow LLC and Kelly B’s Consulting LLC. Canadian Valley Technology Center, Rep Lowe’s longtime employer, is one of Culver’s clients.
Reps Lowe (R) and Pogemiller (D) Connect by Yet ANOTHER USAID-Funded NGO: Oklahoma Voters Paid to Override Their Own Mandates
Reps Lowe (R) and Pogemiller (D) may appear to be an odd couple in pushing for Walters removal, until you learn about an NGO that connects them. Both were recently selected as fellows, alongside House Majority Whip Tammy West (R- OKC/Bethany), within the leadership development program of the progressive Council of State Governments (CSG).
Lowe, Pogemiller, West and Council of State Governments (source: Pogemiller Facebook)
The CSG is yet another USAID-funded, leftist NGO pushing policies about criminal justice reform, education, workforce data collection and much more on Oklahomans by programming their state leaders to abandon the principles and promises touted on the campaign trail.
And yes, you paid for it with USAID funds passed through multiple shady entities like the National Endowment for Democracy and Global Communities. In fact, the Council of State Governments is over 85% taxpayer funded. Oklahoma voters paid to attack the reform mandates they voted in with Walters.
Current CSG Director/CEO David Adkins makes $356,543 annually, and the organization spent 73% of its $45 million in 2023 revenues on salaries.
Other past CSG leadership fellows include much of the Democrat leadership within Oklahoma’s current state legislature, some notable RINOs equally aligned with UniParty policy, several public school educators turned legislators and members of the CareerTech, mental health and Chamber of Commerce bureaucracies.
Despite differing party affiliations, all CSG fellows are pushing in unison for education policy that serves big business, lobbyists and leftist activists, not Oklahoma students and families:
Cyndi Munson (D) - Current House Minority Caucus Chair and candidate for governor.
Cyndi Munson (D-Minority Caucus Chair,) Daniel Pae (R-Asst Majoity Whip), Andy Fugate (D-Minority Floor Leader)
Daniel Pae (R) - House Representative (2018-present); current House Assistant Majority Whip
Carri Hicks (D) - Former public school teacher, State Senator, Former Senate Minority Caucus Vice Chair and current Assistant Minority Floor Leader
Melissa Provenzano (D) - Former public school teacher, State House Rep and current Assistant Minority Leader; Oklahoma Education Association 2022 Legislator of the Year
Lee Denney (R) - State House Representative (2004-2016); Stitt appointee to Oklahoma CareerTech (Director then Chief of Staff)
Terri White - Commissioner, Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (2007-2020); CEO of nonprofit Mental Health Association Oklahoma (2020-2024)
Chad Caldwell (R) - State House Representative, Vice Chair Education Oversight Committee
Former Rep Rhonda Baker (R) led early resistance to voter mandate for ed reform under Walters (House press release: Feb 2023).
Republicans Caldwell and Baker, along with Gov Stitt, State Superintendent candidate Sen Adam Pugh (R) and others within the education establishment, are also participants/appointees to the exceedingly progressive and DEI committed Board of Control for Southern Regional Education (SREB).
Baker served on SREB’s Legislative Advisory Council (2018-2024), eventually chairing the group in 2023-24 and its education committee.
V1SUT previously reported on Caldwell, Pugh and Stitt’s involvement with the SREB, as well as one of Caldwell’s sixteen (16), recently authored education bills deceptively named the “Protect Our Kids Act” (HB1075) that would of made it more difficult for the State Board of Education to remove predator educators from the classroom.
See previous reporting on Republicans Stitt, Pugh, Caldwell & Baker within SREB:
See previous reporting on Republican Speaker Hilbert and Rep Caldwell’s attempted bill flip to protect districts who pass along predators:
Within a sketchy shell game of pending legislation orchestrated by OK House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R) (see previous reporting), Caldwell’s HB1075 is a duplicitous reboot of what was originally HB1491. The bill appears to require school districts to report staff resignations and terminations associated with misconduct and student abuse to the OSDE. In reality, it requires only district “recommendations to terminate” be reported leaving those who quietly resign without an investigation to continue being passed to other districts.
Caldwell’s bill also continues to absolve districts from any consequences when failing to report educator abuse to the OSDE:
“Failure to forward a copy of the recommendation (to terminate) to the State Board of Education shall not be the basis for any claim or action against a public school, its board of education, employees, agents or other representatives.” - HB1075
Know-It-All NGOs Silence Public Ed Critics With “Disagree Better” & “Civility” Campaigns
All of these taxpayer funded, voter-overriding NGOs, including the National Governors Association, seek to silence dissent to their unpopular policies with campaigns insisting we all practice unwavering “civility” and take oaths to “disagreebetter”. Voters must politely hush because UniParty leaders must be right.
OK invaders CSG, SREB & NGA hush campaigns/awards.
Stitt’s NGA Disagree Better campaign within Oklahoma has been spearheaded by consultant Rachel Ackerman, former education union lobbyist for the Association of Professional Oklahoma Educators (POE).
Ackerman’s mother, Ginger Tinney, is the longtime director of POE. Despite multiple conflicts of interest, Ackerman’s father, Michael Tinney, was appointed by Stitt to the State Board of Education in February. Michael Tinney has been a public and vocal critic of Walters policies.
Former State Rep Rhonda Baker (R) just won an SREB award for civility in education leadership. She is now with the Chamber of Commerce lobbying on behalf of the global and big business interests relentlessly seeking to block parents from all conversations concerning education. They just want your child’s data and control of your child’s future, not your opinions.
Oklahoma education policy is not being decided in Oklahoma or with even a shred of consideration for the wishes of Oklahoma parents.
Media Ridiculousness After Meeting: Rep Lowe and Board Member Carson’s Hot Away-From-Mic Moment
As Ryan Walters exited the State Board of Education room for the last time, the local, legacy media surrounded the Stitt appointed board members responsible for Walters departure. Pointless and telling questions were asked of board member Michael Tinney, board member Becky Carson and Rep Lowe (R). “Do you think this will end Walters’ political career?”
Sept 25, 2025 State Board of Ed: Rep Lowe watches members Carson & Tinney address media (R); addresses media (L).
And then, as Carson exited the media mob, handing the spotlight to Tinney, she moved to a corner of the room alone with Lowe, unaware this journalist was quietly seated behind them. After greeting each other knowingly and celebrating, it became clear Lowe and Carson have recently been in close contact, and Lowe was hesitant to make their connection publicly obvious.
Lowe said to Carson, “Have a good one. Let’s not talk…I’ll talk to you later. I’ll holler at you again.”
Carson moved away, and when the media circle surrounded Lowe, the platitudes flowed. “Let’s do the right thing for our kids.”
Oklahoma’s education deep state is back, and every fake scandal created to push out the voting public’s only elected representative was highly coordinated by appointees, legislators, bureaucrats, unions, NGOs and the highest office holders in the state. Why? Subscribe today so you won’t miss the next installment of Return of Public Ed Deep State.
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