Senator Hicks Statement on Nominations to the State Board of Education

Senator Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, released the following statement regarding nominations by Governor Stitt to the State Board of Education:

“Yesterday I informed the Governor’s office I am respectfully declining to be the Senate sponsor for Governor Stitt’s nominations of Jennifer Monies and Estela Hernandez to the Oklahoma State Board of Education. I take the Senate’s advice and consent role very seriously. I have a bipartisan record of working with Governor Stitt this session as the Senate sponsor of thirteen of his executive nominations, and I support his goal of adding diversity to state boards and agencies.

“As part of the new Senate process of robust vetting of the Governor’s executive nominations, I met with both Ms. Monies and Ms. Hernandez to discuss their qualifications and views on public education. After meeting with both nominees, it is clear that I have a fundamental disagreement with them on education policy and the direction of public education in Oklahoma. I am proud to be a second generation Oklahoma public school teacher and a strong advocate for public education. I look forward to working with the Governor, my colleagues in the Legislature, and education stakeholders to best serve the 700,000 students in public schools all across Oklahoma.”