(NewsNation) — An Oklahoma superintendent will not force his educators to teach the Bible this school year, despite a mandate requiring the text to be incorporated into public curriculum.
Rob Miller, the superintendent of Bixby Public Schools in Bixby, Okla., told “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” on Monday that the classrooms under his watch will do no such thing.
“I want to be clear that we’re not trying to keep the Bible or religion out of our schools. They’re already here,” Miller said.
“What we’re trying to do is to protect the religious freedoms of all of our students in every district in Oklahoma,” he added.
Oklahoma Bible mandate explained
According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education instructional support guidelines, teachers must ensure students learn about the Bible’s impact on shaping Western civilization and American history. They are also expected to study the Bible’s literary techniques and compare them with other literature or art.
Teachers cannot promote or favor any religious beliefs. They have been advised to respect diverse faiths, inform parents that this is not an endorsement of any religion and reiterate that the Bible is used “for its historical, literary and secular value and is not to be used for religious purposes such as preaching, proselytizing or indoctrination.”
The mandate also requires a physical copy of the Bible, the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Ten Commandments in every classroom.
Superintendent calls Oklahoma Bible mandate ‘revulsive’
Whether it’s studying religion in a historical and social context, or faith’s influence on the formations of governments, Miller thinks Oklahoma’s academic standards utilize the Bible already.
But Miller thinks the new mandates are taking that education a step further — beyond state and federal standards.
“We believe that it’s against the Oklahoma Constitution. There is a clear separation of church and state in the Blaine Amendment,” Miller said. “We’re not allowed to use taxpayer dollars to purchase religious texts. So that would be the first violation of that.”
Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction, has released guidelines for the mandate’s implementation, but Miller says it’s not clear what is expected.
A Christian himself, Miller also believes the new guidelines belittle his faith, saying “the idea of diminishing the Word of God to a mere classroom prop is a little revulsive to me.”
Will teachers obey the Oklahoma Bible mandate?
So, Miller and Bixby’s public educators will start the semester separate from the new standards.
“The Oklahoma Supreme Court was very clear a few months ago in saying that local boards of education have the authority to choose curricular resources for teachers,” Miller added. “And we’ll continue to teach the academic standards as we have.”
Miller may not be alone. As of July 19, according to NewsNation affiliate KFOR‘s reporting, no school districts in Oklahoma have said they will obey Walters’ mandate.