Oklahoma's textbook committee, recently scrutinized over math books, has five new appointments

Gov. Kevin Stitt has appointed five new members of the Oklahoma State Textbook Committee, a previously obscure state board that has drawn scrutiny in recent months under state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters.

From Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District, Stitt appointed Christina Hanvey, of Westville, and Joshua Allen of Tahlequah, and as an at-large selection, Stitt appointed Michael Bellew, a doctor from Broken Arrow. Stitt announced those appointments Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday, two more appointments were announced — Ashley Leming, of Tuttle, representing the 4th Congressional District, and Linda Diann Magnus, of Yukon, representing the 5th Congressional District. All five appointments are pending confirmation by the Oklahoma Senate.

If confirmed, Hanvey will fill the unexpired term of former committee member Kathryn Yarbrough, which will end March 1, 2025. Allen, Bellew, Leming and Magnus are scheduled to serve three-year terms that will end March 1, 2027. Even after the five appointments, two vacancies remain on the 14-person board — one from the 1st Congressional District and one at-large spot.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education website, the state Textbook Committee annually prepares a list of available textbooks that meet the academic criteria for Oklahoma's public schools. The committee typically reviews textbooks involving one or more subjects each year. Textbooks for computer education/instructional technology are supposed to be evaluated every three years, while textbooks for all other subjects are scheduled to be reviewed on a six-year cycle.

Walters, as state schools superintendent, is the committee’s chair, while Kendra Wesson, an appointed member of the Oklahoma State Board of Education, is the committee’s designated chair.

A law passed in 2020 made changes to the committee’s structure and review process in an attempt to “strengthen the quality of state-level instructional materials reviews,” according to the state Education Department’s website. Under the new process, a three-tiered system of evaluation is used, with a review committee composed of subject-area experts assisting.

Board's actions in recent months have drawn attention to what's often an obscure process

The state Textbook Committee often operates far from the spotlight, but Oklahoma Voice reported that in November, it asked a major textbook publisher, McGraw Hill, to remove “math thoughts” sections from its “Reveal Math” books if the publisher wanted its textbooks to be approved by the committee. Those math textbooks are made for students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grades.

According to another report from Oklahoma Voice, at a previous meeting of the state Textbook Committee, a representative of Moms for Liberty — a politically conservative advocacy organization — had complained about the McGraw Hill math textbooks because of what she said were social-emotional learning concepts contained in the book.

Oklahoma Voice reported that of 17 companies asked to be considered as part of the state’s math textbook adoption process, eight withdrew and another was removed. Oklahoma school districts cannot use state textbook funds to purchase textbooks not approved by the committee.

According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, social-emotional learning is “the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”

Who are the new appointees to the state Textbook Committee?

Allen serves on the Tahlequah City Council and teaches music at an elementary school in the Cherokee County city. According to his biography on the city’s website, he attended school in the Tahlequah Public Schools system before obtaining a music education degree from Northeastern State University, also located in Tahlequah. He’s worked for 23 years as a band director for Tahlequah schools and also serves as an associate pastor at Love Light Christian Center in Tahlequah.

Hanvey is a choir, speech, drama and keyboarding teacher at Westville Public Schools in Adair County.

Reached by email on Tuesday night, both Allen and Hanvey referred comment to the governor’s office.

According to his LinkedIn page, Bellew is a vascular neurologist. On that page, Bellew said, “Beyond my professional pursuits, I am an ardent advocate for classical education. In my spare time, I immerse myself in the timeless wisdom of classical literature, philosophy, and art. I believe that a well-rounded education extends beyond medicine and greatly enriches our understanding of the world, fostering a deeper appreciation for the humanities and the interconnectedness of knowledge.”

According to the Classical Academic Press, classical education “is a long tradition of education that has emphasized the seeking after of truth, goodness, and beauty and the study of the liberal arts and the great books.” It defines the “liberal arts” as grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy. Walters has called classical learning “imperative” for Oklahoma.

Bellew didn’t immediately respond to a message sent to his work email address.

Leming teaches art at Tuttle High School, and Magnus is a music teacher for Kingfisher Public Schools, according to her LinkedIn profile. Magnus didn't immediately respond to an email sent to her work address.

The state Textbook Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for June 7.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Gov. Stitt names 5 new members of Oklahoma State Textbook Committee