TVLSE, Oklahoma – Mvskoke citizen Aaron Griffith filed complaints with the Oklahoma State Department of Education, alleging that the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences (TSAS) is noncompliant with Title I Parents Right to Know disclosure requirements, as well as Title VI and Johnson O’Malley (JOM) parental involvement and tribal consultation requirements.
In late August, Griffith, whose son attends TSAS, attempted to connect with the Parent Teacher Association and the Foundation for Academic Excellence on the school’s website. He was only able to find a page with a parent engagement form, a contact email and a link to a document that outlines TSAS parental involvement policy, which makes no mention of JOM programs.
In addition to the OSDE, Griffith emailed his complaints to Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief David Hill, several MCN National Council Representatives and MCN Attorney General Geri Wisner.
Griffith stated he has not been contacted by the OSDE. According to Griffith,
“The statute says the State Department of Education General Counsel has 30 days from the date of the formal complaint being filed to respond. I expect to receive a response sometime within this timeframe. . . I am not an attorney. As a lay person, I believe I have faithfully followed the process to the best of my understanding and ability. The process seems to have been followed pretty well, as far as I can tell from my limited experience as a novice first-time filer.”
Griffith filed his complaints on Sept. 27. As of Oct. 31 he has not received a response from the OSDE.
Griffith has also filed a noncompliance complaint concerning Angela Vivar, a TSAS Governing Board Member. Griffith alleges that her position as Director of Hispanic Ministries at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church violates the prohibitions against sectarian affiliations in the provisions and policies of Tulsa Public Schools and the Oklahoma Charter School Act.
Mvskoke Media has contacted TSAS for comment on the issue, but has not received a response.
TSAS met with this parent multiple times, outlined steps moving forward, and have implemented many of those steps already. This work was ongoing before and outside of the parent’s complaint due to an increase in Native American students at TSAS. That work is still moving forward at different dimensions to ensure the collective efficacy of TSAS in reaching its Native American students in a way that humanizes them and continues to be in compliance with federal and state regulations.