Jennifer Carter, Oklahoma School Official, Called Educators 'Dirtbags' On Twitter

TULSA, Okla. -- Oklahoma's schools superintendent said Thursday that her chief of staff calling school administrators "dirtbags" in a personal Twitter post was a "poor choice of words" – but called a lawsuit targeting parents of special-needs children that prompted the comment vindictive and "groundless."

In her Sept. 7 posting, which was first reported by the Tulsa World, Jennifer Carter referred to a lawsuit the Jenks and Union school districts brought against the parents of special-needs students who had sued the districts.

The parents claim the districts refused to grant them scholarships they believe they're entitled to under state law. The scholarships allow parents to send their special-needs children to private schools.

The districts' lawsuit seeks to have the law declared unconstitutional because school officials say it gives public money to private institutions. They also say the scholarship program unequally benefits parents living in wealthier areas by shaving off some of the financial burden if they decide to move their child to another school.

"These public taxpayer dollars are going to private and religious schools," said Bonnie Rogers, spokeswoman for Jenks Public Schools. Rogers noted that of the 33 private schools signed up to participate in the scholarship program, at least 31 have some sort of religious affiliation.

Oklahoma schools Superintendent Janet Barresi called Carter's text "a poor choice of words" in a statement issued Thursday, but again blamed school superintendents for suing parents "who want nothing more than what's best for their children."

"I think Oklahomans are concerned and shocked that any school district would vindictively target the parents of special needs children with a groundless lawsuit," she said.

Carter, who has been on maternity leave, released a statement Thursday admitting that she "could have used a different word" in her tweet, but continued to criticize the superintendents of harassing and bullying parents at taxpayer expense.

Comments

[rewith85man]

08:37 PM on 10/02/2011

It just makes me realize how miserable people are. They really have nothing better to do with their lives besides harassing and stirring up drama for innocent people.

[mm3264]

06:16 PM on 10/02/2011

I wonder if someone wanted to send Mohammed to a Muslim school how quickly these other "special " parents would be supporting that person

[mjune]

10:56 AM on 10/01/2011

There is never a reason for a professional in the public eye to call those in the trenches names. If a teacher had done the same thing referring to an administrator, she or he would have been suspended and likely fired.

Try doing that in the private sector and it would be over even faster.

No excuse. This "Chief of Staff" needs to go.

[seiedvard]

01:09 PM on 10/01/2011

Then so does half of the GOP for what they have called the President
What ever happened to sticks and stones?

[mjune]

01:18 PM on 10/01/2011

Freedom of speech as a private citizen is guaranteed by the first amendment.

The "sticks and stones" theory simply does not apply in the workplace, especially in terms of public statements in one's official capacity, as in this case.

[ranroddeb]

03:00 PM on 10/01/2011

your rant is a bit disingenuous considering the foul things Bush was called by you libs on a daily basis.

[mjune]

10:54 AM on 10/01/2011

Public education provides for a free and equal education for each child. Private schools pick and choose whom they will serve. Very likely the parents who want to send their children to private schools would still come back to the public school for services to which they are entitled as taxpayers.

[Frank-ly Speaking]

09:00 AM on 10/01/2011

What's to stop them from claiming that perfectly normal Billy has a "special need" to attend a private school?

[TRene11]

11:42 AM on 10/01/2011

medical records?

[Frank-ly Speaking]

05:29 PM on 10/01/2011

Certainly, if they're 100% accurate. I have a feeling though, that the percentage isn't quite that high.

[eceresa]

05:16 PM on 10/01/2011

Given how easy it is to get a kid diagnosed as special needs, basically just the honor system.

[Frank-ly Speaking]

05:19 PM on 10/01/2011

You're right. Overdiagnosed and overmedicated.

[Andman0121]

07:25 AM on 10/01/2011

Ummm im going to have to agree with the school officials on this one. Why on earth would they give public money to parents who want to use it to put their kids in a separate private school?? These parents are clearly attempting to take advantage.

[schatsie]

08:56 AM on 10/01/2011

Special needs children and their parents have a hard row ahead of them anyway you look at it...It is just too bad that this so called Christian culture does so little for them...Like Ron Paul says, let them suffer.....

[Kalie]

11:01 AM on 10/01/2011

Special needs children and non-English speakers get SOOOOOOO much money put toward their education in my state, Federal and State and mostly local, that when I look at the district expenses, I find that I worked all my life, to pay for children from other countries and special ed kids. The kids in the middle get nothing. The kids at the top have the helicopter parents who dont work, who get all types of advantage for them. Thats the way it works.

[Brian Workman]

12:19 AM on 10/01/2011

The seperation of Church & State has been the backbone of America sence Plymouth Rock became a historical landmark! Quit screwing with our Constitution!! Do not use MY tax payer money's for religiuos education!!!!!

[schatsie]

08:57 AM on 10/01/2011

I have to agree with you with regard to so called Christian education specially in this country. But this issue is for special needs children and I am not sure why the public education system is not adequate to the task.

[bill0209]

09:33 PM on 09/30/2011

How about we fund our gifted children, who stand a significantly better chance to positively contribute to society, as much as we fund the profoundly disabled child? Makes no sense.

[schatsie]

08:59 AM on 10/01/2011

It makes no sense to fund education thru property taxes instead of a real property tax, the wealth tax..... but who is going to listen.... The fact is that we need auditors to get a handle on education spending, because as far as I can see it is a bit out of control....

[Frank-ly Speaking]

09:02 AM on 10/01/2011

We don't want them smart kids gittin' too big for their britches.

[ranroddeb]

03:05 PM on 10/01/2011

It's the libs dumbing down education so little Johnny the DA doesn't get his feelings hurt when he's left behind.

[automan 57]

09:14 PM on 09/30/2011

Hey if the state run schools can't make the nessary changes for the education of the needy children I see no problem with passing on the government funds each child is required or due in public schools to be passed on with each student to the school who will except them and try to educate them and meet their special needs !!!~~ Sounds like the NEA wants it all as usual for doing very little for the special needs children !!!~~~~

[Mr Anonymous]

10:02 PM on 09/30/2011

You really must not have much of a clue about education laws since the 70's.

[Andman0121]

07:26 AM on 10/01/2011

...what?? As an educator myself I can see you clearly do not understand how education works.

[Ted Cantu]

08:04 PM on 09/30/2011

Someone had to test the waters.....

[PtaRay]

07:30 PM on 09/30/2011

TOO BAD these debates are not eeally about education, but funding and profits and the fact our childrens education has become "product" and not just making their minds open and able to use critical thinking. As many opf te kids are as biased and brainwashed befopre they get into class by parents that they already have a speed bump in their educationasl paths.
Home taught hatred for public schools. No disciplone allowed by cry baby parents, who can't accept schoolsare not for social networking, nor fashion sense, but LEARNING.
The issue at the heart of this article, the "dirt bag" comment and the "bless you" freaking out garbage is lost in the political games used by idiots to advance their agendas for religious, profit and political gains, not to actually educate your kids.

[schatsie]

09:00 AM on 10/01/2011

very good comment.

[StinkyBush]

10:39 AM on 10/01/2011

I just want to say your comment was great. Education is not about the kids. It is about the special interest and money-go-round of funds for those special interest.

Fanned/faved!!!

[PtaRay]

05:38 PM on 09/30/2011

Tax payer dollars are not for anything religious, school or otherwise. if religion is tax free, teaching it to kids in a school setting is fine, but not with tax payer dollars, pretty sure that is tax law.
Funny since the religious, primarily GOP Tea Party social conservatives will say that they deserve the right to have money for their own private schools too, and no tax payer dollars to other thing they object to.
best answer here?
SHUT UP ABOUT TAX PAYER DOLLARS. STOP THINKING YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF ALL THINGS THAT GET PAID FOR BY TAX PAYERS, JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU ARE MORALLY SUPERIOR. YOUR NOT.

WHEN CHURCHES PAY TAXES, THEY CAN HAVE TAX MONEY TO TEACH WITH.

just an opinion... and not enough space to write more.

[mlaiuppa]

05:26 PM on 09/30/2011

Gee. Wonder what she calls her teachers.

[shelcreates2]

01:43 AM on 10/01/2011

Something better, I m sure. They are the only ones out there working in dismal situations, while the administrative levels panders to the influencial parties who run a testing and assessment financial business called schools. Since a monkey could take all the materials required and push only to prepare for 'the tests', real teachers are few in number. For the sake of the 'education business savings' our kids are taught English by person's from other language speaking background. Reform our schools!

[proudloudlib]

05:19 PM on 09/30/2011

Well, this is why I use an alias on Twitter -- and on HP. And why I'm not on FB at all.

[edpayton]

05:19 PM on 09/30/2011

final portion of Tulsa World Editorial:
But as Jenks Superintendent Kirby Lehman and Union Superintendent Cathy Burden pointed out in their statement responding to the flap: "This issue is not about special education students, since the bills that were passed are using those (special education) children as pawns in an attempt to initiate vouchers in Oklahoma. If there was really a desire to follow the will of the people of Oklahoma, this issue would have been placed on a ballot - rather than circumventing the Oklahoma voting public."

The superintendents, and others, contend that channeling public funds into private religious schools violates the U.S. Constitution.

"Our school boards believe the two laws will be deemed unconstitutional by the courts, and we find it revealing that others apparently do not want this issue decided by the courts," they said.

It is revealing that Barresi and her staff seem more concerned about sending funding to private schools than helping to preserve and improve public schools. We're tempted to resort to name-calling ourselves, but we'll resist the temptation.

[shelcreates2]

01:46 AM on 10/01/2011

You have a fan.

[Max Amillion Gesenhues]

10:16 AM on 10/01/2011

They don't want the courts to open the doors for charter schools to start coming in who will really start taking money out of the system.