Oklahoma schools chief says he’s trying to let teachers keep bonuses paid in error

By SEAN MURPHY
Associated Press Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — After facing fierce criticism, the head of Oklahoma’s public schools now says his agency is working to see if teachers improperly awarded up to $50,000 can keep the bonuses. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters made the comments on Wednesday. Walters and the Department of Education faced criticism from lawmakers after reports they asked as many as nine teachers to repay the bonuses which were meant to attract new teachers to hard-to-fill jobs. At least two teachers are now suing Walters and the department for breach of contract. An attorney for the two teachers says while the department did reach out to one of the educators, the agency only agreed to extend the deadline for repayment.