K FOR DOT COM. ALSO THIS EVENING, NEWS 4 IS ASKING QUESTIONS OVER OKLAHOMA'S NEW TEACHER BONUS PROGRAM. >> SPECIFICALLY THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS. THE PLAN WAS DESIGNED TO TACKLE OKLAHOMA'S TEACHER SHORTAGE BY PROVIDING LARGE SIGNING BONUSES. STATE SUPERINTENDENT RYAN WALTERS REPORTEDLY CLAIMED THE STATE RECEIVED 950 OUT OF STATE TEACHER APPLICATIONS. HOWEVER, DOCUMENTS REVEAL THERE ARE 950 TOTAL APPLICATIONS, BUT ONLY 117 OF THOSE CAME FROM OUT OF STATE NEWS. FOUR'S CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF KAYLEE OLIVAS IS JOINING US NOW WITH DETAILS ON THIS. AND, KELLY, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO IT FOR A WHILE. OH, YEAH, KEVIN, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THERE'S NOW A DISCREPANCY IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SIGNING BONUSES HANDED OUT STATE SUPERINTENDENT RYAN WALTERS TOLD LAWMAKERS 578 TEACHERS GOT ONE.
BUT TODAY WE WERE TOLD THAT NUMBER WAS 523. >> HE CLAIMED THAT, YOU KNOW, HIS DEAL ON TEACHER RECRUITMENT BETTER AND SLICED BREAD IS THE GREATEST THING IN THE NATION. YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANT TO SEE PROOF. WANT TO SEE THE NUMBERS. STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SUBPOENA HAND DELIVER TO STATE SUPERINTENDENT RYAN WALTERS IN DECEMBER. REPUBLICANS REQUESTING SEVERAL THINGS INCLUDING 950 OUT OF STATE TEACHER APPLICATIONS. STATE'S SUPERINTENDENT RYAN WALTERS CLAIMED TO HAVE RECEIVED SINCE ANNOUNCING HIS SIGNING BONUS INCENTIVE FOR APPLICANTS COULD GET UP TO $50,000. WE RECRUITED 950 TEACHERS FROM OUT OF STATE. >> THAT'S THAT'S ALMOST TO TEACHERS FOR DISTRICT IN. >> AND I DON'T HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THAT FROM THE SUPERINTENDENTS. I'VE TALKED TO INFORMATION PROVIDED BY WALTERS REVEALS 950 TEACHERS DID APPLY. BUT MOST ARE FROM IN-STATE ONLY 117 WERE ACTUALLY FROM OUT OF STATE. MAINLY COMING FROM TEXAS, KANSAS, ARKANSAS AND CALIFORNIA. THOSE TEACHERS WILL FILL SEVERAL VACANCIES ACROSS THE STATE EPIC CHARTER SCHOOL, A DISTRICT.
THE STATE REPORT CARD RANKED AS A D IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IS SET TO GET THE MOST TEACHERS THIS FALL. WE ASKED THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WHY THE DISCREPANCY IN APPLICATION NUMBERS, WALTER SAYS, QUOTE, ANY FAKE CONTROVERSY, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS CONTROLLED BY THE TEACHERS UNIONS TRYING TO DRUM UP. WE'LL KNOW IN THE OVERWHELMING SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM. THERE'S NO I GOTCHA QUESTION HERE. >> IT'S JUST QUESTIONS ABOUT PUBLIC EDUCATION THAT IN THE APPROPRIATE OR WOULD ASK.
>> WELL, RYAN WALTERS IS OFFICE CLAIMS HE NEVER SAID THERE WERE 950 OUT OF STATE TEACHER APPLICATIONS. BUT IN WALTERS, ITS RESPONSE TO THAT SUBPOENA, THERE WAS NO CORRECTION MADE IN REFERENCE TO IT. REPRESENTATIVE MARK MCBRIDE SAYS HE APPRECIATES THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY WALTERS IS OFFICE. HE .