OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.–Following what has been described as an “online uproar,” Tinker FCU has pulled its sponsorship of the InspireOK 2024 education conference.
The event is organized by the Oklahoma state Department of Education.
According to Fox25 News, the $6-billion credit union has been taking flak for its alignment with the event.
The uproar came after Jami Cole, administrator of the Oklahoma Edvocates group, which is comprised of teachers, parents, and public school administrators, posted an article about TFCU's sponsorship of the conference in the Oklahoma Edvocates' Facebook group, Fox25 News reported.
"Everybody was just piling on about if you're... going to align yourself with this, no matter what the reason you give, you're aligning against educators," Cole told the news outlet.
At the Heart of the Storm
At the center of the storm is State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, who has been critical of public education. In addition to Tinker FCU, other sponsors of the event include organizations like Turning Point USA, which advocates for conservative principles—as does another sponsor, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Fox25 News said.
Cole told Fox25 these and other groups affiliated with the event signal the injection of politics into public education, and she called TFCU's announcement a small victory as teachers threatened to pull their money.
Credit Union Issues Statement
In a statement to FOX 25 regarding its decision, Tinker Federal said, “In the past, TFCU has been an exhibitor at the InspireOK conference to give us an opportunity to talk to teachers about how TFCU can help provide financial education in their classrooms. TFCU will not be participating in the conference this year and has requested to be removed from all promotional materials. TFCU is committed to providing financial education across the state. Investing in our teachers is our goal, and our participation in this conference was never intended as a statement of support for any political agenda or policy.”
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