Democratic Nominee for Lt. Governor Dr. Kelly Forbes, the Oklahoma Democratic Party Condemn Opponent's Comments on Public Schools and Reaffirm Their Support for Public Education 

Oklahoma City- Today, former Oklahoma Speaker of the House and Republican Lieutenant Governor nominee T.W. Shannon admitted in writing on his X account that it was “correct” to say he doesn’t love public schools and equated supporting public schools with “government worship.”  Shannon’s comments are already drawing backlash from educators across the state. Echoing those concerns is Dr. Kelly Forbes, a career educator, trusted public school leader, and the Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor of Oklahoma; he is joined by Erin Brewer, longtime public education advocate and Chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. 

“Frankly, given Shannon’s track record, this isn’t shocking. We’ve heard his speeches promising to prioritize private schools and we've seen him increasingly attacking Oklahoma voters who attempt to engage with him in social media comments,” said Brewer. “He’s attacked Independents, Republicans, Democrats, including a pastor out of Ardmore. He clearly holds a level of contempt for Oklahomans, and believes public service is only about serving those who agree with you. This is how Ryan Walters behaved. Oklahoma can’t afford Ryan Walters 2.0” 

Both Forbes and Shannon entered the public sector in 2008. Shannon was elected to the state legislature, and Forbes began teaching at a public school in Oklahoma City. Both advanced in leadership roles; Shannon was elected Speaker of the Oklahoma House in 2013, Forbes climbed the ranks as an assistant principal, principal, Title III Director, ESSER Director, and earned his Superintendent certification before opening his own small business dedicated to helping districts navigate government bureaucracy and improve student outcomes. 

While a principal at one of the highest-performing elementary schools in the Tulsa metropolitan area, Forbes faced the reality of budget cuts resulting from Shannon’s legislative efforts as Speaker, giving tax breaks to Oklahoma’s highest earners and creating automatic triggers for further tax breaks. Shannon’s 2014 legislation decreased funding for public education and healthcare and ultimately contributed to budget shortfalls. During the 2017 budget crisis, the Republican Supermajority repealed Shannon’s tax breaks . 

“I lived the dash between 2008 and now as Oklahoma fell from 17th to 50th in education. I lived the consequences of repeated cuts to education funding. As a principal, I was faced with the reality of cutting staff or raising dollars in any way possible to save jobs and keep class sizes down. We were able to raise the dollars through public-private partnerships, an incredible Parent Teacher Association, but not every school was able to do that,” said Forbes. “We have great teachers in Oklahoma; our public schools are staffed by incredible people working hard for our students. It’s time to reprioritize how we’re spending public education dollars, and bring educators with boots on the ground to the table instead of top-down mandates that don’t help teachers.” 

Forbes, a past president of the Oklahoma Association for Bilingual Education, has earned broad support from Oklahoma Educators; he has been endorsed by Oklahoma Edvocates, AFT-OKC,  and the Oklahoma Educators Association.