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Parents are "riled up" about something happening at Sallisaw schools, and they're reaching out to journalists for help. A local reporter decided to go straight to the source, confronting Superintendent Steve about what concrete steps the district plans to take to address mounting parental concerns.
The conversation, captured on video, reveals a superintendent who seems caught between acknowledging problems exist and avoiding specifics about what those problems actually are.
The Superintendent's Vague Response Strategy
When pressed about what the district is doing to prevent future incidents, the superintendent's answer was notably non-committal. "Well, I think in a lot of cases you have to first determine what this is," he responded, before suggesting the district would "continue to monitor and continue to look and assess."
The reporter pushed back, asking for concrete steps that have already been implemented since "all this stuff has come out." The superintendent's response revealed no specific actions had been taken.
Parents Want Answers, District Wants Delays
The most telling exchange came when the journalist proposed a simple solution: schedule a meeting where concerned parents could address their issues directly with school leadership. The superintendent's immediate response was to delay, saying such a meeting "could possibly happen probably at a later date."
When asked why it had to be later, the superintendent referenced "this latest case" where "they're still pinning things in," suggesting an ongoing investigation into some unspecified incident.
The Compromise That Reveals More Questions
The reporter made it clear that parents weren't asking to discuss active investigations. Instead, they wanted to have a productive conversation about what issues kids are experiencing and what the school could implement to help students feel "heard and safe and secure."
This reframing seemed to shift the superintendent's tone. He admitted that "an open-ended conversation along those lines is always welcome."
What Parents Are Really Asking For
The video captures something important about the disconnect between concerned parents and school administration. Parents aren't necessarily demanding immediate answers about specific incidents. They want assurance that their children's voices matter and that the district takes their safety seriously.
The superintendent's reluctance to commit to even a basic listening session, followed by his eventual agreement to an "open-ended conversation," raises questions about what exactly has parents so concerned and why district leadership seemed initially hesitant to simply hear them out.
Watch the full exchange to see how the superintendent responds when asked exactly how to start facilitating that promised conversation with parents.
