By Michael Pineda
mpineda@cherryroad.com

Ardmore City Schools will soon welcome back a teacher whose certificate had been held in limbo by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

Last week, the State Board of Education voted not to revoke the teaching license of Alison Scott. Scott’s license was under review following a Facebook post she made in reference to an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump during his campaign.

During a July 2024 meeting, the board approved an application for an emergency order summarily suspending Scott’s teaching certificate and certificates numbers pending an individual proceeding for revocation.

In August 2024, the board took no action to allow time to review and receive advisement on how best to proceed with applications for an emergency order summarily suspending the teaching certificate and certificate number pending an individual proceeding of revocation for Scott in addition to 11 other teachers and administrators.

Since 2024, Scott has been on paid administrative leave pending an outcome from the state board. Ardmore City Schools Superintendent Andy Davis said the school is required to pay a teacher on administrative leave. He said the state’s inaction had cost the district tens of thousands of dollars.

“She has been sitting in limbo,” he said.  

The issue came to a head during Walters’ last board meeting in which a board member spoke up about the situation. Walters had already announced he was leaving the Department of Education for another job.

“At that point, he was going to refuse to act on anything,” Davis said. “One of the board members wanted to have a special meeting to address many, many things and this was one of them. He had mentioned that we have these people that the attorney general said give them back their license. And Ryan Walters was not going to do that.”

Davis said he is waiting for the official letter from the state department, which will be sent to the district’s attorney and then back to the district.

“At that point, she will be back in the classroom,” he said.

Scott is a music history teacher in addition to being a musician.

“She is an incredible musician,” Davis said. “The kids love her.”

Planta-Lewis’ teaching certificate revoked

Ardmore did have one former teacher who has lost her teaching certificate. A special hearing took place in regard to Betty Planta-Lewis’ teaching certificate. Planta-Lewis was investigated by the district and Ardmore Police Department for child abuse. She was charged for felony child abuse in June 2024 and is scheduled for a docket call Friday.

Planta-Lewis failed to show up for the special hearing and her teaching certificate was revoked Davis said.