Agency director resigns amid controversy
The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services director has resigned following backlash from his recent hiring of a superintendent for the Oklahoma School for the Blind who many said was unqualified.
The superintendent position has since been reopened.
Joe Cordova announced his resignation last Thursday at a special meeting of the Commission for Rehabilitation Services, said Jody Harlan, agency spokeswoman.
Noel Tyler, an administrator in the department’s Disability Determination Division, has been named the agency’s interim director.
On Feb. 1, the Department of Rehabilitative Services announced Cordova had selected Christine Boone to be the permanent superintendent of the School for the Blind, which is in Muskogee.
Boone’s appointment as interim superintendent six months before drew criticism from parents and others with ties to the school who questioned her lack of traditional education credentials.
Boone’s hiring has been rescinded. State Rep. George Faught said in a statement Friday that he and other lawmakers had sent a letter to Gov. Mary Fallin to bring attention to some of the controversies surrounding the school and recent hiring decisions.
“I am pleased to see that Governor Fallin and the commissioners heeded the input from the Oklahoma School for the Blind families and the blind community,” Faught, R-Muskogee, said in the statement. “We hoped that the governor would take steps to resolve the controversy, allowing the school to move forward. I am thankful that she and the commissioners are looking out for the students and families at the school.
“I am optimistic that the decisions made for the future of the Oklahoma School for the Blind will be in the best interest of the students, parents, staff, and blind community as a whole.”
The Department of Rehabilitation Services, which oversees the School for the Blind, provides opportunities for individuals with disabilities to achieve productivity, independence and an enriched quality of life through its three divisions: Rehabilitative Services, Visual Services and Disability Determination.