OSDE paying Texas-based company $50k+ to make social media videos
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Oklahoma lawmakers are once again calling for change after News 4 discovered Thursday the Oklahoma State Department of Education is paying an out-of-state company tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to create social media videos.
A purchase order obtained by News 4 shows the Oklahoma State Department of Education entered into a $50k contract with Texas-based Precision Outreach to create social media videos for OSDE between March 6 and June 30, 2024.
After June 30, Precision Outreach and OSDE can renew the contract for three optional 12-month periods.
The purchase order does not disclose how much OSDE would pay Precision Outreach for each additional period.
The purchase order indicates Precision Outreach was the winning bidder on a Request for Proposals (RFP) OSDE advertised seeking to “select and contract for services with a qualified supplier for the purpose of providing videography and digital media services.”
The RFP listed a description of the services it was seeking from bidders, including:
“Provide media strategy feedback, with creative and innovative ideas.”
“Provide videography and video editing services.”
“Provide digital media services including, but not limited to, graphic design,
interactive imagery, infographics, etc.”
“Publish videos to the specifications and standards set on a case-by-case basis,
typically with video length between 30 seconds and 15 minutes, with format
capability options to service all social media platforms, including but not limited to
Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.”
“Provide performance and data-based evidence on all video information accessed,
including but not limited to clicks, comments, and shares.”
“Provide monthly reporting capability for edited and published content, by
furnishing minutes.”
“Create and publish video clips from department board meetings with turnaround
time of less than 5 hours.”
“Create at least two videos per month that relay education priorities and messaging
with less than 48 hours turnaround time.”
“Create a minimum of 10 digital communications/media services per month.”
OSDE request for proposals for video services
This is not the first time Precision Outreach has done work for the OSDE.
Last year, News 4 reported OSDE paid Precision Outreach $22.5k in taxpayer dollars to produce 30 minutes of videos for the department.
One of those videos included a “public awareness campaign” with clips of people speaking at events for national education and teachers’ groups, while ominous music played in the background. It also featured clips of interviews State Superintendent Ryan Walters gave to national media outlets in which he criticizes teachers’ unions.
“People were upset because we were using state dollars to produce that video,” State Representative Mark McBride (R-Moore) told News 4. “And now we've got $50,000 being used on another contract. That's concerning.”
Also this month, records obtained by News 4 show OSDE entered into a separate contract with Washington D.C.-based PR firm Vought Strategies.
The contract between Vought Strategies and OSDE lists the following public relations responsibilities for Vought Strategies:
“Consult for third-party communications activities.”
“Provide national media bookings and placement activities.”
“Provide print and digital Opposite the Editorial Page (Op-ed) placement nationally.”
“Coordinate national events and appearances for executive staff.”
“Write speeches for events.”
OSDE contract with Vought Strategies
It goes on to list specific requirements Vought Strategies must meet in order to stay in compliance with the contract:
“Provide at least three op-ed placements per month.”
“Compose at least two speeches per month.”
“Complete at least 10 media bookings per month.”
“Provide public relations consultation for education-related activities on an as-needed basis.”
OSDE contract with Vought Strategies
Since OSDE hired Vought, State Superintendent Ryan Walters has made numerous appearances on national commentary outlets including Fox News and Newsmax.
A purchase order obtained by News 4 shows OSDE paid Vought Strategies $30k in tax dollars for services between March 6 and June 30, 2024.
Like the purchase order between OSDE and Precision Outreach, the purchase order between OSDE and Vought Strategies also indicates the contract can be renewed for three 12-month periods, at a rate of $200 per hour.
“I don't think that any of this is about education, Oklahoma students or teachers,” McBride said. “And it should all 100% be about Oklahoma students and teachers.”
McBride says Vought Strategies and Precision Outreach both have something in common.
“You've got a staffer from Texas—that pretty much stays in Texas—that actually has ties to both of these organizations,” McBride said.
The OSDE staffer he’s referencing is OSDE’s senior policy advisor Matt Langston.
While the State of Oklahoma pays him a six figure salary, Langston lists Austin, Texas as his location on his very active X (formerly known as Twitter) profile.
“It just it seems like there might be something else going on here,” McBride said.
Before Langston worked for OSDE, he spent years as an adviser for political campaigns across the country, including on Ryan Walters’ 2022 campaign for Oklahoma State Superintendent.
McBride believes Langston has plays a pretty influential role over Walters and his decisions.
“[Walters] isn't the guy that I met several years ago, and I commended when he was a schoolteacher in McAlester,” McBride said. “I think I think his ego has gotten in his way and I think he's getting bad advice from others in the state south of us.”
Earlier this week, News 4 reported Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall was looking pass legislation banning OSDE from hiring outside firms for the purposes it hired Vought Strategies and Precision Outreach.
McBride, who chairs the House Education Committee, says he is ready to get to work on it.
“I think the Speaker of the House is doing the right thing,” McBride said. “We need to line item the budget, we need the line item, the whole education budget.”
News 4 reached out to OSDE spokesperson Dan Isett Thursday with some questions about the deal with Precision Outreach.
Isett did not respond to News 4’s email, however, later in the day Isett’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account liked a post from a News 4 reporter sharing details about OSDE’s agreement with Precision Outreach.