Oklahoma Superintendent for Public Instruction Ryan Walters has introduced a new test for teachers coming into his state from California and New York in a bid to keep out what he called “woke indoctrination.”
Walters said his tests, compiled in association with conservative educational group PragerU, could be extended in the future to teachers from eight other Democratic-led states.
Newsweek contacted Walters and PragerU for comment on Saturday outside regular office hours via their respective online inquiry forms.
Why It Matters
Since his second presidential inauguration in January, President Donald Trump has taken a number of steps to combat what he terms “woke” ideology, including issuing an executive order saying there were only two genders—male and female—and cutting funding to universities that refuse to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
While state-level Republicans have worked to support the president’s agenda, some traditionally Republican regions have recorded a significant influx of new residents from Democratic states in recent years—sparking fears that the population changes could shift red states’ cultural and political identities.
According to a report from StorageCafe, which rents storage units, California and New York saw the most departures in 2023. By contrast, nine of the 10 states with the largest population influx, including Oklahoma, were Republican dominated.
What To Know
Teachers moving to Oklahoma from California and New York will be required to pass a new test to obtain a teaching certificate for Oklahoma, according to Walters, who told CNN the move was designed to keep away “woke indoctrination.”
The network reported that the test was developed in association with PragerU, a conservative educational body that has acquired a large audience online and is sympathetic to the Trump administration.
The test includes questions on the biological difference between men and women, the importance of religious freedom to American identity, and the U.S. government and political system, the New York Post reported.
In recent years, about 500 new teachers have moved to Oklahoma as part of an incentive program designed to attract the “highest quality” educators.
CNN said Walters declined to let the Oklahoma State Board of Education see a document on the legal status of his tests during a meeting in July.
What People Are Saying
The American Federation of Teachers told Newsweek: “Ryan Walters appears to be auditioning for the role of MAGA-in-chief, not educator-in-chief. His priority should be educating students, but it’s not. It’s getting Donald Trump and other MAGA politicians to notice him and think of him as their culture warrior.
“This test will be yet another turnoff for teachers in a state that already has a huge shortage. It doesn’t solve an actual problem in the classroom, but it certainly serves as a major distraction in the media as he deals with personal problems.
“Teachers are patriotic, and they don’t need a loyalty test from Ryan Walters to prove it. Whether they are conservative or liberal, they want what their students need: safe and welcoming public schools that are engaging and relevant and that prepare students for college, career and life.”
Oklahoma Superintendent for Public Instruction Ryan Walters told CNN: “We will not allow these leftists’ plans and schemes to take place here in Oklahoma. They are trying to warp the minds of our kids to turn them into social justice warriors, instead of kids that are getting the most of their god given talents to go get a good job, to go live a fulfilling life.”
He told the New York Post: “Here in Oklahoma, our academics are going to be grounded in fact.
“We’ve seen states like New York and California go so radical with gender theory and Marxist indoctrination, they are warping the minds of young people. … We need our teachers to agree to not be woke indoctrinators in the classroom.
“We’re also going to be teaching the foundations of American history. … So we can continue to be the greatest country in the world. We want our students to be patriots.”
PragerU CEO Marissa Streit told CNN that the questions were aimed at “undoing the damage of gender ideology that is forced and taught through some of these other tests like the PRISM test.” PRISM is a training program created to help teachers support LGBTQ+ students in California.
Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair John Waldron, a former teacher, told the outlet that Walters’ plan was a “loyalty test” and an “insult to our profession.”
What Happens Next
If Walters goes ahead with his tests, they are likely to face legal challenge. If they pass the courts, it remains to be seen what effects they will have on Oklahoma’s education system and whether they will be extended to teachers coming from beyond New York and California.
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