Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters is resigning to become CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a nonprofit that claims to work to limit teachers unions’ influence. Walters confirmed the move on Wednesday and said he will officially assume the role on Oct. 1.
“We’re going to destroy the teachers unions,” Walters said during a Fox News interview. In a press release, he said the group’s goal is to give educators “freedom from the liberal, woke agenda that has corrupted public education.”
The Teacher Freedom Alliance was founded this year by the Freedom Foundation. Its leaders say Walters will “restore excellence in America’s classrooms” by supporting teachers without union influence.
What defined Walters’ tenure?
Walters was elected in 2022. He also served as Oklahoma Secretary of Education from September 2020 to April 2023. In June 2024, he directed public schools to teach the Bible. He also promoted school prayer and supported a publicly funded religious charter school in Oklahoma. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected that initiative earlier this year.
The Associated Press reports that Oklahoma adopted social-studies standards that echoed claims of 2020 election fraud, that Walters proposed tracking students’ immigration status and that he sought an exam for some out-of-state applicants intended to screen for what he described as “radical leftist ideology.” He frequently promoted Turning Point USA, the youth group founded by Charlie Kirk, saying every high school should have a chapter.
Critics from both parties argued his initiatives mixed religious directives with public-school policy and prompted multiple lawsuits. Attorney General Genter Drummond, a Republican, said Thursday, “It’s time for a State Superintendent of Public Instruction who will actually focus on quality instruction in our public schools.”
Supporters say his agenda centered on parental rights and reducing union influence in schools, according to the Teacher Freedom Alliance.
What happens next in Oklahoma?
Gov. Kevin Stitt is expected to appoint a replacement. Former state Rep. Mark McBride is among those under consideration. According to KOKH-TV, Walters made more than 400 public appearances during his tenure.
Recent National Assessment of Educational Progress results show Oklahoma has slipped in reading and math relative to national averages.
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