Republican leaders in Oklahoma have implemented a conservative curriculum for the state’s public schools that critics condemn as pushing conspiracy theories and GOP talking points. Now, as Oklahoma seeks to fill its shortage of teachers, it intends to issue an ideological test for educators from two of the nation’s most populous states, requiring them to pass a test of conservative beliefs and ideologies to teach in Oklahoma.
New York and California teachers face an ideological test to teach in Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters discussed the new requirements in an interview with USA Today. Teachers coming from California or New York who want to teach in Oklahoma will be required to pass what Walters calls an “America First” certification. The teachers would be required to demonstrate they understand “the biological differences between females and males” and endorse ideas about fraud in the 2020 election, which President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence. Walters indicated that teachers from other states may eventually be required to pass the certification test. However, Oklahoma is starting with New York and California — the largest Democratic-led states in the country — to weed out educators “who are teaching things that are antithetical to our standards” and to make sure teachers “are not coming into our classrooms and indoctrinating kids.”
Controversial curriculum under GOP-led government
The new “America First” teacher certification material aligns with education standards that have been implemented under Walters and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. The new curriculum includes a conspiracy theory that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted from a lab leak; it also removes material relating to George Floyd and Black Lives Matter. The committee that prepared the controversial curriculum includes Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, generally seen as the architect of Project 2025. The committee also comprises conservative talk show host Dennis Prager, whose PragerU organization has created conservative educational materials that downplay slavery; the organization is helping design Oklahoma’s “America First” teacher certification.
Republican efforts to shape education despite performance and recruitment issues
Oklahoma is one of several Republican-led states, such as Texas and Florida, that in recent years have injected right-wing beliefs into state curricula while removing material relating to race, racism and minority experiences. The moves in Oklahoma come as the Trump administration seeks to dismantle the Department of Education, which would limit federal oversight and federal funding for state-level education. While many conservatives have applauded Oklahoma’s new requirements, critics note that the state ranks near the bottom in educational quality. “Oklahoma has one of the worst educational systems in America. Yet these is the focus,” one person tweeted. “Conservatives have lost the plot.”
Despite the challenges that Oklahoma faces in meeting educational standards or recruiting teachers to fill shortages, the Republican-led government seems determined to screen potential educators for their political and social beliefs. The new requirements for teachers may make it harder for the state to fill its educator gap. The standards will also further solidify the conservative ideas that Oklahoma’s political leaders want to teach its students.
