Change is sweeping across Oklahoma’s education landscape, led by State School Superintendent Ryan Walters. Walters has made national news by changing the state’s social studies standards for all K-12 public school students. This controversial move touches on several areas that closely favor conservative ideologies and the imposition of prevalent right-wing figures.
In his role, Walters appointed a review committee that includes Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, and Dennis Prager, a well-known radio talk show host and founder of Prager U. This special committee will prompt a reexamination of what education is teaching. They want to be living examples of Walters’ education vision, which off-quoted Walters describes as liberated from the scourge of “wokeness.”
Walters was highly complimentary toward then-President Donald Trump. In one interview, he boldly proclaimed, “Trump’s won the argument on education.” His alignment with Trump is evident in his push for educational materials that he believes promote national pride and traditional values. Walters reworked the curriculum to include biblical references. Ironically, at the same time he is trying to ban teaching about the issues behind Black Lives Matter and the murder of George Floyd.
The new standards make explicit reference to the highly contentious 2020 election. High schoolers gonna find “anomalies” in the election results now. This issue has been turned into a lightning rod by the new wave of conservatives who doubt the integrity of our electoral process. Walters has been assertive in his stance, claiming, “We have education bureaucrats that are left-wing, elitist, that think they know best for families, and they have become so radicalized that our families are going: ‘What is going on here?’”
Foes of Walters’ changes contend that these edits are further moving state education away from education and toward indoctrination. To stop these devastating cuts, a coalition of parents and educators have legally challenged the state. Their contention is that the new standards are a radical break from an inclusive understanding of social studies —that the new standards advance a narrow, outdated ideological perspective.
Walters convened an executive committee filled almost entirely with out-of-state ideologues from conservative research organizations. This decision has left educators and community members in shock. They fear the influence of outside political agendas on their local education systems. Aaron Baker, an educator in the state who vocally opposed these changes, shared his reaction. He continued, “If someone’s calling to accept the influence of far-right groups in our standards and advocating for introducing more Christianity into our pedagogical practice, then they’ve been emboldened.
Aside from his whitewashed curriculum changes, Walters has been pushing Trump-endorsed Bibles into public school classrooms across Oklahoma. Most recently, he has shepherded an effort to open the nation’s first public religious charter school. It’s a move that deepens the ties between education and religious ideology.
Supporters of Walters’ approach maintain that it rightfully pushes back against what they see as a widespread left-wing indoctrination in K-12 public education. According to conservative groups like Moms for Liberty, “In the last few election cycles, grassroots conservative organizations have flipped seats across Oklahoma by holding weak Republicans accountable.” They contend that the current educational system has been dominated by progressive ideologies and requires reform to reflect more conservative values.
Walters’ administration focuses on a return to the historical truth without the supposed misinterpretation or distortion of modern sociopolitical movements. “We’re moving it back to actually understanding history … and I’m unapologetic about that,” he declared.
As these high-profile changes play out, the discussion about Oklahoma’s tumultuous educational reforms are sure to heat up. Supporters of the old educational order line up in support of Walters’ radical agenda. They enthusiastically applaud his pledge to combat what he believes is left-wing indoctrination. Because of these provisions, opponents remain vigilant and on guard. They express legitimate concerns about what these drastic changes might mean for students’ understanding of American history and social movements.