Oklahoma can use all of the teachers it can get, but Superintendent Ryan Walters aims to increase pressure on individuals potentially coming from New York and California by introducing an “America First” test. Walters said it will weed out “woke” teachers, but in a state that gives out thousands of emergency certifications to seemingly anyone willing to lead a classroom, why bar a teacher simply because they have a bit of compassion and understanding toward others?
We’ll see if the test passes constitutional muster or if state lawmakers will criticize the effort before ultimately declining to get uninvolved, as has been the pattern lately.
While Walters wants an “America first” test, he continues to make Oklahoma last when it comes to education.
This article appears in Fall Guide 2025.