Oklahoma to introduce ideology test to stop ‘woke’ teachers

Oklahoma State Principal Ryan Walters has announced plans to create an ideological purity test to identify so-called “awakening” teachers.

The 40-year-old state officials have announced plans to create an assessment to determine that teachers will “wake up” to “relocate from a state with progressive education policies.”

He worked in a partnership with Oklahoma Department of Education’s right-wing lobby group and media brand Pragel, who claimed in a news release Tuesday (July 22) that the assessment would allow the state’s curriculum to be “rooted in truth, patriotism and core values.”

The test reportedly evaluates educators on three main subjects: Knowledge of the US Constitution, “Understanding American Exceptionism,” and “Fundamental Biological Differences between Boys and Girls.”

Commenting on the plan, Walters said: “We send a clear message: Oklahoma schools are not a heaven of awakening agendas pushed in places like California or New York.

“If you want to teach here, you’d better know the Constitution, respect what makes America great, and understand basic biology,” he continued. “We are raising generations of patriots, not activists. I fight teeth and claws and keep left-wing propaganda out of the classroom.”

Prager is primarily known for creating bite-sized online videos that promote right-wing beliefs. It is often an anti-LGBTQ+ conspiracy theory, which includes claims that the popular AI-Model ChatGpt is secretly changing children’s transgender.

Marissa Streit, CEO of Prageru, said the organization is “working to stop the extreme left ideologues from hurting children and ensuring teachers defend America’s greatness and potential for the future.”

Ryan Walters denounced anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric following Nex Benedict’s death

In 2024, Ryan Walters was strongly condemned for his reaction to the death of Nex Benedict, a non-binario Klahoma student.

A friend of 16-year-old Benedict died in February 2024, claiming to be a two-person spirit and a member of the Choctaw nation of Oklahoma. An autopsy report released in March said he had died of suicide.

In an open letter, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) called for a federal investigation into the death of a teenager and urged the government to refuse the State Department to address “anti-LGBTQ+ hatred and violence.”

Walters was branded as “biased” and “bullying” by parents in Benedict’s school district. One parent, Audra Beasley, accused Walters of “deliberately” denying child support after being forced to change his son who is using a wheelchair on the toilet floor.

Walters argued at the time that the “radical left” was misusing Benedict’s death for “political interests.”