Oklahoma will be the first state to require teachers from liberal-leaning states to take a test to show they align with Oklahoma’s curriculum standards.
The state’s Superintendent, Ryan Walters, told Fox News Digital that next week he plans to release a new certification test for teachers moving into the state from blue states.
“We offered the largest signing bonuses for teachers in the country. If you’re in the top 10 percent of teachers in the country, we give you $50,000 in Oklahoma. So we’ve seen teachers come from blue states, red states all over to come to Oklahoma. They especially are fleeing the teachers unions, the grip that they’ve had on them in these blue states,” Walters said.
Walters added that the state is working with conservative think tank PragerU on developing the test for teachers. The “America First” test will include basic questions about American history, civics, and “common sense.”
Oklahoma is thus far the only state that has worked with PragerU on this kind of project. Walters said that Oklahoma education officials have partnered with PragerU in the past, helping them develop standards for teaching history and putting an emphasis on American exceptionalism.
“We put the Bible back in our history standards,” Walters said.
The superintendent mentioned Maine, California, and New York adopting standards and requirements that were antithetical to Oklahoma.
“One of the things that we wanted to do is, first of all, make sure that they’re great teachers, right? And No. 2, make sure we’re not getting these woke, indoctrinating social justice warriors in the classroom,” Walters said.
He name-dropped California Gov. Gavin Newsom as one of the “impetuses” of the change, regarding the state’s policy on gender ideology.
The California Department of Education requires instruction “about gender, gender expression, gender identity and explore the harm of negative gender stereotypes.” Schools must also “teach about all sexual orientations and what being LGBTQ means.”
“We’re going to make sure that this isn’t creeping into our schools. When we see Maine take the extraordinary steps to fight President Trump… Every county in Oklahoma voted for President Trump,” Walters said.
Maine has pushed back against President Donald Trump’s executive orders requiring that schools teach that there are only two genders and that biological boys are prohibited from participating in female sports.
“We have been closely following the implementation of teacher training and testing programs — such as the PRISM test imposed on educators in states like California — and we fully understand why superintendents of education, like Ryan Walters, feel compelled to protect their students from the extreme left-wing ideologies being promoted in schools through teachers who often do not even realize the damage caused,” a spokesperson for PragerU told Fox News Digital.
“It is our honor to help reverse the damage caused by these trends by equipping educators with higher-quality resources and holding them accountable to do what is right for their students. While we do not mandate the use of any of our materials, we strongly encourage the adoption of our wholesome, patriotic content as a constructive alternative,” the spokesperson added.
Walters’ colleagues have previously challenged the legal merit of his idea. When Walters said the test would not need the board’s approval, his colleague Ryan Deatherage asked for legal documentation to prove it.
Board member Chris Van Denhende asked whether the tests were necessary, citing teaching contracts requiring educators to teach to Oklahoma standards anyway.
“He’s been a puppet for the teachers union,” Walters told Fox News Digital, referring to Van Denhende.
“I’ve had to deal with people in our state that are just continuing to parrot the lies of the NEA [National Education Association]. And here’s the reality. What do you mean? We’re seeing it all over the place. We are seeing indoctrination on kids like never before,” he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom and Van Denhende for comment.
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