**Ryan Walters Is No Longer Oklahoma Superintendent, but His Controversies Linger**
Ryan Walters, the former Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, has left his government position but continues to make headlines with his contentious actions and rhetoric. During his tenure, Walters implemented mandates requiring schools to carry copies of the so-called “Trump Bible” and insisted that transplant teachers take a PragerU-developed “woke-test” to become certified. Since stepping down, he has shifted his focus toward efforts to “destroy” teacher unions in the state.
Walters recently stated, “The teachers’ unions descended and brought chaos to our state. They fought every reform. They fought parents’ rights. They pushed the most radical ideology the country has ever seen. They’re Marxist. They have to be destroyed.” He also declared, “What we’re doing is we’re getting teachers out of the teachers’ union first, but then we’re creating an army of America First teachers that actually want to go back to teaching math, reading, history, science.”
In his remarks about teaching history, Walters emphasized, “When I say history, I mean actually American values, actual history. You know, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, which forever changed the course of human events. Not Thomas Jefferson’s an evil slave owner, which is what you’re seeing in so many of our classrooms today.”
It’s important to note that Thomas Jefferson was, indeed, a slave owner. Whether that fact renders him “evil” is debatable, but the immorality of slavery itself is unequivocal.
Beyond the debate over individuals, opinions on teacher unions vary. As an observer with a spouse in education, I have witnessed both the positive and negative aspects of unions firsthand.
Ultimately, Walters appears to be exactly where many believe he belongs—out of government and entrenched in advocacy, where he can continue his vocal campaign against what he perceives as “woke communist” influences and threats to “American values” in education.
**A Change in Direction Under New Leadership**
In contrast, Oklahoma’s new Superintendent, Lindel Fields, seems to be taking a more measured and pragmatic approach. Since assuming office, Fields has focused on undoing many of Walters’ controversial policies.
In a recent letter, Superintendent Fields announced that schools would no longer be required to have Bibles in classrooms. He clarified that Bibles remain available to students as they always have been—in media centers, as curricular materials where appropriate, carried by students and staff, and accessible on school-issued devices like Chromebooks. Additionally, Fields noted that individual school boards may decide to include biblical education as they see fit.
Regarding certification, Fields emphasized that the so-called America First Teacher Test designed by PragerU is **not** a requirement for teaching in Oklahoma. He distinguished this test from the U.S. Naturalization test, which remains a separate certification requirement.
The letter also indicated that some standards related to state testing and social studies curricula—possibly referring to requirements Walters placed on teaching election and COVID conspiracy theories—will be reviewed.
**Looking Ahead**
Oklahoma’s education system deserves leadership focused on students rather than political spectacle. After a period marked by Walters’ highly partisan initiatives, the state appears to have returned to a more rational and balanced path under Lindel Fields.
In hindsight, much of Walters’ agenda seems to have been for naught. With fresh leadership and renewed priorities, Oklahoma’s schools may now finally have the opportunity to move forward.
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/10/23/no-mandatory-bibles-no-prager-u-tests-oklahomas-new-superintendent-unwinds-the-walters-era/