OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma State Department of Education has announced a plan to require a new “America First” certification test for teachers seeking to relocate to the state, a measure that has drawn both support and criticism. The test, which will be developed in partnership with the conservative media outlet PragerU, is intended to evaluate an educator’s ideological alignment with Oklahoma’s educational standards.
According to a report from Fox News, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters stated the new assessment will focus on an educator’s knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, “American exceptionalism,” and “the biological differences between boys and girls.” In a statement, Walters said the new policy is meant to send a “clear message” that the state’s schools “will not be a haven for woke agendas pushed in places like California and New York.”
“We’re sending a clear message: Oklahoma’s schools will not be a haven for woke agendas pushed in places like California and New York,” said Superintendent Ryan Walters
This new requirement follows a series of education policy changes in Oklahoma, including a revised history curriculum that includes contested theories about the 2020 presidential election, as reported by the Times of India. The article notes that while the new test will not include questions on the Bible, which Walters has ordered to be taught in public schools, critics see the overall trend as a deep politicization of the education system.
The initiative has been met with opposition from teachers’ unions. In an interview with News 9, Oklahoma Education Association President Cari Elledge referred to the new test as a “political stunt” and expressed concerns that it could deter qualified educators from moving to the state. The American Federation of Teachers President, Randi Weingarten, echoed these concerns, calling the test “a huge turn off” at a time of chronic teacher shortages nationwide, according to the Times of India. Oklahoma’s current law already requires the state to recognize out-of-state certifications for candidates who meet baseline standards.