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Oklahoma Mandates Ideological Exam for Teachers from California and New York
Oklahoma will soon require teachers applying for positions from California and New York to pass an assessment designed to screen for “radical leftist ideology,” sparking outrage from educators and accusations of a “MAGA loyalty test.” The policy, announced Monday by Oklahoma’s Public Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters, will utilize a test administered by PragerU, a conservative nonprofit based in the state, before granting state certification.
Walters asserted that the measure is necessary to “safeguard Oklahoma classrooms” from ideologies prevalent in the two states.”Provided that I am superintendent, Oklahoma classrooms will be safeguarded from the radical leftist ideology fostered in places like California and New York,” he stated. PragerU, which describes itself as focused on “changing minds through the creative use of digital media,” produces short videos offering a conservative outlook on political and economic issues.
The state’s education department has finalized the assessment, and it will be implemented “very soon,” according to a department spokesperson. While the full 50-question test has not been released, the first five questions reportedly focus on foundational American principles, including identifying the opening words of the U.S. Constitution and articulating the importance of religious freedom to American identity.
Though, critics argue the exam represents a perilous overreach of political influence into education.Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU, indicated to CNN that some questions are specifically designed to address “undoing the damage of gender ideology.” This revelation has fueled concerns that the test is not an objective assessment of teaching qualifications,but rather a tool to enforce a specific political viewpoint.
Educational experts warn of the precedent this sets. “Oklahoma’s contract with PragerU to test out-of-state would-be teachers is a watershed moment,” explained Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor of the history of education at the University of Pennsylvania. “Instead of Prager simply being a resource that you can draw in an optional way, Prager has become institutionalized as part of the state system.” Zimmerman noted that many history teachers already rely on online resources like those offered by PragerU, but this new policy elevates the organization to a “gatekeeper” for future educators.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) condemned the test as counterproductive, particularly given Oklahoma’s existing teacher shortage. “This MAGA loyalty test will be yet another turnoff for teachers in a state already struggling with a huge shortage,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten, who also criticized Walters’ past efforts to incorporate conspiracy theories about the 2020 election into state curriculum standards.”His priority should be educating students, but rather, it’s getting Donald Trump and othre MAGA politicians to notice him,” Weingarten added.
Concerns extend beyond the AFT. Tina Ellsworth,president of the National Council for the Social Studies,argued that the test is fundamentally at odds with the principles of American democracy. “State boards of education should stay true to the values and principles of the U.S. Constitution,” Ellsworth stated. “Imposing an ideology test to become a teacher in our great democracy is antithetical to those principles.”
State Rep.John Waldron, chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, labeled the test “political posturing” and a form of “indoctrination.” Waldron, who previously taught social studies in Oklahoma after relocating from Washington, D.C., suggested the test would deter qualified teachers from considering positions in the state. “Teachers are not rushing here from other states to teach,” he said. “We’ve got an enormous teacher shortage and it’s not like we have a giant supply of teachers coming in from blue states anyway.”
The policy’s long-term impact on Oklahoma’s education system
