Oklahoma’s schools chief Ryan Walters has announced he is stepping down from his role as state superintendent. Walters, who has led Oklahoma public schools since 2022, is leaving to head a new conservative education group called the Teacher Freedom Alliance (TFA).
Walters has made headlines across the country over the last two years for his push to bring religion and conservative politics into public schools. At one point, he even tried to place Trump-branded Bibles in classrooms and called for schools to teach conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. His plans sparked both outrage and praise, putting Oklahoma in the national spotlight.
The Teacher Freedom Alliance describes itself as an organization that wants to help teachers raise “moral and upright American citizens.” On its website, the group praises Walters as someone who “fearlessly fights the woke liberal union mob” and promises to build a national movement of teachers focused on what it calls “freedom and common sense.” Walters will now be the face of this campaign.
On Wednesday night, Walters appeared on Fox News to announce his decision. Before going on air, he teased the appearance with a post on X, writing: “liberal’s worst nightmare is about to become true.” During the interview, Walters declared that his goal is to “destroy the teachers unions” and to “build an army of teachers” who share his vision. He said he wants to take the fight he started in Oklahoma and expand it across the country.
In just the last two years, Walters has appeared on national media more than 400 times, according to local reports. He has used that time to promote his Christian nationalist agenda, often rejecting the traditional separation of church and state. His efforts included pushing for the country’s first Catholic charter school, attempting to require schools to show a video of him praying, and supporting the presence of groups like Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA in every Oklahoma school.
He has also clashed with teachers repeatedly. Walters has accused many of promoting “woke indoctrination” and suggested that teachers moving in from liberal states should be required to earn an “America First” certification. On top of that, he placed well-known conservative figures, including the activist behind Libs of TikTok and the president of the Heritage Foundation, on state education committees.
Walters quickly became a favorite among some conservative influencers, who have even pushed for him to be named U.S. Secretary of Education if Donald Trump wins the White House again. With his new role at the Teacher Freedom Alliance, Walters is signaling that he intends to take his battles from Oklahoma onto the national stage.
His resignation marks the end of a controversial chapter in Oklahoma’s education system, but it may be just the beginning of a bigger fight as he now works to spread his agenda across the country. Supporters see him as a bold leader standing up for their values, while critics warn that his push to mix religion and politics in classrooms threatens the foundations of public education.
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