Oklahoma’s education landscape is bracing for sweeping change after Ryan Walters, the Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced his resignation to lead the Teacher Freedom Alliance (TFA), a conservative advocacy group dedicated to challenging teachers’ unions and reshaping national education policy. Walters’ decision, made public on September 24, 2025, marks the end of a turbulent tenure in Oklahoma’s top education post and signals his ambition to take the culture wars in classrooms nationwide.
Walters, who will officially assume the CEO role at TFA on October 1, told Fox News, “We’re [going to] destroy the teachers’ unions. We have seen the teachers’ union use money and power to corrupt our schools, to undermine our schools.” The Teacher Freedom Alliance, which currently counts 2,770 teachers among its members, is part of the Freedom Foundation, a conservative, anti-union organization that promotes alternatives to traditional union membership and advocates for what it calls ‘freedom and common sense’ in education. In a statement released Thursday, Walters described the organization’s mission as “a battle for the future of our kids.”
Walters’ move comes after a tenure marked by controversy and division. Since taking office in January 2023, following his appointment as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Education in September 2020, Walters prioritized conservative cultural issues, aligning himself closely with former President Donald Trump and pushing for policies that brought national attention—and protests—to Oklahoma’s schools. He mandated the inclusion of the Bible in public school classrooms, first requiring that it be accompanied by founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, before later dropping that requirement due to concerns over the cost of the Trump-endorsed “God Bless the USA Bibles.”
In June 2024, Walters directed all Oklahoma public schools to teach the Bible, with a particular focus on the Ten Commandments. He even requested $3 million in state funds to provide classrooms with “Trump Bibles,” which combined Scripture with the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, Pledge of Allegiance, and patriotic songs. Many school districts, however, refused to implement his directives, citing legal and constitutional concerns. The push for religious content in public education, along with the resurfacing of a bill to require schools to display the Ten Commandments, led to protests at the Oklahoma Capitol and calls for Walters’ impeachment. Critics argued that he had overstepped his authority and challenged the separation of church and state.
Walters’ tenure was not just about religion in schools. He also sought to establish chapters of Turning Point USA—a conservative student organization—in every Oklahoma public high school. This initiative gained a tragic note when Turning Point USA’s co-founder, Charlie Kirk, was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. Walters ordered Oklahoma schools to honor Kirk with a moment of silence and pledged to investigate reports of noncompliance.
Under Walters’ leadership, the Oklahoma Department of Education developed new social studies standards that included multiple references to Christianity and, according to The Oklahoman, even incorporated discredited theories about the 2020 presidential election. These moves placed Oklahoma at the center of a national debate about the politicization of education. Yet, despite the high-profile initiatives, Oklahoma’s educational performance lagged. A July 2025 WalletHub study ranked Oklahoma 50th out of 51 states in education, with only New Mexico performing worse.
Walters’ critics were quick to respond to his resignation. American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, speaking to The Hill via a spokesperson, said, “Today is a good day for Oklahoma’s kids. It’s no surprise that Mr. Walters, after failing on the job, is leaving the state. Any educator worth their salt understands it’s impossible to educate students if you don’t support teachers. Walters didn’t do that in Oklahoma and now, at a time we need to bring the country together, he’s trying to export his divisive rhetoric nationally.”
The Oklahoma branch of the National Education Association (NEA) echoed this sentiment, calling Walters’ departure “the beginning of a better Oklahoma.” Their statement read, “We must leave this divisiveness behind and work together as a team with parents and communities by listening to and supporting our students and education professionals. Our public schools can once again become a source of pride and promise for every community in our state.”
Despite the criticism, Walters has his supporters among conservative circles. The TFA, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), described him as a “fearless fighter against the ‘woke mob’” and vowed to “take the fight straight to the unions ... Together, we will build a national movement that is centered on freedom and common sense, not on bullying and intimidation.” Walters himself declared, “TFA will build an army of teachers to defeat the teachers’ unions once and for all.”
Walters’ career began far from the spotlight. He spent eight years as a high school history teacher at McAlester High School, teaching Advanced Placement and on-level history, U.S. government, and special education classes. He was named a finalist for Oklahoma Teacher of the Year in 2016, and graduated from Harding University. After leaving the classroom, he became executive director of Oklahoma Achieves, focusing on building connections between schools and businesses. His move into public office began with his appointment as Secretary of Public Education in 2020, followed by his election as State Superintendent in 2022.
Walters’ resignation is not yet official; he must file a notice with Governor Kevin Stitt, who will appoint a successor to serve out the remainder of his term through January 2027. As of September 26, 2025, no replacement has been named. Governor Stitt, for his part, expressed support for Walters’ next chapter, stating, “Oklahoma students remain my top priority, and with my first appointment to this role, I will be seeking a leader who is fully focused on the job Oklahomans expect: delivering real outcomes and driving a turnaround in our education system.”
As Walters prepares for his national role, Oklahoma’s schools are left divided over his legacy. Supporters hail his willingness to challenge the status quo and confront union influence, while critics argue his tenure eroded trust, undermined public education, and pushed the state to the bottom of national rankings. Meanwhile, the Teacher Freedom Alliance is poised to become a new front in the ongoing battle over America’s classrooms, promising to amplify Walters’ vision on a national scale. The future of Oklahoma’s education system—and perhaps the broader national debate over schools, unions, and culture—now hangs in the balance.
