Oklahoma’s often-controversial State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ryan Walters, announced on September 25, 2025, that he is resigning his post to take the helm of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a conservative nonprofit founded earlier this year by the Freedom Foundation. Walters will officially assume his new role as CEO on October 1, promising to take his combative approach to education policy to a national stage.
Walters, who was elected in November 2022 and began serving as superintendent in January 2023, made headlines throughout his tenure for his relentless attacks on teachers unions, his embrace of religious directives in public education, and a string of headline-grabbing controversies and scandals. According to The Associated Press, Walters’ resignation comes after three years marked by what critics describe as a blend of political drama and hard-right activism in Oklahoma’s schools.
In a Fox News interview announcing his career move, Walters stated bluntly, “We’re going to destroy the teachers unions.” He accused unions of using “money and power to corrupt our schools.” The Teacher Freedom Alliance, which boasts about 2,700 enrolled teachers according to its website, claims its mission is to “restore excellence in America’s classrooms” by supporting teachers “without union influence.” In a press release, Walters declared the group’s goal is to give educators “freedom from the liberal, woke agenda that has corrupted public education.”
Walters’ tenure as superintendent was anything but quiet. He frequently promoted Turning Point USA, the right-wing youth group founded by Charlie Kirk, and just a day before his resignation, he mandated that every Oklahoma high school must have a chapter of the organization. When asked by a local reporter what would happen to schools that refused, Walters threatened their accreditation: “They would be in danger of not being a school district if they decided to reject a club that is here to promote civic engagement.”
Turning Point USA and its late co-founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated earlier this month, were central to Walters’ vision for Oklahoma’s schools. Walters even instructed all schools to observe a moment of silence for Kirk on September 16 and gave the floor to a Turning Point USA employee during his last State Department of Education meeting, according to KOKH-TV.
Religious themes also dominated Walters’ agenda. In June 2024, he ordered Oklahoma public schools to incorporate the Bible into instruction and promoted school prayer. Walters initially pushed for schools to use the “God Bless the USA Bible,” endorsed by Donald Trump and containing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, but later allowed traditional Bibles as well. He also championed the creation of a publicly funded religious charter school, a move the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately blocked earlier in 2025.
Walters’ initiatives often blurred the line between church and state, drawing sharp criticism from both sides of the political aisle and prompting multiple lawsuits. Rachel Laser, CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, celebrated his departure, stating, “This is a win for Oklahomans. They’re better off without Walters. At every turn Ryan Walters abused the power of his government office as he attempted to impose his personal religious beliefs on Oklahoma school children.”
But religious activism wasn’t Walters’ only focus. He was also a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump and aligned many of his policies with Trump’s agenda. After Trump’s 2024 election victory, Walters posted a video urging students to join him in prayer for the president-elect. He also proposed a rule requiring Oklahoma school districts to collect citizenship data, a move critics said could drive immigrant families away from public schools—despite a 1982 Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing all children, regardless of immigration status, the right to a public education.
Walters’ embrace of right-wing influencers extended to his appointment of Chaya Raichik, known for her Libs of TikTok account, to a library advisory committee in January 2024, despite her lack of educational experience. He also required teachers coming from New York and California to complete an “anti-woke” exam designed by PragerU, another conservative nonprofit, before being hired in Oklahoma public schools.
His tenure was also marred by controversy and scandal. In July 2025, Walters was accused of playing explicit content on his office television during a meeting, a scandal that led to the cancellation of a State Board of Education meeting in August and his absence from another in September. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a fellow Republican, did not mince words in his reaction to Walters’ resignation: “It’s been a stream of never-ending scandal and political drama since Walters was appointed to lead the state’s public education system.” Drummond further criticized Walters for mishandling pandemic relief funds, which reportedly allowed families to purchase Xboxes and refrigerators, and lamented that “test scores and reading proficiency are at historic lows.”
Indeed, the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress results show Oklahoma slipping in both reading and math relative to national averages, a fact that Walters’ critics cite as evidence of the need for a new direction in the state’s education leadership. Drummond summed up the prevailing sentiment among many in Oklahoma’s political establishment: “It’s time for a State Superintendent of Public Instruction who will actually focus on quality instruction in our public schools.”
Supporters of Walters, including leaders of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, argue that his agenda centered on parental rights and reducing union influence in schools. They say he worked to give teachers more autonomy and shield classrooms from what they describe as a “liberal, woke agenda.”
As Walters steps down, Governor Kevin Stitt is expected to appoint a replacement, with former state Representative Mark McBride among those reportedly under consideration. Whoever takes the reins will inherit a state education system grappling with declining test scores, bruised public trust, and a deeply divided political climate.
During his time as superintendent, Walters made more than 400 public appearances, never shying away from the spotlight or controversy. Whether his departure marks the end of an era or the start of a new chapter in Oklahoma’s education wars remains to be seen. But for now, the state—and the nation—will be watching his next moves closely as he brings his brand of combative education reform to a national stage.
