You’ve probably seen the name Ryan Walters flickering across your news feed more than a few times lately. It’s hard to miss. Whether it's the national debates over Bibles in classrooms or the sudden shifts in how Oklahoma kids are actually tested, the guy has a way of staying right in the center of the storm.
Honestly, it’s a lot to keep track of.
One day he’s the State Superintendent, the next he’s resigning to lead a national anti-union group, and meanwhile, the schools in Oklahoma are left trying to figure out which rules still apply. It sort of feels like a whirlwind where the dust never quite settles. If you’re living in Oklahoma—or even if you’re just watching from the sidelines—you’ve likely wondered: what is actually going on with Oklahoma education under his influence?
The Resignation That Wasn't Really an Exit
In September 2025, Ryan Walters did something that caught a lot of people off guard. He announced his resignation as State Superintendent during a Fox News interview. He didn't just leave quietly, though. He jumped straight into a role as CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance.
Basically, he traded a state office for a national platform to go after teachers' unions.
He called them the "biggest enemy" to parents. That's a heavy label. While he was technically "out" of the OSDE (Oklahoma State Department of Education), his fingerprints are still all over the system. Governor Kevin Stitt appointed Lindel Fields to fill the gap, and Fields has spent a good chunk of his time lately just trying to clarify what’s actually happening.
👉 See also: Georgia US House District Map: What Actually Changed for the 2024 and 2026 Elections
It’s been a weird transition.
Walters' departure didn't mean his policies just vanished. Some did, sure. But others are still winding their way through the courts like a slow-motion car wreck. You have to understand that in Oklahoma, the Superintendent isn't just a figurehead; they set the tone for everything from the books in the library to the way history is taught in 10th grade.
The Bible Mandate: A Legal Tug-of-War
Perhaps the biggest flashpoint was the "Bible mandate." Walters wanted a Bible in every 5th through 12th-grade classroom. Not just any Bible, either. The original request for proposals seemed so specific that people pointed out it almost perfectly matched the "God Bless the USA" Bible endorsed by Donald Trump.
The price tag? Around $3 million.
Lawmakers originally shot down the funding, but Walters didn't blink. He looked into using department administrative funds and even talked about donations. But here is where it gets sticky: the new Superintendent, Lindel Fields, pulled the plug on the mandate in October 2025. He basically said the state isn't going to force teachers to use the Bible as curriculum anymore.
- The Status Quo: Bibles are still allowed in libraries.
- The Change: They aren't a mandatory teaching tool for every subject anymore.
- The "Trump Bibles": The state already bought about 500 of them for AP Government classes before the halt. Now, those Bibles are just... sitting there.
Walters called the reversal "disappointing," but for a lot of teachers, it was a massive sigh of relief. They were worried about the legal liability of teaching religious texts in a way that might violate the First Amendment.
What Happened to the Social Studies Standards?
If the Bible mandate was the loudest controversy, the social studies standards were the most legally complex. Walters pushed for a new syllabus that included teaching about "discrepancies" in the 2020 election.
Critics called it "whitewashing" and "indoctrination."
In December 2025, the Oklahoma Supreme Court stepped in and permanently threw those standards out. Why? Not just because of the content, but because Walters' team violated the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act. They didn't follow the rules on how public policy is supposed to be made.
It’s a classic example of moving too fast and breaking things. Now, schools are essentially reverting to older standards while the state tries to figure out what comes next. It’s a mess for teachers who have to plan their entire year around these guidelines.
The "Anti-Woke" Test and the California Conflict
Walters also had a specific bone to pick with teachers moving to Oklahoma from "blue states" like California or New York. He partnered with PragerU to create what he called an "America First" teacher test.
The idea was to make sure these teachers weren't bringing "radical leftist ideology" into Oklahoma classrooms.
Funny enough, reporters later found out the test was nearly impossible to fail. It was more of a symbolic gesture than a rigorous academic hurdle. When Lindel Fields took over, he clarified that this test is absolutely not a requirement for certification. If you're a teacher moving from out of state, you don't have to worry about it.
Testing: The Big 2025-2026 Shift
One of the more practical changes that actually stuck—at least for now—is the overhaul of standardized testing. Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, Oklahoma is ditching some of the end-of-year state tests for math and English in grades three through eight.
Instead, districts can use "benchmark assessments" they already have.
This is one of the few areas where Walters actually found some common ground with parents. A department survey showed that 86% of parents thought the old way of testing wasn't working. The goal is to give "local control" back to the schools.
Of course, there's a catch. Without a unified state test, how do you compare a school in Tulsa to one in a rural panhandle town? That's the question the state is still trying to answer.
Money, Audits, and "Bridge the Gap"
We can't talk about Ryan Walters without talking about the money. A state grand jury report released in late 2024 was pretty scathing about how federal COVID-19 relief funds were handled.
Specifically, the Bridge the Gap program.
This program was supposed to help low-income families buy school supplies. Instead, an audit found that about $1.7 million was spent on things like:
- Power tools
- Kitchen appliances
- Outdoor furniture
- Gaming consoles
The grand jury blamed "politics over experience." Walters, who was the Secretary of Education at the time, gave "blanket approval" to many of these purchases. He blamed the vendor, ClassWallet, but the state's Attorney General, Gentner Drummond, pointed the finger back at the state leadership.
The FBI has even looked into how some of this money was distributed. It’s a dark cloud that has hung over his entire tenure.
The Reality of Oklahoma School Rankings
While all this political theater was happening, the actual "education" part of the job hasn't seen much improvement. National rankings consistently put Oklahoma near the bottom—usually around 47th to 50th in the country for reading and math proficiency.
Only about 27% of Oklahoma third graders are proficient in reading.
That is a staggering number. It means nearly three out of four kids are falling behind before they even hit middle school. Walters argued that his "back to basics" approach and his fight against "woke" curriculum would fix this, but the data hasn't shown a turnaround yet.
Actionable Insights: What You Need to Do Now
If you're a parent or educator in Oklahoma, the "Ryan Walters era" is in a strange state of limbo. Here’s what you actually need to know for the 2026 school year:
- Check Your Local District Policies: Since the state-level social studies standards were tossed by the Supreme Court, your local school board has more influence right now. Attend those meetings.
- Don't Stress the "Ideology Test": If you’re a new teacher, the PragerU/anti-woke test is not mandatory for your license. You can ignore the political noise and focus on your classroom.
- Monitor the Testing Changes: Ask your child's teacher which "benchmark assessments" they are using this year instead of the old state tests. This will give you a better idea of how your child is actually performing day-to-day.
- Keep an Eye on the 2026 Election: Since Walters resigned, the upcoming election for a full-term Superintendent will be massive. The winner will decide whether to double down on Walters' policies or continue the "course correction" started by Lindel Fields.
The drama around Ryan Walters Oklahoma education initiatives isn't just about politics—it's about the daily reality of thousands of kids. While the headlines focus on Bibles and unions, the real work is happening in the classrooms where teachers are trying to raise those reading scores despite the chaos at the top.