Revealed: How ex-MAGA schools chief lied to board members to pass controversial standards

The Oklahoma State Board of Education plans to review, and possibly dismantle, social studies academic standards approved during the tenure of controversial former state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters.

The Oklahoman reports "the controversy surrounding the standards started with how they were approved."

Walters released a draft version of the standards in December, but held the final version until February. Board members had not received the final version until about 4 p.m. the day before a 9:30 a.m. meeting. Walters then incorrectly told board members the standards needed to be approved that day to meet legislative deadlines, when the deadline wasn’t for more than two months later.

Walters’ standards drew national attention for requiring students to learn about the influence of Christianity on U.S. history and election-denial language that pushed lies and fabrications about Trump’s 2020 loss to Joe Biden. They have two legal challenges pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

The board discussed the two lawsuits during a closed-doors portion of its meeting on Thursday, and after exiting that executive session, board member Brian Bobek made a motion that “the board undertake a review of the 2025 social studies standards for a period of 60 days for consideration, for possible further action with respect to those social standards.”

The board passed Bobek’s motion unanimously.

Walters was a right-wing firebrand who sought to screen teachers from California and New York with an "America First Test" designed to weed out applicants espousing "radical leftist ideology.”

He also tried to charge the state $3 million to purchase more than 50,000 Bibles for classrooms. His bid requirements for the books were specific enough to exclude all but "God Bless the USA" Bibles marketed by President Donald Trump. The so-called “Trump Bibles average in price between $60 and $1,000 for copies signed by the president, who receives fees for his endorsement."

Oklahoma legislators refused Walters’ funding request.

In May, the Supreme Court reached a 4-4 tie on a case brought by Walters to allow taxpayer dollars to subsidize a Catholic charter school.

Walters left the state weeks ago to lead a conservative teacher organization to compete with teacher unions, but one of his final actions before departing the district was a plan to install Turning Point USA chapters in every state high school.

Critics, including Nadine Gallagher, a middle school English teacher and president of the Crooked Oak Association of Classroom Teachers, expressed support for student-organized clubs but voiced concerns about outside political influence.

"I don’t have any problem with a student club, if it’s initiated by students," Gallagher said. "If a student were to pop up and say, ‘I would really love to start a club,’ then I’m all for it. If that’s what students are interested in and that’s what students need for whatever their reasons, for social or something that they need for schoolwork, but I don’t like forced anything."

Read the Oklahoman report at this link.