Teachers applying for jobs in conservative state must sit test to root out 'woke indoctrinators'
The new certification test, developed by conservative media company PragerU, is being administered for the first time ever on Friday and targets aspiring teachers who have relocated from California and New York.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters told CNN that any applicant who fails the assessment will be denied a teaching certificate and barred from working in Oklahoma public schools this academic year.
'This keeps away woke indoctrinators,' Walters said. 'We will not allow these leftists' plans and schemes to take place here in Oklahoma. They are trying to warp the minds of our kids to turn them into social justice warriors.'
The 50-question, multiple-choice test covers topics ranging from basic U.S. civics to more politically charged issues.
One question asks which chromosomes determine biological sex, while another probes the importance of religious freedom in American identity, CNN reported.
Walters, 40, said the test reflects Oklahoma's 'standards and values' and is designed to ensure new teachers 'teach history appropriately' and acknowledge the influence of Christianity in the nation's founding.
PragerU, which is not an accredited university despite its name, has gained traction among Republican-led states in recent years.
Its content has now been approved for use in public schools in ten states - including Alaska, Idaho, South Carolina, Louisiana, Arizona, New Hampshire, Montana, Texas and Florida - and its videos, which are often criticized for promoting misinformation, are widely used in conservative circles.
Jonathan Zimmerman, a historian at the University of Pennsylvania, described the move as a 'watershed moment' for PragerU.
'It's actually giving Prager an explicit role. It's official and it's institutionalized,' Zimmerman said.
So far, the test applies only to incoming teachers from California and New York, but Walters said it could soon extend to applicants from as many as eight additional states.
An aide to the superintendent told CNN that the test will affect a 'fairly large' number of applicants, though specific figures were not provided.
The initiative comes amid a teacher shortage in Oklahoma and increased scrutiny of the state's education system, which ranks near the bottom nationally. Critics have argued that the assessment amounts to a 'political loyalty test,' not an evaluation of teaching ability.
'You don't sign up to teach schools because you hate America,' John Waldron, chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party and a former teacher, said.
'That's not who's teaching in our classrooms,' he said while calling the test an 'insult to our profession.'
At a recent State Board of Education meeting, members raised legal concerns and requested to review the assessment before its rollout. However, Walters declined, insisting he had full authority.
'Every teacher that teaches in the state of Oklahoma will have to have a certificate that goes through my office,' he said. 'It has my signature on it. So those will not move forward until this is done.'
According to CNN, who obtained a partial look at the assessment, the test includes questions about the Constitution, U.S. Senate composition, and civics basics, alongside more ideological content.
In July, the state education department shared Oklahoma's certification standards with PragerU, which then compared them with California and New York requirements to build the test.
'You're gonna teach that there's biological differences between males and females, period,' Walters said. 'We want our students to be patriots. Here in Oklahoma, our academics are going to be grounded in fact.'
PragerU CEO Marissa Streit said the goal is to 'undo the damage of gender ideology' and align with the values of Oklahoma's parent community.
Walters, a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, has also previously mandated the teaching of the Bible in schools as a historical document.
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