Latest news with #teachercertification
CBS News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Oklahoma to test political leanings of teacher applicants from New York, California
Oklahoma will require applicants for teacher jobs coming from California and New York to pass an exam that the Republican-dominated state's top education official says is designed to safeguard against "radical leftist ideology" but that opponents decry as a "MAGA loyalty test." Ryan Walters, Oklahoma's public schools superintendent, said Monday that any teacher coming from the two blue states will be required to pass an assessment exam administered by PragerU, an Oklahoma-based conservative nonprofit, before getting a state certification. "As long as I am superintendent, Oklahoma classrooms will be safeguarded from the radical leftist ideology fostered in places like California and New York," Walters said in a statement. PragerU, short for Prager University, puts out short videos with a conservative perspective on politics and economics. It promotes itself as "focused on changing minds through the creative use of digital media." Quinton Hitchcock, a spokesperson for the state's education department, said the Prager test for teacher applicants has been finalized and will be rolling out "very soon." The state didn't release the entire 50-question test to The Associated Press but did provide the first five questions, which include asking what the first three words of the U.S. Constitution are and why freedom of religion is "important to America's identity." Prager didn't immediately respond to a phone message or email seeking comment. But Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU, told CNN several questions on the assessment relate to "undoing the damage of gender ideology." Jonathan Zimmerman, who teaches history of education at the University of Pennsylvania, said Oklahoma's contract with PragerU to test out-of-state would-be teachers "is a watershed moment." "Instead of Prager simply being a resource that you can draw in an optional way, Prager has become institutionalized as part of the state system," he said. "There's no other way to describe it." Zimmerman said the American Historical Association did a survey last year of 7th- to 12th-grade teachers and found that only a minority were relying on textbooks for day-to-day instruction. He said the upside to that is that most history books are "deadly boring." But he said that means history teachers are relying on online resources, such as those from Prager. "I think what we're now seeing in Oklahoma is something different, which is actually empowering Prager as a kind of gatekeeper for future teachers," Zimmerman said. One of the nation's largest teachers unions, the American Federation of Teachers, has often been at odds with the Trump administration and the crackdown on teacher autonomy in the classroom. "This MAGA loyalty test will be yet another turnoff for teachers in a state already struggling with a huge shortage," said AFT President Randi Weingarten. She was critical of Walters, who pushed for the state's curriculum standards to be revised to include conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election. "His priority should be educating students, but instead, it's getting Donald Trump and other MAGA politicians to notice him," Weingarten said in a statement. Tina Ellsworth, president of the nonprofit National Council for the Social Studies, also raised concerns that the test would prevent teachers from applying for jobs. "State boards of education should stay true to the values and principles of the U.S. Constitution," Ellsworth said. "Imposing an ideology test to become a teacher in our great democracy is antithetical to those principles." State Rep. John Waldron, the Oklahoma Democratic Party chairman, decried the test as "political posturing." "If you want to see a textbook definition of indoctrination, how about a loyalty test for teachers," said Waldron. "It's a sad echo of a more paranoid past." Waldron, a New Jersey native, said he would have been in the target demographic for this kind of test when he moved from Washington, D.C., to Oklahoma to teach social studies in 1999. He said it would have struck him as an indication that the state "wasn't serious about attracting quality teachers." "Teachers are not rushing here from other states to teach. We've got an enormous teacher shortage and it's not like we have a giant supply of teachers coming in from blue states anyway," he said.
Washington Post
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Oklahoma to test teachers from New York, California to guard against ‘radical leftist ideology'
Oklahoma will require applicants for teacher jobs coming from California and New York to pass an exam that the Republican-dominated state's top education official says is designed to safeguard against 'radical leftist ideology,' but which opponents decry as a 'MAGA loyalty test.' Ryan Walters, Oklahoma's public schools superintendent, said Monday that any teacher coming from the two blue states will be required to pass an assessment exam administered by PragerU, an Oklahoma-based conservative nonprofit, before getting a state certification.
CTV News
19 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Oklahoma to test teachers from New York, California to guard against ‘radical leftist ideology'
Oklahoma will require applicants for teacher jobs coming from California and New York to pass an exam that the Republican-dominated state's top education official says is designed to safeguard against 'radical leftist ideology,' but which opponents decry as a 'MAGA loyalty test.' Ryan Walters, Oklahoma's public schools superintendent, said Monday that any teacher coming from the two blue states will be required to pass an assessment exam administered by PragerU, an Oklahoma-based conservative nonprofit, before getting a state certification. 'As long as I am superintendent, Oklahoma classrooms will be safeguarded from the radical leftist ideology fostered in places like California and New York,' Walters said in a statement. PragerU, short for Prager University, puts out short videos with a conservative perspective on politics and economics. It promotes itself as 'focused on changing minds through the creative use of digital media.' Quinton Hitchcock, a spokesperson for the state's education department, said the Prager test for teacher applicants has been finalized and will be rolling out 'very soon.' The state did not release the entire 50-question test to The Associated Press but did provide the first five questions, which include asking what the first three words of the U.S. Constitution are and why freedom of religion is 'important to America's identity.' Prager didn't immediately respond to a phone message or email seeking comment. But Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU, told CNN that several questions on the assessment relate to 'undoing the damage of gender ideology.' Jonathan Zimmerman, who teaches history of education at the University of Pennsylvania, said Oklahoma's contract with PragerU to test out-of-state would-be teachers 'is a watershed moment.' 'Instead of Prager simply being a resource that you can draw in an optional way, Prager has become institutionalized as part of the state system,' he said. 'There's no other way to describe it.' Zimmerman said the American Historical Association did a survey last year of 7th to 12th grade teachers and found that only a minority were relying on textbooks for day-to-day instruction. He said the upside to that is that most history books are 'deadly boring.' But he said that means history teachers are relying on online resources, such as those from Prager. 'I think what we're now seeing in Oklahoma is something different, which is actually empowering Prager as a kind of gatekeeper for future teachers,' Zimmerman said. One of the nation's largest teachers unions, the American Federation of Teachers, has often been at odds with the Donald Trump administration and the crackdown on teacher autonomy in the classroom. 'This MAGA loyalty test will be yet another turnoff for teachers in a state already struggling with a huge shortage,' said AFT President Randi Weingarten. She was critical of Walters, who pushed for the state's curriculum standards to be revised to include conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election. 'His priority should be educating students, but instead, it's getting Donald Trump and other MAGA politicians to notice him,' Weingarten said in a statement. State Rep. John Waldron, the Oklahoma Democratic Party chairman, decried the test as 'political posturing.' 'If you want to see a textbook definition of indoctrination, how about a loyalty test for teachers,' said Waldron. 'It's a sad echo of a more paranoid past.' Waldron, a New Jersey native, said he would have been in the target demographic for this kind of test when he moved from Washington, D.C., to Oklahoma to teach social studies in 1999. He said it would have struck him as an indication that the state 'wasn't serious about attracting quality teachers.' 'Teachers are not rushing here from other states to teach. We've got an enormous teacher shortage and it's not like we have a giant supply of teachers coming in from blue states anyway,' he said. By Heather Hollingsworth And Jamie Stengle. Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas, and Stengle from Dallas.
The Independent
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Oklahoma to test teachers from New York, California to guard against ‘radical leftist ideology'
Oklahoma will require applicants for teacher jobs coming from California and New York to pass an exam that the Republican-dominated state's top education official says is designed to safeguard against 'radical leftist ideology,' but which opponents decry as a ' MAGA loyalty test.' Ryan Walters, Oklahoma's public schools superintendent, said Monday that any teacher coming from the two blue states will be required to pass an assessment exam administered by PragerU, an Oklahoma-based conservative nonprofit, before getting a state certification. 'As long as I am superintendent, Oklahoma classrooms will be safeguarded from the radical leftist ideology fostered in places like California and New York,' Walters said in a statement. PragerU, short for Prager University, puts out short videos with a conservative perspective on politics and economics. It promotes itself as 'focused on changing minds through the creative use of digital media.' Quinton Hitchcock, a spokesperson for the state's education department, said the Prager test for teacher applicants has been finalized and will be rolling out 'very soon.' The state did not release the entire 50-question test to The Associated Press but did provide the first five questions, which include asking what the first three words of the U.S. Constitution are and why freedom of religion is 'important to America's identity.' Prager didn't immediately respond to a phone message or email seeking comment. But Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU, told CNN that several questions on the assessment relate to 'undoing the damage of gender ideology.' Jonathan Zimmerman, who teaches history of education at the University of Pennsylvania, said Oklahoma's contract with PragerU to test out-of-state would-be teachers 'is a watershed moment.' 'Instead of Prager simply being a resource that you can draw in an optional way, Prager has become institutionalized as part of the state system,' he said. 'There's no other way to describe it.' Zimmerman said the American Historical Association did a survey last year of 7th- to 12th-grade teachers and found that only a minority were relying on textbooks for day-to-day instruction. He said the upside to that is that most history books are 'deadly boring.' But he said that means history teachers are relying on online resources, such as those from Prager. 'I think what we're now seeing in Oklahoma is something different, which is actually empowering Prager as a kind of gatekeeper for future teachers,' Zimmerman said. One of the nation's largest teachers unions, the American Federation of Teachers, has often been at odds with the Donald Trump administration and the crackdown on teacher autonomy in the classroom. 'This MAGA loyalty test will be yet another turnoff for teachers in a state already struggling with a huge shortage," said AFT President Randi Weingarten. She was critical of Walters, who pushed for the state's curriculum standards to be revised to include conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election. 'His priority should be educating students, but instead, it's getting Donald Trump and other MAGA politicians to notice him,' Weingarten said in a statement. State Rep. John Waldron, the Oklahoma Democratic Party chairman, decried the test as 'political posturing.' 'If you want to see a textbook definition of indoctrination, how about a loyalty test for teachers,' said Waldron. 'It's a sad echo of a more paranoid past.' Waldron, a New Jersey native, said he would have been in the target demographic for this kind of test when he moved from Washington, D.C., to Oklahoma to teach social studies in 1999. He said it would have struck him as an indication that the state 'wasn't serious about attracting quality teachers.' 'Teachers are not rushing here from other states to teach. We've got an enormous teacher shortage and it's not like we have a giant supply of teachers coming in from blue states anyway,' he said. ___ Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas, and Stengle from Dallas.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
To address teacher shortage, Drury and Ozarks Tech streamline transfer process
In an effort to help curb the teacher shortage in Missouri, Drury University and Ozarks Technical Community College have updated their longstanding transfer agreement. Students from Ozarks Tech who complete an associate degree in teacher education will be able to start as a junior at Drury. Those students will be eligible to Drury's teacher certification program once they've completed 12 or more credit hours at the university with a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher. 'Missouri students need well-trained educators and we are partnering to make this avenue to certification as smooth as possible,' said Natalie Precise, dean of Drury's School of Education, in a news release. 'Our partnership with Ozarks Tech has always allowed our shared students an opportunity to complete their teacher certification in a flexible and personalized way." Precise said the partnership allows for a "smoother transfer" from Ozark Tech's Teacher Education program to Drury's School of Education & Child Development.' Students who enroll in Drury's day school program can major in elementary education; middle school language arts, math, science or social studies; or secondary education. They can also minor in special education. 'This renewed partnership reflects our shared commitment to strengthening Missouri's teacher workforce,' Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Tech, in a release. 'By beginning their academic journey at Ozarks Tech and continuing at Drury, students have access to an affordable, high-quality pathway that leads directly into the classroom and into careers that truly matter.' More: Ozarks Tech, Drury create path to help students access engineering, cybersecurity careers Both institutions are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and recognize credits earned from other regionally accredited colleges and universities. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Drury and Ozarks Tech streamline transfer process for future teachers
