As of Wednesday, September 24, 2025, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters has resigned from his position overseeing the state’s schools so that he may lead the conservative group Teacher Freedom Alliance. This group is known as an anti-teacher’s union, and Walters said they are “going to destroy the teachers’ unions.”
Oklahoma’s Superintendent Resigns
In 2023, Walters, an ultraconservative Republican, was sworn in as Oklahoma’s superintendent. Within the first few months, he called for prayer to be allowed and for the Ten Commandments to be hung in all public school classrooms. While his resignation comes as a surprise to his constituents, he has yet to clarify when his role will end.
Walters has previously pushed for schools in Oklahoma to “put God back in schools” by incorporating the teachings of the Bible in the state curriculum. He claims that the separation of church and state is a “myth,” and his ideas created controversy amongst families, whether it was appropriate or not.
New Alliances Form
The former superintendent appeared on ‘Fox News @ Night‘ Wednesday evening, where the panel discussed support and interest in Turning Point USA following the assassination of its founder, Charlie Kirk. On the program, Walters announced a partnership with Kirk’s organization.
He pledged that high schools in Oklahoma would have chapters of the conservative group. The details behind their initiative are not clear, but in a video announcement on X, Walters said that “radical leftists with the teacher’s union dominate classrooms and push woke indoctrination on our kids.”
“We have seen the teachers’ unions use money and power to corrupt our schools, to undermine our schools,” Walters said during the show. “We are one of the biggest grassroots organizations in the country. We will build an army of teachers to defeat the teachers’ union once and for all.” The Teacher Freedom Alliance confirmed Walters’ position as the new CEO on X, stating he “fearlessly fights the woke liberal union mob.”
According to the Freedom Foundation, Walters is expected to assume the role of CEO for the Teacher Freedom Alliance on October 1, 2025. “We’re honored to have Ryan Walters as the next CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance. Ryan is a proven freedom fighter who understands that America cannot restore its education system without breaking free from the grip of teachers’ unions,” said the CEO of the Freedom Foundation, Aaron Withe.
Oklahoma’s Attorney General Supports Resignation
A fellow Republican, Gentner Drummond, who is the Oklahoma State Attorney General, bashed Walters on X following his resignation announcement of. Drummond called Walters “an embarrassment to our state” and said his position as superintendent led to “a stream of never-ending scandal and political drama.”
Instead of Walters’ improving the education in Oklahoma schools, he used his time as a superintendent to force his religion into the curriculum and push for families to prove their U.S. citizenship before their children could be enrolled in public schools.
Drummond Made an official statement on the situation:
“Ever since Gov. Stitt appointed Ryan Walters to serve as Secretary of Education, we have witnessed a stream of never-ending scandals and political drama. From the mishandling of pandemic relief funds that resulted in families buying Xboxes and refrigerators to the latest squabbling with board members over what was or wasn’t showing on TV, the Stitt-Walters era has been an embarrassment to our state.”
“Even worse, test scores and reading proficiency are at historic lows.”
“It’s time for a State Superintendent of Public Instruction who will actually focus on quality instruction in our public schools. Gov. Stitt used to say he would make us Top Ten, but after seven years, we are ranked 50th in education. Our families, our students, and our teachers deserve so much more.”
Prior Investigation into Walters
Walters was investigated by the local sheriff’s office last summer after an alleged incident at an Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting. Board members reported they saw images of naked women on a television screen in Walters’ office, but he denied all claims, saying they were “desperate lies.” Unsurprisingly, no criminal charges were brought forth, according to a statement made by an Oklahoma County prosecutor earlier this month.
