Oklahoma Requires ‘America First’ Test for New York, California Teachers

Oklahoma's Republican-led Department of Education, under Superintendent Ryan Walters, is requiring teachers from California and New York to pass a new "America First" certification test to ensure they align with the state's conservative values and avoid what Walters describes as "radical leftist ideology." The test, developed with the help of conservative nonprofit PragerU, includes questions on topics such as biological sex differences, American history standards, and challenges to the 2020 election results, reflecting Walters' support for President Donald Trump's policies and narratives. Walters claims the test is necessary to prevent educators from "indoctrinating kids" with ideologies contrary to Oklahoma's standards, particularly citing California's LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum as problematic. Critics, including education association leaders, argue this politicization of teacher certification will exacerbate Oklahoma's teacher shortage and constitutes an ideological loyalty test outside Walters' legal authority. The move has sparked national attention as a significant institutional embrace of PragerU's conservative content within a state education system. The test rollout is imminent, with teachers from the targeted states required to complete it regardless of their teaching subject.