Ryan Walters to Lead Teacher Freedom Alliance Oct. 1

Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters announced he is resigning to become CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance beginning Oct. 1, saying the group will "destroy the teachers' unions" and build an "army of teachers" to take the fight national. The TFA, tied to the conservative Freedom Foundation, touts thousands of teacher members and says it will help educators develop "free, moral, and upright American citizens" and break free from union influence. Walters’ tenure drew national attention for pushing culture-war initiatives — including ordering Bible instruction in classrooms, promoting Turning Point USA chapters in high schools, and seeking proof of U.S. citizenship for school enrollment — and for aggressively attacking "woke" educators. Critics, including Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, called his term scandal-plagued and damaging to the state’s schools, citing historic lows in test scores and reading proficiency. Walters framed the move as a chance to export his conservative, anti-union agenda nationwide through the TFA.