FIRST WATCH: STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW / From the desk of Ted Streuli
In a move that surprised few but delighted many, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced his resignation this week, trading the state’s education helm for the CEO spot at the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a conservative outfit hell-bent on battling “woke” teachers’ unions. Local media pounced on the news with a mix of relief and scrutiny, painting Walters’ tenure as a chaotic blend of culture-war fireworks and administrative fumbles.
The Oklahoman dove into the unknowns, questioning what becomes of Walters’ edicts — such as his “anti-woke” teacher tests and funding threats over DEI policies — while noting Gov. Kevin Stitt’s looming appointment to fill the void.
News9 echoed this, channeling Attorney General Drummond’s scathing rebuke of scandals, from mishandled pandemic funds (hello, taxpayer-funded Xboxes) to plummeting test scores that left Oklahoma scraping the bottom of national rankings.
KFOR and KOCO highlighted the boardroom drama, with Walters defiantly leading his final meeting amid barbs over teacher discipline, underscoring a polarized legacy of bans on transgender athletes and Bible mandates.
Nationally, The New York Times framed it through a broader lens, spotlighting Walters’ push for Bibles in classrooms and Turning Point USA chapters as assaults on church-state lines, drawing bipartisan ire. Yet, the coverage converges on one truth: Walters’ exit marks the end of an era where education became a battlefield, leaving Oklahomans to wonder if the next chapter brings stability or more strife.
In this red-state saga, the press didn’t mince words — Walters’ resignation reads less like a graceful bow and more like a hasty retreat from the spotlight he craved.
“Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.”
