Oklahoma requires teachers from California and New York to pass conservative loyalty test: Here’s why critics call it ‘MAGA indoctrination’
Oklahoma will require teachers applying from California and New York to pass a new assessment designed to prevent the spread of what state officials describe as “radical leftist ideology.” The Republican-controlled state’s education department announced that prospective teachers from these two blue states must clear a certification exam before gaining permission to teach in Oklahoma schools.The exam, administered by PragerU, a conservative nonprofit based in Oklahoma, forms part of the state’s effort to control the political content taught in classrooms. Opponents of the measure, however, have labelled the test a “MAGA loyalty test” aimed at imposing partisan viewpoints on educators, according to the Associated Press.What the test involves and who administers itRyan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public schools, stated on Monday that “as long as I am superintendent, Oklahoma classrooms will be safeguarded from the radical leftist ideology fostered in places like California and New York,” as reported by the Associated Press. The test was developed in partnership with PragerU, an organisation known for producing short videos promoting conservative perspectives on politics and economics.The state has not publicly released the entire 50-question exam, but the Associated Press obtained the first five questions. These include inquiries about the first three words of the US Constitution and the importance of freedom of religion to America’s identity. Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU, told CNN that several questions aim to address “undoing the damage of gender ideology,” as quoted by the Associated Press.PragerU’s role institutionalised in OklahomaQuinton Hitchcock, spokesperson for Oklahoma’s education department, said the assessment will be introduced “very soon.” Experts note this marks a significant shift, with PragerU moving from an optional educational resource to an institutionalised gatekeeper for teacher certification in the state.Jonathan Zimmerman, a history of education professor at the University of Pennsylvania, called the move a “watershed moment,” explaining that PragerU’s involvement in certification represents a formal endorsement of its materials. He noted that many teachers rely on online resources rather than textbooks for instruction, with PragerU now playing an official role in that process, as reported by the Associated Press.Criticism from teachers’ unions and politiciansThe American Federation of Teachers (AFT), one of the largest teachers’ unions in the US, criticised the requirement. AFT President Randi Weingarten described it as a “MAGA loyalty test” that would deter teachers in a state already facing a significant shortage, according to the Associated Press.State Democratic Party chairman John Waldron condemned the policy as “political posturing.” Waldron, who moved from New Jersey to Oklahoma to teach social studies, said such tests would signal the state’s lack of seriousness in attracting quality educators and called it “a textbook definition of indoctrination,” as quoted by the Associated Press.Walters has also pushed to revise Oklahoma’s curriculum standards to include conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, a move criticised by Weingarten as prioritising political gain over education.TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.
