Oklahoma has implemented a requirement that teacher certification applicants from California and New York must pass an exam administered by the conservative nonprofit PragerU to guard against what the state describes as 'radical leftist ideology.'
Oklahoma will require teacher certification applicants from California and New York to pass an exam administered by PragerU—a conservative nonprofit—before they can teach in the state, designed to safeguard against “radical leftist ideology”.
Oklahoma to test ideology of teachers coming from California and New York - AP News
Source: apnews.com
Key Evidence
Ryan Walters, Oklahoma's public schools superintendent, stated that any teacher coming from California or New York must pass an assessment exam administered by PragerU before obtaining state certification. Multiple news outlets including The Independent, PBS NewsHour, AP News, and others have reported on this policy rollout in August 2025.
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What the Evidence Shows
Multiple reputable news sources confirm that Oklahoma's public schools superintendent, Ryan Walters, announced a new policy requiring teachers relocating from California and New York to pass an assessment exam before receiving state certification. This exam is administered by PragerU, a conservative nonprofit organization based in Oklahoma. The stated purpose of this requirement is to safeguard Oklahoma classrooms from what officials describe as 'radical leftist ideology' prevalent in those two states, which are considered politically liberal or 'blue states.' This policy has drawn significant attention and criticism, but the factual basis that such a requirement exists and is currently being implemented is well-supported by multiple independent news outlets.
Key points:
The policy specifically targets teacher certification applicants coming from California and New York.
The exam is administered by PragerU, known for its conservative ideological stance.
The official rationale is to prevent the influence of radical leftist ideas in Oklahoma schools.
The announcement was made publicly by Ryan Walters, Oklahoma's public schools superintendent.
This measure reflects ongoing political and cultural conflicts over education content and teacher qualifications in the United States, particularly between conservative and liberal states.