Ryan Walters (politician)

Last updated

Walters ran for Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction in a June 2022 primary as one of four Republican candidates alongside John Cox, William Crozier, and April Grace. [20] He was endorsed in the primary by Governor Kevin Stitt and Texas senator Ted Cruz. [21] [22] He advanced to an August run-off alongside April Grace, which he won with 53% of the vote. [23] [24] While campaigning, Walters promulgated the litter boxes in schools hoax. [25] He defeated the Democratic Party's nominee, Jena Nelson, in the general election. [26] After the campaign, Walters was fined for 14 violations of state campaign finance ethics rules. He contested 13 of the violations. [27] [28]

Tenure

As superintendent of education, Walters has pursued culture war causes. In selfie video-recordings and in other public statements, Walters has condemned what he calls "woke ideology"; accused teachers of attempting to indoctrinate Oklahoma schoolchildren; referred to the Oklahoma teachers' union as a "terrorist organization"; and claimed that the separation of church and state was a liberal "myth." [29]

One of Walters's first acts in office was to instruct the Oklahoma Department of Education to revoke the teaching licenses of two Oklahoma teachers who had been critical of HB 1775, a law that limits teaching concepts around race and gender. [16]

In April 2023, the Oklahoma Attorney General's office under Gentner Drummond issued an opinion stating that HB 1775 does not grant authority to the State Board of Education "to make administrative rules without proper direction from the state Legislature"; as a result, Walters's "rules regarding pornography in library books, sex education, parents' rights and inappropriate materials" were unenforceable. [30] [31] Drummond said that he was not "taking a stance" on Walters's rules. [32] Ryan Kiesel said after asking Walters to show them the pornographic material Walters claims schools have, Walters emailed and had staff members hand-delivering copies of explicit materials to lawmakers' offices, though he never said from what schools the materials originated. [33]

In June 2023, Walters spoke at the Moms for Liberty national summit in Philadelphia, during which he advocated eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and criticized teachers' unions. [4] During a July town hall, Walters was asked "How does the Tulsa Race Massacre not fall under your definition of (critical race theory)" and responded "Let's not tie it to the skin color and say that the skin color determined that." [34] The comments sparked social media backlash and were satirized by The Onion . [35] [36] [37] Walters had earlier in the event said "Our kids should know ... about the Tulsa Race Massacre. They absolutely should. There are (state academic) standards around that. I'll continually work for a more robust curriculum around these events." [38] [39]

In September 2023, Walters announced that the state would cooperate with conservative media group PragerU to provide curriculum to Oklahoma schools, a policy similar to one recently adopted in Florida. [40] Oklahoma Democrats criticized the curriculum as "whitewashing history". [41] Walters was featured in a PragerU video on their website acknowledging the partnership. [42] After the announcement, The Black Wall Street Times , a Tulsa-based African American newspaper, requested an interview with Walters, but was told by an Oklahoma Department of Education spokesperson that they were barred from interviews due to tweets by the paper's editor-in-chief. [43] [42]

Later that month, he spoke to the U.S. House Education Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education in favor of banning the Confucius Institute because it was funded by the Chinese government. [44] During the hearing representative Raul Grijalva asked Walters about allowing the oil and gas industry to influence climate change curriculum through PragerU, to which he responded "these are American companies that are a benefit to the American economy, so I don't see any issue with them having influence on our education system." [45] In an interview, political science professor Melody Huckaby Rowlett said it is rare to see state officials speak at subcommittee meetings and "this is a way for his name to be heard in wider circles. He's also, probably most importantly, also able to raise funds, so it's a fundraising tactic more than anything else and that purpose is absolutely higher office." [46] He also launched an investigation into Western Heights Public Schools for hiring a principal who is a drag performer in their free time. [47] [48]

In 2024, Walters attempted to reject the American Library Association's standards for information literacy. Walters had called the current standards "woke". The ALA, which works with the Oklahoma Library Association and the American Association of School Librarians, said it "remains focused on ensuring that our current information literacy standards meet academic rigor and that we continue to strive to make Oklahoma a top 10 state in literacy". [49] He has also accused librarians of promoting pornography, but has not cited any instances of them having done so. [50]

In January 2024, Walters appointed far-right Libs of TikTok account owner Chaya Raichik to a statewide library advisory board, prompting bipartisan criticism. [51] [52] Walters's decision also resulted in protests from a number of parents, educators, and lawmakers who believed Raichik endangered students and teachers. [53] [54]

In November 2024, Walters announced that he had established a Department of Religious Freedom and Patriotism within the Oklahoma Department of Education, saying that it would "oversee the investigation of abuses to individual religious freedom or displays of patriotism." He mandated that all students watch a video of his announcement and that a copy be sent to their parents; however, Attorney General Drummond responded that Walters lacked that legal authority. [55]

In 2025, after Governor Stitt opposed the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction's proposed mandate to request the citizenship status of children enrolling in public school, Walters responded that he is part of a so-called deep state conspiracy against Trump, of whom Walters is highly supportive. [56] [57] Stitt also fired three members of the Oklahoma State Department of Education over poor NAEP test scores and "needless political drama." [58]

A NAEP study released during Walters's tenure in 2025 found Oklahoma ranked 47th in fourth-grade reading, 48th in eighth-grade reading, 44th in fourth-grade math, and 45th in eighth-grade math. [59]

In February 2025, Walters met with the Oklahoma Board of Education and promoted a new social studies syllabus—introduced hours prior—that instructed students to: "Identify discrepancies in 2020 elections results" by examining "the sudden halting of ballot-counting in select cities and in key battleground states, the security risks of mail-in balloting, sudden batch dumps, an unforeseen record number of voters, and the unprecedented contradiction of 'bellwether county' trends". The Board accepted the syllabus after Walters falsely told the Board that they needed to approve it that day, otherwise legislative deadlines would be missed. The syllabus was implemented in April 2025 after Oklahoma lawmakers declined to block it. [60] The Associated Press reported that the syllabus content introduced by Walters effectively called for the "study of conspiracy theories related to the 2020 election" despite "no evidence of any discrepancies that could have changed the results" of the 2020 election. [61]

Tulsa Public Schools accreditation

In July 2023, Walters asked the Oklahoma Department of Education Board to delay a vote on Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) state accreditation until August 24 to give time to review its accreditation status. After the delay, Walters vocally maintained the state was considering not accrediting the district [a] or having the state Department of Education take over the district. [62] Superintendent of TPS Deborah Gist spoke out against Walter's campaign, arguing it had caused teachers to quit right before the start of classes. [63] She announced her resignation the Tuesday before the meeting. [62] Walters said of her resignation, "This is a tremendous day for Tulsa parents, for Tulsa students, I've called for her resignation from day one." [64]

Tulsa mayor G.T. Bynum criticized the proposal, writing, "We do not want it, and we do not need it." [65] State representatives for Tulsa Regina Goodwin, Monroe Nichols, and John Waldron criticized the prospect of a state takeover, [66] [67] while state representative Mark Tedford asked Walters to take less drastic measures. [2] Chuck Hoskin Jr., the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, also expressed concerns with the state taking over the district (which serves about 800 Cherokee students). [67] Governor Kevin Stitt reassured Tulsans that whatever the state board decided, "everything is going to be OK". [68] High school students in TPS staged a walkout the day of the vote in protest of the meeting. [69]

On August 24, 2023, the State Board of Education voted 6-0 to approve Tulsa Public Schools as "accreditation with deficiencies". Walters praised the local school board for accepting Gist's resignation, saying they had "root[ed] out a cancer in the district that caused so many problems" and vowed to take additional action if the district did not improve in the next few months. [70]

Calls for impeachment

In August 2023, the Monday before a meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education, far-right social media account Libs of TikTok released an edited video of a Union Public Schools (UPS) librarian, which Walters shared the following morning. [71] The six consecutive school days following the video's release, both UPS and the librarian's home received bomb threats. [72] [73] Walters attended the board meeting that Thursday, during which a third bomb threat had been made against Union Public Schools. Walters initially did not have any comments on the matter. The following day, after a fourth bomb threat was made, Walters denounced the threats, though he did not remove the Libs of TikTok post believed to have incited the threats. [74]

State representative Mickey Dollens and former governor David Walters, both Democrats, called on Walters to be removed from office for inciting the bomb threats; [75] Oklahoma House minority leader Cyndi Munson and state representative Melissa Provenzano called for a House investigative committee to consider impeaching Walters. [76] Oklahoma Senate minority leader Kay Floyd supported the calls for an investigative committee. [77] In response, a spokesperson for Walters argued that by "seeking to remove a popularly elected constitutional officer, they represent a direct threat to our democracy". [76] [73] Speaker of the Oklahoma House Charles McCall later shut down prospects of impeachment, saying, "until somebody puts forth an allegation of something criminal [in] nature, I don't see the House of Representatives just weighing in and trying to overturn the election results of the state of Oklahoma". [78]

In February 2024, over 350 people and organizations called on Walters to be forced to resign after the death of Nex Benedict. [79] Organizations calling for his removal included Freedom Oklahoma, GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, the Trevor Project, the NAACP, and GLSEN. [80] [81] Walters told The New York Times , "I think it's terrible that we've had some radical leftists who decided to run with a political agenda and try to weave a narrative that hasn't been true." [82]

On August 13, 2024, state representative Mark McBride released a letter signed by several other Republican legislators calling for a special House investigation into Walters, the first step toward impeachment in Oklahoma. Walters described the move as "unprecedented" and accused the letter's signers of partnering with Democrats, attacking Christianity, and wanting pornography in schools. This was despite a vast majority of those who signed the letter being Christians. The issues addressed in the letter were failing to distribute school funds, disobeying state laws, and failure to respond to open records requests. Speaker McCall said he would not consider impeachment until 51 Republican members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives signed the letter. [83] 26 Republican state representatives called for an investigative hearing. [84] On August 16, Walters dared McCall to impeach him, and accused McCall of targeting him to improve his potential 2026 campaign for Governor. [85] [86]

Mandate to teach the Bible in public schools

In June 2024, Walters issued a memo announcing that all public schools in Oklahoma would be required to teach the Christian Bible, including the Ten Commandments, mandating "that every teacher, every classroom in the state will have a Bible in the classroom and will be teaching from the Bible in the classroom." [87] [88] Walters' announcement followed the passage of a Louisiana law earlier in the month requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all Louisiana public school classrooms. [89] Walters said that teachers who failed to comply with the mandate could lose their jobs. [90] [91] In his budget request for fiscal year 2026, Walters asked the Oklahoma Legislature to appropriate $3 million to purchase Christian Bibles for Oklahoma schools. [92] On October 17, 2024, a group of Oklahomans filed suit in the Oklahoma Supreme Court against Walters and other defendants, in an effort to block the teaching mandate and the $3 million expenditure. [93]

In September 2024, Walters opened bids to supply the Oklahoma Department of Education with 55,000 Christian Bibles. The bid documents required that "Bibles must be the King James Version; must contain the Old and New Testaments; must include copies of the Pledge of Allegiance, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and must be bound in leather or leather-like material." [92] Only two versions fit all criteria: Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A. Bible" (endorsed by Donald Trump, who receives fees for copies sold), which sells for $60, and the "We The People Bible" (endorsed by Donald Trump Jr.), which sells for $90. [92] Free or far cheaper versions of the Christian Bible are readily accessible. [92] [29] The company Mardel Christian & Education said that none of the 2,900 versions of the Christian Bible that it sells can meet Oklahoma's requirements. [92] The King James Version (KJV) is favored by many conservative evangelicals, rejected by Catholics, not favored by most mainline Protestants, and, along with the entire New Testament, rejected by Jews. [29]

Multiple state legislators and a state school board member criticized Walters' proposal on legal and constitutional grounds. [94] Drew Edmondson, a former Oklahoma Attorney General, said the request for proposals (RFP) was not genuinely competitive and might violate state law. [92] Democratic state senator Mary Boren criticized the RFP as a flagrant violation of the separation of church and state (as guaranteed by the Oklahoma Constitution), and for favoring the KJV over other Christian Bible translations (such as the Latin Catholic Bible, New International Version, or English Standard Version). [94] Days after the criticisms arose, the RFP was revised to say the American founding documents may be included within or separately from the Christian Bible. Walters stated in a video, "The left-wing media hates Donald Trump so much, and they hate the [Christian] Bible so much, they will lie and go to any means necessary to stop this initiative from happening." [95]

In November 2024, Walters announced the purchase of 500 "God Bless the USA" Christian Bibles by emailing school superintendents and requiring that they show students a prerecorded video of the announcement. In the video, he made generalized accusations against his political opponents before praying for "President Trump's Team". This is despite the fact that in Oklahoma, local school districts determine school curriculum and his office doesn't have that power. [96]

Teacher ideology tests

In July 2025, Walters announced an "anti-woke test" developed in partnership with PragerU that teachers moving to Oklahoma from blue states would be required to take in order to ensure they will not teach what he described as "leftist propaganda". [1]

On August 18, 2025, Walters announced that teaching applicants from California and New York would be subject to 50-question ideology tests administered by PragerU, ostensibly to protect Oklahoma from "radical leftist ideology". PragerU's CEO told CNN that one topic on the exam would be "gender ideology". Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers teachers' union, described the exam as a "MAGA loyalty test" and said it would exacerbate Oklahoma's teacher shortage. [97]

Pornography scandal

Two Oklahoma State Board of Education members, Becky Carson and Ryan Deatherage, alleged in July 2025 that during a Board meeting in Walters' office the day before, a television in Walters' office was displaying footage of nude women; Carson told Walters to turn off the television, which he did. Carson and Deatherage said that Walters neither explained nor apologized for the images, while two other Board members, Chris Van Denhende and Michael Tinney, said that they did not see the television footage, but saw Walters rattled by the incident. Walters's spokesman described the allegations as a "lie" and the Board as "hostile". [98] Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Kyle Hilbert called for an investigation into the incident. [99] [100] Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton called the allegations "a bizarre and troubling situation." [101] [102] [103]

Walters issued a strong denial, stating: "Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false. I have no knowledge of what was on the TV screen during the alleged incident, and there is absolutely no truth to any implication of wrongdoing." He further described the accusations as "absurd" and politically motivated. [104] [105] The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office has since opened a preliminary inquiry into the matter, though no formal charges have been filed to date. [106]

During Walters's news conference after the incident, he said that his TV was only capable of playing cable television and his name had been cleared by all agencies. Later that day, it was revealed that the television was connected to the internet, and the county sheriff's department issued a statement clarifying that Walters had not been cleared and the investigation was still in its infancy. [107] Many critics pointed out that Walters had misled the public during the interview.

Electoral history

2022

Ryan Walters
Ryan Walters (Oklahoma Superintendent).png
Walters speaking in 2023
15th Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 9, 2023
2022 Oklahoma state superintendent Republican primary results [108]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Ryan Walters 142,540 41%
Republican April Grace 105,303 31%
Republican John Cox83,01224%
Republican William E. Crozier12,9364%
Total votes343,791 100%
2022 Oklahoma state superintendent Republican runoff results [109]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Ryan Walters 149,147 53.4
Republican April Grace130,16846.6
Total votes279,315 100.0
2022 Oklahoma state superintendent election [110]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Ryan Walters 650,310 56.8 −1.7%
Democratic Jena Nelson495,03143.2+9.4%
Total votes1,145,341 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

Notes

  1. ↑ Not accrediting the district would have closed the district (the largest in the state) and sent all 33,000 of its students to neighboring school districts. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Republican Oklahoma schools chief to roll out anti-'woke' test for teachers coming in from blue states". The Advocate . Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 KingKade, Tyler (August 23, 2023). "How Oklahoma's Schools Superintendent Became the State's Top Culture Warrior". NBC News . Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Jacobson, Linda (October 5, 2023). "The Mystery of Ryan Walters: How a Beloved History Teacher Became Oklahoma's Culture-Warrior-in-Chief". The 74 . Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Forman, Carmen (July 1, 2023). "State Superintendent Ryan Walters Rubs Elbows with Moms for Liberty". Tulsa World . Archived from the original on July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Ryan Walters". legistorm.com. LegiStorm . Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Adcock, Clifton; Gorman, Reese; Palmer, Jennifer (May 19, 2022). "Billionaire Philanthropists Pushing Charter Schools and School Vouchers Also Fund Oklahoma's Secretary of Education's Six-Figure Salary". The Frontier . Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  7. ↑ Evans, Murray (December 19, 2024). "What could Ryan Walters do next after being bypassed by Donald Trump? He has options". The Oklahoman . Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  8. ↑ Autry, David (May 29, 2019). "Ryan Walters New Oklahoma Achieves Executive Director". McAlester News-Capital . Archived from the original on May 29, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  9. ↑ Gorman, Reese; Adcock, Clifton; Palmer, Jennifer (January 8, 2023). "Ryan Walters Steps Down from Nonprofit Role That Drew Scrutiny". The Frontier . Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  10. ↑ Prather, Megan (September 10, 2020). "Stitt Names Ryan Walters New Secretary of Education". NonDoc. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  11. ↑ Maune, Tess (February 17, 2021). "Oklahoma's New Education Secretary Stays in Classroom, Dedicated to What's Best for Kids". KOTV-DT. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  12. ↑ Palmer, Jennifer; Adcock, Clifton; Gorman, Reese (May 2, 2022). "Stitt Gave Families $8 Million for School Supplies in the Pandemic; They Bought Christmas Trees, Gaming Consoles and Hundreds of TVs". The Frontier . Oklahoma Watch. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  13. ↑ Palmer, Jennifer (May 11, 2022). "House Democrats Call on Governor to Oust Cabinet Member Over Misspent Educational Relief Funds". The Frontier . Oklahoma Watch. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  14. ↑ Clay, Nolan (August 10, 2023). "FBI Investigating After Oklahoma Education Funds Misspent". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on August 11, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund". Ed.gov. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Archived from the original on September 29, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  16. 1 2 "State Superintendent Ryan Walters Pushes for Revocation of TPS, Ex-Norman Teachers' Licenses". Tulsa World . January 11, 2023. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  17. ↑ Savage, Tres (April 11, 2023). "Stitt Selects Katherine Curry As New Secretary of Education, Replacing Superintendent Ryan Walters". NonDoc. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  18. ↑ Denwalt, Dale; Martinez-Keel, Nuria (April 13, 2023). "Attorney General Told Senate That Ryan Walters Can't Hold Two Offices". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  19. ↑ Brinkman, Bennett (July 25, 2023). "Citing 'political environment,' Katherine Curry resigns as secretary of education after 3 months". NonDoc. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
  20. ↑ Love, Ryan (May 30, 2022). "Election 2022: Four-Republican Race for State Superintendent in Oklahoma". KJRH-TV . Tulsa. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  21. ↑ Forman, Carmen (June 19, 2022). "Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's Primary Challenge: Getting His Allies Elected to State Offices". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  22. ↑ Severin, Kevin (June 10, 2022). "Ted Cruz Endorses Ryan Walters: 'Ryan Is a Tireless Advocate for Students'". KOKH-TV . Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Walters, Grace Projected for State Superintendent Runoff Election". KOTV-DT . Tulsa. June 28, 2022. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  24. ↑ Martinez-Keel, Nuria (August 23, 2022). "Ryan Walters Wins GOP Nomination for Oklahoma State Schools Superintendent over April Grace". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  25. ↑ Nicholson, Jonathan (November 4, 2022). "Man Who Wants to Run Oklahoma's Schools Buys into Bogus 'Cat Litter' Conspiracy Theory". Huffington Post . Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  26. ↑ Eger, Andrea (November 8, 2022). "Ryan Walters Wins High-Profile Race for State Superintendent". Tulsa World . Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  27. ↑ Clay, Nolan (August 28, 2023). "Ryan Walters Ordered to Pay Oklahoma Ethics Commission over Campaign Report Violations". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  28. ↑ Wallis, Beth (August 30, 2023). "Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters Draws Political Heat, Fines for Recent Actions". KOSU . Archived from the original on August 30, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  29. 1 2 3 Kilgore, Ed (October 4, 2024). "Oklahoma Wants a Trump Bible in Every Public School Classroom". New York Magazine . Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  30. ↑ Greco, Jonathan (April 4, 2023). "State Board of Education Can't Make Administrative Rules Without Legislature's Direction, AG Says". KOCO-TV . Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Attorney General: New Oklahoma State Board of Ed. Rules Should Be Void, Unenforceable". KOKH-TV . April 4, 2023. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Oklahoma Attorney General Rules State Board of Education Can't Make Rules Without Legislative Direction". KOSU . April 4, 2023. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  33. ↑ "New Education Rules, Superintendent Ryan Walters, State Park Restaurants and More". KOSU . Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  34. ↑ Martinez-Keel, Nuria (July 8, 2023). "Oklahoma Schools Should Teach Tulsa Race Massacre As a 'Racist' Event, State Superintendent Says". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  35. ↑ Weber, Andy (July 8, 2023). "Ryan Walters Says He Was Misquoted on Tulsa Race Massacre Comments". KOCO . Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  36. ↑ Christy, Erin (July 7, 2023). "State Superintendent Ryan Walters Reacts to Backlash over Tulsa Race Massacre Comments". KJRH-TV . Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Oklahoma Schools to Teach Students That Tulsa Massacre Was Crime of Passion from Loving Black People Too Much" (Satire). TheOnion.com. The Onion. July 7, 2023. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  38. ↑ Krehbiel, Randy (July 7, 2023). "Ryan Walters Denies Saying Tulsa Race Massacre Was Not About Race". Tulsa World . Archived from the original on July 16, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  39. ↑ Bailey, Brianna (July 7, 2023). "Hear and Read Ryan Walters' Full Remarks About the Tulsa Race Massacre". The Frontier . Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  40. ↑ Lonas, Lexi (September 5, 2023). "Oklahoma Follows Florida in Allowing PragerU in Schools". The Hill . Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  41. ↑ Greco, Jonathan (September 6, 2023). "Oklahoma State Department of Education Announces Partnership with PragerU Kids". KOCO . Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  42. 1 2 Wertz, William C. (September 7, 2023). "Black-Owned Newspaper Denied Interview with Ryan Walters About PragerU Partnership". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  43. ↑ Osborne, Deon (September 6, 2023). "Okla. Supt. Ryan Walters Bans Black Reporter from Interviews". The Black Wall Street Times . Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  44. ↑ Morgan, Ben (September 20, 2023). "State Superintendent Walters Speaks to Congress About Confucius Schools". KRMG . Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  45. ↑ Martinez-Keel, Nuria (September 19, 2023). "Walters Alleges Chinese Communist Influence in Schools During D.C. Hearing". Oklahoma Voice . Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  46. ↑ Weber, Andy (September 20, 2023). "Ryan Walters' Messaging Aligns with National Talking Points, OU Professor Says". KOCO . Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  47. ↑ Brinkman, Bennett; Savage, Tres (September 11, 2023). "'Very Open with Who I Am': Western Heights Principal Defends Drag Queen Alter Ego". NonDoc. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  48. ↑ Martinez-Keel, Nuria (September 26, 2023). "Western Heights School District Under Investigation for Hiring Principal Who Performs in Drag". Oklahoma Voice . Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  49. ↑ "What Are 'Information Literacy Standards' and Why Does Ryan Walters Want to Change Them?". Tahlequah Daily Press . The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  50. ↑ "Ryan Walters Calls for Eliminating 'Woke' Library Standards from Oklahoma Schools". KOSU . December 8, 2023. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  51. ↑ Murphy, Sean (January 24, 2024). "Oklahoma Superintendent Faces Blowback for Putting Libs of TikTok Creator on Library Panel". Associated Press . Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  52. ↑ Carless, Will (January 26, 2024). "Oklahoma Schools Gig for Libs of TikTok Founder: Does It Meet State's Own Rules?". USA Today . Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  53. ↑ "Libs of TikTok Fueled Bomb Threats at Oklahoma Schools. The Superintendent Just Hired Her". Yahoo News . January 23, 2024. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  54. ↑ May, Payton (January 27, 2024). "'Libs of TikTok' Creator's Appointment to Oklahoma Library Committee Sparks Protest". KATU . Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  55. ↑ Miller, Ken (November 15, 2024). "Oklahoma schools superintendent mandates students watch announcement of new religious department". AP News. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  56. ↑ Oklahoma governor says he'll stop plan to collect kids' immigration status. February 13, 2025. Sean Murphy AP News.
  57. ↑ Oklahoma governor rejects proposal asking parents to provide immigration status when enrolling children. February 25, 2025. Seda Sevencan. Anadolu Agency.
  58. ↑ Stitt ousts 3 members of Oklahoma State Board of Education, criticizes board's 'political drama'. February 11, 2025. Oklahoma Voice. Nuria Martinez-Keel
  59. ↑ Wallis, Beth (January 30, 2025). "Oklahoma ranks near the bottom for math and reading scores, according to Nation's Report Card". KGOU . State Impact Oklahoma. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  60. ↑ Wallis, Beth (May 14, 2025). "Oklahoma education standards say students must identify 2020 election 'discrepancies'". NPR. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  61. ↑ Murphy, Sean (May 17, 2025). "New standards for Oklahoma high school students promote misinformation about the 2020 election". Associated Press. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
  62. 1 2 Krehbiel-Burton, Lenzy (August 22, 2023). "'TPS Isn't Perfect, but It Is Ours,' Parent Tells Tulsa School Board". Tulsa World . Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  63. ↑ Eger, Andrea (August 17, 2023). "Gist Says Anti-TPS Effort Timed for Max Disruption: 'We Have Lost Teachers Because of This'". Tulsa World . Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  64. ↑ Cash, Alex (August 22, 2023). "State Superintendent Supports Gist's Plan to Leave TPS". KOKI-TV . Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  65. ↑ Eger, Andrea (August 18, 2023). "Tulsa Mayor on State Takeover of TPS: 'We Do Not Want It, and We Do Not Need It'". Tulsa World . Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  66. ↑ Krehbiel, Randy (August 16, 2023). "TPS Supporters Say Turmoil Damaging the District". Tulsa World . Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  67. 1 2 Wallis, Beth (August 22, 2023). "Tulsa Superintendent to Resign Amid Battle with Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters". KGOU . Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  68. ↑ Hoberock, Barbara (August 15, 2023). "With Nonaccreditation Looming over Tulsa Schools, Stitt Says 'Everything Is Going to Be Ok'". Tulsa World . Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  69. ↑ Martinez-Keel, Nuria (August 29, 2023). "With a District Takeover Threat Still Looming, Tulsans Call Out Vague Demands for Improvement". Oklahoma Voice. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  70. ↑ Eger, Andrea (August 24, 2023). "TPS Receives Accreditation Renewal, As Walters Vows Additional Actions If Quick Progress Not Made". Tulsa World . Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  71. ↑ Derksen, Cheyenne (August 22, 2023). "Ryan Walters Labels Oklahoma Librarian's Video an Example of 'Woke Agenda' in Twitter Firestorm". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  72. ↑ Derksen, Cheyenne (August 25, 2023). "Ryan Walters Calls for Investigation of Threats Made Toward Oklahoma Schools". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  73. 1 2 KingKade, Tyler (August 29, 2023). "Democrats Push for Investigation of Ryan Walters, Oklahoma's Firebrand Schools Superintendent". NBC News . Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  74. ↑ Osborne, Deon (August 25, 2023). "Oklahoma Education Board Ignores Bomb Threats at Tulsa Schools". The Black Wall Street Times . Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  75. ↑ Dulaney, Josh (August 24, 2023). "Criticism for Ryan Walters Intensifies After 3 Days of Bomb Threats at School in Retweeted Video". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  76. 1 2 Weber, Andy (August 29, 2023). "House Democrats Call for Bipartisan Committee to Investigate Whether Ryan Walters Should Be Impeached". KOCO . Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  77. ↑ "House Democrats Call for Impeachment Investigation Into Supt. Walters". KOKI-TV . August 29, 2023. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  78. ↑ Martinez-Keel, Nuria (September 14, 2023). "House Speaker: Only a Criminal Act by Oklahoma State Superintendent Will Prompt Impeachment Action". Oklahoma Voice . Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  79. ↑ Suter, Tara (February 29, 2024). "Hundreds of LGBTQ, Civil Rights Groups Call for Removal of Top Oklahoma Education Official Following Nex Benedict's Death". The Hill . Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  80. ↑ "Advocacy Groups Call for Removal of Okla. School Superintendent Following Nex Benedict's Death". People . Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  81. ↑ "350+ Leaders Call for Walters' Removal Following Nex Benedict's Death". Public Radio Tulsa . March 1, 2024. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  82. ↑ Goodman, J. David; Sandoval, Edgar (February 23, 2024). "After Nonbinary Student's Death, Schools Chief Defends Restrictive Gender Policies". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  83. ↑ Carter, M. Scott; Evans, Murray (August 13, 2024). "Republican House Members Ask House Speaker to Investigate Ryan Walters — But Speaker Declines". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  84. ↑ Weber, Andy (August 15, 2024). "State Superintendent Ryan Walters Faces Scrutiny from Governor's Cabinet". KOCO . Archived from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  85. ↑ Metzer, Steve (August 16, 2024). "'Let's Have the Impeachment Proceedings,' Ryan Walters Says at Oklahoma Capitol". Tulsa World . Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  86. ↑ Humphrey, Spencer (August 17, 2024). "'Political Suicide' Ryan Walters Calls for His Own Impeachment: How Did It Come to This?". KFOR-TV . Oklahoma City. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  87. ↑ Mervosh, Sarah; Dias, Elizabeth (June 27, 2024). "Oklahoma's State Superintendent Requires Public Schools to Teach the Bible". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  88. ↑ Salam, Erum (June 27, 2024). "Oklahoma State Superintendent Orders Public Schools to Teach the Bible". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  89. ↑ Rojas, Rick (June 19, 2024). "Louisiana Requires All Public Classrooms to Display Ten Commandments". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  90. ↑ Kingkade, Tyler; Parra, Marissa (June 28, 2024). "Oklahoma Schools Head Ryan Walters: Teachers Who Won't Teach Bible Could Lose License". NBC News . Archived from the original on July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024. Walters said if a teacher refuses to follow the Bible instruction mandate, they'd face the same consequences as one who refuses to teach about the Civil War. The punishment could include revocation of their teaching license, he said, a process that requires a vote by the Oklahoma State Board of Education, which Walters chairs.
  91. ↑ Ryan Walters, Stephanie Sy (July 1, 2024). Oklahoma Education Head Discusses Why He's Mandating Public Schools Teaching the Bible (Video). PBS News Hour. Event occurs at 04:06. Archived from the original on July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024. (...) If teachers don't want to teach it, they are compelled to teach it or they can find another job. You don't get to pick and choose what standards you teach.
  92. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Palmer, Jennifer; Monies, Paul; Warlick, Heather (October 4, 2024). "'Trump Bible' One of Few That Meet Walters' Criteria for Oklahoma Classrooms". The Oklahoman .
  93. ↑ Evans, Murray. "Lawsuit Asks Oklahoma Supreme Court to Stop Walters' Mandate, State Spending on Bibles". The Oklahoman . Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  94. 1 2 Humphrey, Spencer (September 27, 2024). "State School Board Member, Lawmakers Raise Legal Concerns over Walters' Proposed Bible Purchases". KFOR-TV . Oklahoma City. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  95. ↑ Miller, Ken (October 8, 2024). "Oklahoma Amends Request for Bibles That Initially Appeared to Match Only Version Backed by Trump". Associated Press News . Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  96. ↑ Humphrey, Spencer (November 15, 2024). "Walters orders public schools show students video of him speaking politically-charged opinions, praying for Donald Trump". KFOR-TV. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  97. ↑ Hollingsworth, Heather; Stengle, Jamie (August 19, 2025). "Oklahoma ideology test for teachers from New York and California draws criticism". Associated Press . Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  98. ↑ Evans, Murray (July 25, 2025). "Board members say naked women on TV in Ryan Walters' office during closed session". The Oklahoman. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  99. ↑ Evans, Murray (July 26, 2025). "Oklahoma House speaker calls for investigation into nude images on Ryan Walters' TV". The Oklahoman . Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  100. ↑ Hoberock, Barbara (July 25, 2025). "Probe underway after reports of nude women on Oklahoma state superintendent's office TV". Oklahoma Voice. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  101. ↑ Oklahoma authorities investigate reports of explicit images on education chief's TV – Associated Press
  102. ↑ Oklahoma officials call for investigation after reports of nude images on Walters' office TV – KGOU
  103. ↑ He Pushed LGBTQ+ Book Bans and Religion in Schools. Now Ryan Walters Is Mired in Scandal – Them
  104. ↑ Ryan Walters Issues Statement After OSDE Explicit Video Allegations – News9
  105. ↑ Leaders call for probe into allegations against Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters – OKC FOX
  106. ↑ Oklahoma officials call for investigation after reports of nude images on Walters' office TV – KOSU
  107. ↑ Aston, Alexia; Evans, Murray (July 31, 2025). "Ryan Walters says he's cleared in TV nudity investigation. Sheriff's office says case is open". The Olkahoman. USA Today.
  108. ↑ "June 28 2022". okelections.us. Oklahoma State Election Board. Archived from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  109. ↑ "August 23 2022". OKElections.us. Oklahoma State Election Board. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  110. ↑ "Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction
2022 		Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by
Joy Hofmeister
 Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction
2023–present		Incumbent
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