Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters is resigning from office to become CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, he announced to FOX News Wednesday night.
The Teacher Freedom Alliance was formed in March by conservative think tank Freedom Foundation to serve as an alternative to teachers unions. There are currently about 3,000 teachers enrolled in the alliance, according to its website.
In a one-minute live statement, Walters said he was “excited” to be stepping down and accepting his new role, stating his goal is to “destroy the teachers unions.” He said he believes teachers unions use money and power to “corrupt” schools.
“We will build an army of teachers to defeat teachers unions once and for all,” Walters said. “This fight’s going national and we will get our schools back on track. We will not allow any further union control.”
Aaron Withe, CEO of the Freedom Foundation, wrote in a press release Thursday morning the foundation is “honored” to have Walters take on the role.
“Ryan is a proven freedom fighter who understands that America cannot restore its education system without breaking free from the grip of teachers’ unions,” Withe wrote. “Ryan understands that there’s no path to putting American education back on track that doesn’t involve eliminating the teachers’ unions from our classrooms.”
Walters will officially become CEO of Teacher Freedom Alliance on Oct. 1, according to the release.
Walters was elected superintendent in 2022 and had one year left of his four-year term, which ends in January 2027. Before being elected superintendent, Walters served as secretary of education for two years.
Gov. Kevin Stitt will appoint a new candidate to serve the remainder of Walters’ term.
Stitt wrote in a Thursday statement that he wishes the best for Walters and his family.
“Oklahoma students remain my top priority, and with my first appointment to this role, I will be seeking a leader who is fully focused on the job Oklahomans expect: delivering real outcomes and driving a turnaround in our education system,” Stitt wrote.
During his term, Walters was involved in multiple controversies, most recently facing accusations from two Board of Education members who claimed Walters had explicit images on his office TV during a board meeting. Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III confirmed on Sept. 17 an investigation determined the images were part of a Jackie Chan movie on a TV channel and no charges were filed against Walters following the incident.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond commented on Walters’ resignation in a press release immediately following the announcement, stating his time as superintendent was an “embarrassment” to the state.
“Ever since Gov. Stitt appointed Ryan Walters to serve as Secretary of Education, we have witnessed a stream of never-ending scandal and political drama,” Drummond wrote. “Even worse, test scores and reading proficiency are at historic lows."
Drummond wrote Walters did not live up to expectations as superintendent, despite Stitt’s claim that Walters would take the state to a top 10 ranking.
“It’s time for a State Superintendent of Public Instruction who will actually focus on quality instruction in our public schools,” Drummond wrote. “Gov. Stitt used to say he would make us Top Ten, but after seven years we are ranked 50th in education. Our families, our students and our teachers deserve so much more.”
Oklahoma has consistently ranked in the bottom 10 education systems in the nation and was ranked 50th by WalletHub in 2025. Before Walters took office, WalletHub ranked Oklahoma 45th in education in 2022.
Norman Public Schools involvement
Walters and Norman Public Schools Superintendent Nick Migliorino have historically had a contentious relationship, with Migliorino often refusing to comply with state mandates.
Last week, NPS announced it would opt out of participating in a Walters-mandated minute of silence in honor of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot on Sept. 10.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education announced in a press release last week that 12 districts are under investigation for not holding the moment of silence. None of those districts were named in the release, but the Oklahoman reported Friday that NPS was under investigation.
The release also states that 70 teachers across 44 school districts were under investigation for comments made about Kirk. An NPS spokesperson told OU Daily Monday the district has not been notified of any investigations into the district or its teachers.
In June 2024, Walters called for schools to incorporate the Bible into fifth-12th grade curriculum to examine its historical context, literary significance and cultural influence. Walters set aside $3 million to purchase a Bible to be put in every classroom and requested $3 million in additional funding.
Soon after the department announced it would purchase 500 Bibles for Advanced Placement government courses, Rep. Jacob Rosecrants (D-Norman) posted the purchase order on the social platform X, which showed the department had spent $24,540 on 532 Trump-endorsed “God Bless the USA” Bibles. The $60 Bibles include a copy of a handwritten chorus to “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance.
In a Thursday morning press release from the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Rosecrants wrote that while he was glad Walters stepped down, he urges teachers to continue to oppose “the lies, the waste of taxpayer dollars, and the rhetoric.”
“While it’s wonderful to wake up knowing the specter of the most incompetent state superintendent in Oklahoma history has vanished, what hasn’t vanished is his agenda,” Rosecrants wrote. “The work to protect our public schools, to listen to parents, to support our teachers, to provide transparency of our tax dollars continues, always!”
Aaron Baker, an advanced placement U.S. government and politics high school teacher, said in a Tuesday TikTok video that he was sent two Bibles by the state department of education to use for instruction. He claims the Constitution included in the Bibles is outdated, only including the first 10 amendments.
Baker claimed the version of the Constitution in the “God Bless the USA” Bible contains the three-fifths compromise, which was abolished by the 13th Amendment. He said it also neglected to include the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection and due process under the law.
Baker said the original version of the Constitution is printed in the back of the Bible, excluding Amendments 11-27, which include the abolishment of slavery, women’s suffrage and presidential term limits.
“This is not an accident. This is an incomplete, at best, Constitution that’s in this Bible, and it’s a dishonest Constitution," Baker said in the video. “It’s not the Constitution that I teach in my classroom.”
Migliorino wrote in a statement to OU Daily in December that the district would not comply with the mandate, stating it has created an inclusive environment by not promoting any particular faith.
“At this time, our previous position on the use of Bibles in our schools has not changed,” Migliorino wrote.
In July 2024, Migliorino told the Norman Transcript that NPS classrooms would not follow Walters’ guidance about curriculum changes.
In 2022, Walters faced a defamation lawsuit by former NPS high school teacher Summer Boismier, who protested against restrictions on which books can be read in classrooms.
On the first day of school in 2022, Boismier’s classroom bookshelf in Norman High School was wrapped in red paper that had “books the state doesn’t want you to read” written on it. The display also featured a QR code that led to Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned catalog, which promotes banned books.
Walters, then secretary of education, posted a letter calling for the revocation of her teaching certificate on social media platform X, then-Twitter.
“There is no place for a teacher with liberal political agenda in the classroom,” Walters wrote. “Ms. Boismier’s providing access to banned and pornographic material to students is unacceptable and we must ensure she doesn’t go to another district and do the same thing.”
The Oklahoma State Board of Education suspended Boismier’s teaching license in June 2024, citing her “willful violation” of House Bill 1775, a state law that restricts what schools teach about race and gender.
Boismier’s license was officially revoked in August 2024, in a unanimous vote by the State Board of Education.
Migliorino wrote in a statement in September 2022 that the NPS school board determined “there was no violation” of HB 1775 or State Department of Education rules, and there was no issue with any books in Boismier’s classroom or in the website on the QR code.
“As we have stated many times — and despite incorrect information on social media and in the news — Norman Public Schools has not banned any books,” Migliorino wrote in the statement. “We also know and believe that parents and guardians are ultimately responsible for their child. Norman Public Schools will always respect a families’ wishes with regard to their child’s education and access.”
The lawsuit was filed after Walters incorrectly claimed Boismier was fired on social media, which he corrected in a second post. Boismier asked for at least $75,000, but the lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge in April.
Boismier wrote in a statement to OU Daily Thursday that Walters' controversies are a byproduct of larger issues in the state.
"The outgoing state superintendent is symptomatic of a larger, coordinated effort to dismantle public education and silence dissent in Oklahoma. He has not acted alone," Boismier said. "I will continue to stand for intellectual freedom and for the rights of students and teachers, regardless of who occupies the state superintendent’s seat going forward."
A NPS spokesperson wrote in a statement to OU Daily Thursday that the district does not comment on changes in elected positions.
“Norman Public Schools does not comment on the status of elected officials,” the spokesperson wrote. “Our energy and commitment are devoted to educating students, supporting our staff, and partnering with the community to prepare and inspire all students to achieve their full potential.”
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure and Ana Barboza. Tori Pham copy edited this story.
