August 19, 2025 • 7 mins
The landscape of public education in the United States is undergoing a profound transformation, with an increasing number of states adopting ideologically-driven policy reforms that challenge traditional models of teacher certification, curriculum development, and institutional governance. This report provides a detailed analysis of this trend, using the new "America First" certification test in Oklahoma as a central case study. This 50-question exam, developed in partnership with the conservative media organization PragerU, represents a significant departure from historically credential-based teacher licensing to an explicit form of ideological screening.
2024 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 25. Definitions and General Provisions
§25-2002. Parental rights.
Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling
PragerU—as a "gatekeeper for future teachers".
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/go-beyond-the-brief--6353252/support.
2024 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 25. Definitions and General Provisions
§25-2002. Parental rights.
Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling
PragerU—as a "gatekeeper for future teachers".
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/go-beyond-the-brief--6353252/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You found the podcast Go Beyond the Brief, where we
take a deep dive into the societal currents shaping our lives. Together,
we'll explore the often unseen forces at play. We'll examine
the research, dissect the data, and most importantly, if you're
seeking to understand what's shaping our society.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
So if we're jumping into something pretty heated in education,
Oklahoma's New America first teacher test.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah, it's definitely landed right in the middle of the
national conversation.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
We've got articles, some research data notes. Our job is
to unpack what this policy actually is, why it's causing
such a fuss, and maybe what it means longer term.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
It's become a real flashpoint, you know, strong feelings on
both sides.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Okay, so let's get straight to it. What is this test?
What are the sources telling us about its nuts and bolts.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Well, fundamentally, it's a new fifty question exam. But here's
the thing. It's mandatory only for out of state teachers
applying from New York and California, just.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Those two states.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
That's specific, very specific, and the state Department of Education
there didn't create it alone. They actually partnered with Prager.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Grigger, the conservative nonprofit. That partnership itself seems pretty noteworthy.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
It definitely is. It signals a lot about the test's
likely perspective.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
And Superintendent Ryan Walters he's been pretty clear on the
why hasn't he? How is his reasoning presented?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
He frames it very directly. He talks about safeguarding classrooms,
protecting them from quote radical leftist ideology and woke in doctrination.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Safeguarding. Okay, and does the test content line up with
that framing?
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Seems to reports say it includes questions on things like
well contested theories about the twenty twenty presidential election, gender ideology,
American exceptionalism, wow, and even biological differences between boys and girls.
So yeah, it's pretty specific.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
It's not just like a civics test. It feels very targeted. Yeah,
and having Praguer you involved. Critics are calling a political performance, right,
not a real standard exactly.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
They argue a private partisan group is essentially acting as
a state gatekeeper for who gets to teach.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
It really blurs the lines, Yeah, it does. Okay. So
here's where it gets really interesting, maybe even contradictory. Oklahoma
has a major teacher.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Shortage Oh, absolutely, it's severe.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
The turnover rate, according to the sources, hit twenty four
percent and twenty twenty two, that's a decade high. They're
issuing record numbers of emergency certifications.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Yeah, people teaching on emergency licenses because they can't find
fully certified teachers.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
So with that backdrop, how does this America first test
make any sense? How does it fit in?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Well, this is where you get these really competing stories.
Critics obviously say, look, Oklahoma teacher pay is near the
bottom nationally nominally speaking. That's why people leave or don't.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Come, right, the low salary argument.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
But then proponents, often from conservative think tanks, they push back.
They say, hang on, adjust for Oklahoma's low cost of living.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Ah, the purchasing power argument exactly.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
And when you do that, they argue, Oklahoma's average size
actually looks much more competitive, like maybe around twenty ninth
nationally comparable buying power. They say, to New York or Hawaii,
that's quite a different picture. But does it hold water
if teachers are still leaving and they need emergency hires,
and what about the test itself? Critics call it a
huge turnoff, right they do. They think it'll scare qualified
(03:19):
teachers away, but Superintendent Walters claims the opposite. He says
it's attracting teachers a dramatic increase even who are quote
fleeing the teachers' unions elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
So completely opposite predictions about its effect on the shortage.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Fascinating, it really is, and this whole situation it immediately
brings up legal questions, big ones.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Okay, let's talk legal. What are the main vulnerabilities people
are pointing to? What should you the listener know about
these challenges?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Two main constitutional arguments are expected. First, the First Amendment.
Opponents see this test as basically an ideological loyalty of you.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Have to agree with certain ideas to teach.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
That's the argument that it chills free speech and thought.
Second is the Dormant Commerce Clause. Now, this basically stops
states from discriminating against people or businesses from other states unfairly.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
And since this test specifically targets New York and California.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
BINGO, that's seen as a direct violation of that clause.
It looks like economic protectionism or targeted discrimination.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
In Oklahoma has faced similar legal fights before, haven't they.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Yes, The sources mentioned an ongoing ACLU lawsuit over HB
seventeen seventy five. That's a law restricting race and gender
discussions in class. A federal court already put parts of.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
It on hold, citing a chilling effect on speech. So
there's precedent for courts intervening on these grounds.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
There is, And you hear critics, unions, lawmakers repeatedly calling
this test a stunt or political posturing. They see it
as part of that same pattern.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
So it feels less like an education policy.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
It's a clear example of a wider multi state movement.
Look at Florida new laws there pushing for a uniform curricul,
a teacher excellence exam, and.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Wasn't there something about identity politics in Florida exactly?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Prohibiting identity politics and teacher training. That term itself is
often loaded used to critique discussions on race, gender, social justice.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
So it affects not just what's taught, but how teachers
are even trained to think about society precisely.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
And then there's Texas. They passed a law removing DEI diversity,
equity and inclusion activism from public higher education.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
So that means curriculum reviews for ideological bias.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yes, and that term bias can be very subjective. It
also impacts hiring support services, the whole campus climate aimed
at inclusivity.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
It's quite systematic, and Arizona had that bill even though
it was vetoed making teachers personally liable, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
For creating a hostile education environment. Shows how far some
of these efforts are going trying to police individual speech
in the classroom.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
So, stepping back, what does all this trend actually mean
for the education system as a whole.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
That's the big question, isn't it. There's this fundamental tension
now between kind of political messaging and practical governing. How
so well, critics are pointing out quite forcefully that these
policies could deter good teachers, making those shortages we talked
about even worse.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Right, driving qualified people away.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
And organizations like the National Council for the Social Studies
they've said plainly that putting an ideology test on teaching
goes against democratic principles, against academic freedom.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
It really boils down to a struggle over the purpose
of education itself, doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I think? So is school about transmitting one specific, maybe
triumphant national story, or is it about fostering critical thinking?
Letting students evaluate different perspectives.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
And there's that Brookings poll showing a disconnect. Right, many
Republicans think schools lean liberal, but students mostly say it's neutral.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Exactly. That perception gap fuels a lot of this legislative action,
even if the reality on the ground, according to students
is different.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
So it seems we're in a new phase education becoming
increasingly politicized.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yes, and likely an enduring one where in some states
at least, ideological alignment seems to be getting prioritized, sometimes
over professional competence.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
So, wrapping this up, what does this all mean for
you the listener, whether you're a student, parent, educator, to
someone who cares about schools?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Yeah, how does this shift ultimately shape not just what
children learn, but maybe more importantly, how they learn to think.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Or even if they're encouraged to think critically at all.
That feels like a really critical question for the future,
for democratic principles, really something to keep thinking about.
You found the podcast Go Beyond the Brief, where we
take a deep dive into the societal currents shaping our lives. Together,
we'll explore the often unseen forces at play. We'll examine
the research, dissect the data, and most importantly, if you're
seeking to understand what's shaping our society.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
So if we're jumping into something pretty heated in education,
Oklahoma's New America first teacher test.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah, it's definitely landed right in the middle of the
national conversation.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
We've got articles, some research data notes. Our job is
to unpack what this policy actually is, why it's causing
such a fuss, and maybe what it means longer term.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
It's become a real flashpoint, you know, strong feelings on
both sides.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Okay, so let's get straight to it. What is this test?
What are the sources telling us about its nuts and bolts.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Well, fundamentally, it's a new fifty question exam. But here's
the thing. It's mandatory only for out of state teachers
applying from New York and California, just.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Those two states.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
That's specific, very specific, and the state Department of Education
there didn't create it alone. They actually partnered with Prager.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Grigger, the conservative nonprofit. That partnership itself seems pretty noteworthy.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
It definitely is. It signals a lot about the test's
likely perspective.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
And Superintendent Ryan Walters he's been pretty clear on the
why hasn't he? How is his reasoning presented?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
He frames it very directly. He talks about safeguarding classrooms,
protecting them from quote radical leftist ideology and woke in doctrination.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Safeguarding. Okay, and does the test content line up with
that framing?
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Seems to reports say it includes questions on things like
well contested theories about the twenty twenty presidential election, gender ideology,
American exceptionalism, wow, and even biological differences between boys and girls.
So yeah, it's pretty specific.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
It's not just like a civics test. It feels very targeted. Yeah,
and having Praguer you involved. Critics are calling a political performance, right,
not a real standard exactly.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
They argue a private partisan group is essentially acting as
a state gatekeeper for who gets to teach.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
It really blurs the lines, Yeah, it does. Okay. So
here's where it gets really interesting, maybe even contradictory. Oklahoma
has a major teacher.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Shortage Oh, absolutely, it's severe.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
The turnover rate, according to the sources, hit twenty four
percent and twenty twenty two, that's a decade high. They're
issuing record numbers of emergency certifications.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Yeah, people teaching on emergency licenses because they can't find
fully certified teachers.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
So with that backdrop, how does this America first test
make any sense? How does it fit in?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Well, this is where you get these really competing stories.
Critics obviously say, look, Oklahoma teacher pay is near the
bottom nationally nominally speaking. That's why people leave or don't.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Come, right, the low salary argument.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
But then proponents, often from conservative think tanks, they push back.
They say, hang on, adjust for Oklahoma's low cost of living.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Ah, the purchasing power argument exactly.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
And when you do that, they argue, Oklahoma's average size
actually looks much more competitive, like maybe around twenty ninth
nationally comparable buying power. They say, to New York or Hawaii,
that's quite a different picture. But does it hold water
if teachers are still leaving and they need emergency hires,
and what about the test itself? Critics call it a
huge turnoff, right they do. They think it'll scare qualified
(03:19):
teachers away, but Superintendent Walters claims the opposite. He says
it's attracting teachers a dramatic increase even who are quote
fleeing the teachers' unions elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
So completely opposite predictions about its effect on the shortage.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Fascinating, it really is, and this whole situation it immediately
brings up legal questions, big ones.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Okay, let's talk legal. What are the main vulnerabilities people
are pointing to? What should you the listener know about
these challenges?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Two main constitutional arguments are expected. First, the First Amendment.
Opponents see this test as basically an ideological loyalty of you.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Have to agree with certain ideas to teach.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
That's the argument that it chills free speech and thought.
Second is the Dormant Commerce Clause. Now, this basically stops
states from discriminating against people or businesses from other states unfairly.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
And since this test specifically targets New York and California.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
BINGO, that's seen as a direct violation of that clause.
It looks like economic protectionism or targeted discrimination.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
In Oklahoma has faced similar legal fights before, haven't they.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Yes, The sources mentioned an ongoing ACLU lawsuit over HB
seventeen seventy five. That's a law restricting race and gender
discussions in class. A federal court already put parts of.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
It on hold, citing a chilling effect on speech. So
there's precedent for courts intervening on these grounds.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
There is, And you hear critics, unions, lawmakers repeatedly calling
this test a stunt or political posturing. They see it
as part of that same pattern.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
So it feels less like an education policy.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
It's a clear example of a wider multi state movement.
Look at Florida new laws there pushing for a uniform curricul,
a teacher excellence exam, and.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Wasn't there something about identity politics in Florida exactly?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Prohibiting identity politics and teacher training. That term itself is
often loaded used to critique discussions on race, gender, social justice.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
So it affects not just what's taught, but how teachers
are even trained to think about society precisely.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
And then there's Texas. They passed a law removing DEI diversity,
equity and inclusion activism from public higher education.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
So that means curriculum reviews for ideological bias.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yes, and that term bias can be very subjective. It
also impacts hiring support services, the whole campus climate aimed
at inclusivity.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
It's quite systematic, and Arizona had that bill even though
it was vetoed making teachers personally liable, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
For creating a hostile education environment. Shows how far some
of these efforts are going trying to police individual speech
in the classroom.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
So, stepping back, what does all this trend actually mean
for the education system as a whole.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
That's the big question, isn't it. There's this fundamental tension
now between kind of political messaging and practical governing. How
so well, critics are pointing out quite forcefully that these
policies could deter good teachers, making those shortages we talked
about even worse.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Right, driving qualified people away.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
And organizations like the National Council for the Social Studies
they've said plainly that putting an ideology test on teaching
goes against democratic principles, against academic freedom.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
It really boils down to a struggle over the purpose
of education itself, doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I think? So is school about transmitting one specific, maybe
triumphant national story, or is it about fostering critical thinking?
Letting students evaluate different perspectives.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
And there's that Brookings poll showing a disconnect. Right, many
Republicans think schools lean liberal, but students mostly say it's neutral.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Exactly. That perception gap fuels a lot of this legislative action,
even if the reality on the ground, according to students
is different.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
So it seems we're in a new phase education becoming
increasingly politicized.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yes, and likely an enduring one where in some states
at least, ideological alignment seems to be getting prioritized, sometimes
over professional competence.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
So, wrapping this up, what does this all mean for
you the listener, whether you're a student, parent, educator, to
someone who cares about schools?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Yeah, how does this shift ultimately shape not just what
children learn, but maybe more importantly, how they learn to think.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Or even if they're encouraged to think critically at all.
That feels like a really critical question for the future,
for democratic principles, really something to keep thinking about.
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