Opinion | Even Republicans are getting fed up with OK's crusading school superintendent

If ever there was a time to cue up “Ya Got Trouble” from “The Music Man,” it’s now. You might remember the slick con artist who duped a whole town into buying band instruments while scheming to run off with their money. But Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters isn’t a swindler peddling trombones — he’s a self-serving politician on a Christian nationalist crusade to dismantle public education. If the Republican supermajority in the Oklahoma Legislature doesn’t rein him in, he’ll destroy the entire public education system.

Walters has consistently put his own political ambitions and divisive cultural wars ahead of the needs of students and teachers. His tenure has been defined by unconstitutional initiatives, reckless mismanagement of taxpayer dollars and a relentless focus on self-promotion.

One of Walters’ more alarming moves, his push to mandate Bible instruction in every 5th through 12th grade public school classroom, went into effect with the start of school this week. That move isn’t about education but about using public schools to advance his ideological agenda. Thankfully, most large school districts have refused to implement Walters’ mandated Bible instruction citing doubts about its constitutionality. Indeed, Walters has shown little regard for the Constitution, ignoring the separation of church and state in his quest to reshape Oklahoma’s education system in his own image.

His handling of taxpayer dollars has been equally troubling. Take, for example, the funds allocated for emergency asthma inhalers in schools. Walters has let those funds sit unused for over a year. In a letter to the state’s attorney general, he said he wants clarity on how to distribute the money, but he also questioned whether the money allocated to the foundation to provide the inhalers — named for a 16-year-old who died of an asthma attack —  would mean the state is showing preferential treatment to a single vendor. In short, he’s choosing to play politics instead of protecting Oklahoma’s students. That’s not just irresponsible; it’s potentially life-threatening.

Democrats aren’t the only ones who are fed up. Recently, 26 Republican state representatives, almost a third of those in the state House, signed a letter demanding an investigation into Walters’ conduct. Written by Rep. Mark McBride, the letter highlights bipartisan concern over the chaos he’s caused. It also expresses unease “about the budget performance, spending priorities, and transparency” of Walters’ office and describes his treatment of state lawmakers from both parties as “unprofessional, beneath the dignity of a statewide elected official, and … contrary to the best interests of the taxpayers and students of Oklahoma.”

The Republicans’ letter says Walters has failed to “comply with legislative budgetary directives,” failed to “turn over complete information surrounding the expenditure of state funds for travel,” failed to meet the requirements of the Open Records Act — “which resulted in the Attorney General threatening civil and criminal action” — and defied the “Legislature’s appropriations authority by refusing to execute required funding for critical asthma inhalers.”

They say those complaints are “a non-exhaustive list of recent actions” from Walters.

That significant percentage of Republicans demanding an investigation might not be enough. House Speaker Charles McCall has said he’ll only consider such a request if 51 of the 81 Republicans in the chamber sign onto the letter.

Walters has dismissed his Republican critics as “moderate Republicans.” In a post on X, he wrote, “Ending porn in schools. Driving woke indoctrination out of the classroom.  Demanding accountability. The left and union lackeys call for an investigation and impeachment.  I will never stop standing for parents!”

In a news release in which he accuses Walters of “gaslighting,” Oklahoma Republican state Rep. Nick Archer says “multiple elected officials have made reasonable requests regarding [Walter’s] use of taxpayer funds and asked that he address critical education issues. Instead, he deflects accountability by referring to Republican legislators as ‘moderate’ individuals who are promoting ‘porn in schools.’”

After pointing out that the Oklahoma Legislature is “widely considered one of the most conservative in the country,” Archer writes, “Let me be clear: neither porn nor Ryan Walters belong in Oklahoma schools.”

Following his push for Bible instruction in public schools, Walters  championed the establishment of St. Isadora, which would have become the nation’s first publicly funded religious school if the Oklahoma Supreme Court hadn’t ruled against it. A year ago, when I first called for Walters’ impeachment, some dismissed it as partisan politics. But now, as the letter from Republican lawmakers illustrates, even members of his own party are beginning to see the damage he’s done and are calling for the same. Walters has consistently put his political ambitions above the needs of Oklahoma’s students, and the consequences have been disastrous.

Much attention has been given to Project 2025 agenda, a far-right blueprint designed to reshape American government. But, under Walters’ supervision, Oklahoma is already serving as a testing ground for policies that aim to weaken public institutions and impose ideological agendas. What’s happening here could happen nationwide if we don’t take action.

Among the many lawsuits naming Walters as a defendant, one stands out because, in that case, a judge granted a student a protection order preventing Walters from disclosing their identity. The student’s lawyers say Walters and his administration had previously done just that at a public meeting. The student is challenging the state’s discriminatory policy against altering gender designations in school records, and Walters publicly identifying them highlights how his aggressive stance on “radical gender theory” not only contradicts legal protections but also jeopardizes the safety of students. In addition to all the above, under Walters’ leadership, Oklahoma’s student performance metrics have declined, and one study ranked our state’s education system the second-worst in the country.

Meanwhile, monthly State Board of Education meetings have turned into battlegrounds, with parents, teachers and concerned citizens showing up in protest. 

Walters has prioritized his ambitions over the well-being of the people he’s supposed to serve, weaponized religion, mismanaged public funds, and disrespected teachers and administrators across the state. The governor had to issue an executive order to force Walters to stop using taxpayer dollars to pay a PR firm tasked with making Walters look good.  

Oklahoma is a test case for a far-right agenda that could rapidly spread to other states, turning public education systems across the country into battlegrounds for ideological wars. His mandate that students read the Bible shouldn’t be viewed in a vacuum. It’s a part of a much more comprehensive plan to erode the separation of church and state all over.