Just days before his resignation took effect, Oklahoma’s top schools administrator announced a sweeping partnership with Turning Point USA to establish chapters of the conservative youth organization in every high school across the state.
In a Sept. 23 press release from the Oklahoma Department of Education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said TPUSA will help students in public, private and even homeschool settings establish a chapter as long as at least three students from each school are signed up.
In addition to chapter setups, TPUSA officials will help chapters with securing official school recognition, along with materials, mentorship, and assistance with working with teachers for chapter sponsorship.
Walters, whose tenure since his 2018 appointment has included successfully pushing for inclusion of Bible curriculum in public schools, said the assassination of Charlie Kirk earlier this month brought renewed focus on mobilizing young people to get involved and “fight back” against the “radical left.”
Founded by the late Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated Sept. 10 during a speaking event at Utah Valley University, TPUSA promotes conservative activism on campuses often aimed at hot-button issues like abortion and gender ideology.
“We will be putting TPUSA on every high school campus in Oklahoma. Charlie Kirk inspired a generation to love America, to speak boldly, and to never shy away from debate. Our kids must get involved and active,” Walters declared. “We will fight back against the liberal propaganda, pushed by the radical left, and the teachers unions. Our fight starts now.”
The partnership builds on a recent collaboration between the Department of Education and TPUSA to bolster civics education ahead of America’s 250th birthday in 2026. The initiative, which involves TPUSA, Hillsdale College and nearly 40 other groups, is aimed at “renewing patriotism, strengthening civic knowledge, and advancing a shared understanding of America’s founding principles in schools across the nation,” according to a Sept. 17 announcement.
Walters’ announcement came just days after he resigned from his position to become the CEO of Teacher Freedom Alliance, a nonprofit religious liberty group.
In response to Walters’ resignation, Attorney General Gentner Drummond criticized what he called “a stream of never-ending scandal and political drama” surrounding the schools chief.
“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. From the mishandling of pandemic relief funds that resulted in families buying Xboxes and refrigerators to the latest squabbling with board members over what was or wasn’t showing on TV, the Stitt-Walters era has been an embarrassment to our state,” said Drummond.
Walters made headlines last November for his plan to purchase more than 500 Bibles for use in Advanced Placement (AP) Government classrooms across the state of Oklahoma. The move marked the first purchase of Bibles specifically intended for use as an “academic and literary resource” in U.S. public schools, Walters said at the time.
