State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters name plate is pictured before an Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting in Oklahoma City, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025.
State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks during an Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting in Oklahoma City, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025.

Republican Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is resigning to lead a new conservative organization committed to opposing teachers' unions.

Walters, who leads public schools in the state, told Fox News on Wednesday, Sept. 24, that he will become the CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance (TFA), starting on October 1.

“We’re [going to] destroy the teachers' unions,” Walters said. “We have seen the teachers' union use money and power to corrupt our schools, to undermine our schools.”

During his time as Superintendent, Oklahoma ranked 50th out of 51 states in education, according to a July study by WalletHub, with only New Mexico ranked lower.

The TFA confirmed Walters' arrival as CEO in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, calling him a fearless fighter against the “woke mob.”

“TFA will take the fight straight to the unions and we will not stop. Together, we will build a national movement that is centered on freedom and common sense, not on bullying and intimidation,” the post said.

Walters’ National Exposure

Since being elected as Superintendent in 2022, Walters has proposed and put into effect controversial moves like mandating school districts in Oklahoma to include the Bible “as an instructional support into the curriculum" for grades 5 through 12.

According to the Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network, under Walters' watch, the state's Department of Education developed new social studies academic standards that included multiple mentions of Christianity along with discredited theories about the 2020 presidential election.

In recent days, Walters reiterated his goal to establish Turning Point USA chapters in every high school in Oklahoma.

“I believe it’s vital for the future of America to continue this mission," said Walters, who also ordered schools to honor Charlie Kirk after his murder on Sept. 10 with a moment of silence and pledged to investigate those who reportedly did not comply, according to the Oklahoman.

Contributing: Alex Gladden and Murray Evans, The Oklahoman

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oklahoma school superintendent to join anti-teacher' union group

Reporting by Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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