Oklahoma’s New Social Studies Curriculum Raises Eyebrows
In a surprising move, Oklahoma’s new social studies curriculum is set to ask high school students to pinpoint “discrepancies” in the 2020 election results. The previous standard was a bit more laid-back, simply telling students to “Examine issues related to the election of 2020 and its outcome.” But now, things are getting a bit more intense. The updated version demands that students “Identify discrepancies in 2020 elections results by looking at graphs and other information, including the sudden halting of ballot-counting in select cities in key battleground states, the security risks of mail-in balloting, sudden batch dumps, an unforeseen record number of voters, and the unprecedented contradiction of ‘bellwether county’ trends.”
The man behind this overhaul is none other than Ryan Walters, the state school superintendent who has made no secret of his admiration for Trump. In fact, in October, Walters went on record praising Trump, claiming that “Trump’s won the argument on education.” He has also been vocal about his disdain for what he calls “wokeness” in public schools, stating, “We have education bureaucrats that are left-wing, elitist, that think they know best for families, and they have become so radicalized that our families are going: ‘What is going on here?'” Walters has not only been singing Trump’s praises but has also been butting heads with teachers’ unions and local school superintendents.
The Controversy Unfolds
As expected, the new standards have stirred up quite a bit of controversy, even among Walters’ fellow Republicans, including the governor and legislative leaders. They raised concerns about the last-minute changes, including the language about the 2020 election and a provision claiming that the source of the Covid-19 virus was a Chinese lab. A group of parents and educators has even gone so far as to file a lawsuit in hopes of getting the standards rejected, arguing that they were not properly reviewed and that they “represent a distorted view of social studies that intentionally favors an outdated and blatantly biased perspective.”
Despite the backlash, the standards are moving forward, with some educators expressing outrage while others believe there is still room for effective teaching. Aaron Baker, a US government teacher in Oklahoma City, worries about teachers in conservative areas imposing their beliefs on students. He says, “If someone is welcoming the influence of these far-right organizations in our standards and is interested in inserting more of Christianity into our practices as teachers, then they’ve become emboldened. For me, that is the major concern.”
In the face of opposition, Walters remains steadfast in his mission to infuse the curriculum with American exceptionalism and biblical references. He has even appointed an executive committee filled with out-of-state pundits from conservative think tanks to help revise the standards. With the controversy continuing to brew, one thing is for sure: Oklahoma’s education system is in for a bumpy ride.