Supt. Ryan Walters pushes new teacher test; critics say it could worsen shortage

State Superintendent Ryan Walters is rolling out a new testing requirement for teachers coming to Oklahoma from states such as California and New York, arguing it would help keep "left-wing political ideology" out of the classroom.

But some lawmakers say the idea could make Oklahoma’s ongoing teacher shortage even worse. State Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, said that the Legislature eliminated the Oklahoma General Education Test in 2022 with bipartisan support to remove unnecessary barriers to teaching.

“The Oklahoma General Education test which was basically an adult ACT,” Hicks said. “We were able to find bipartisan support to remove that to again lower those obstacles, lower those barriers.”

At the start of this school year, at least 1,000 teaching positions remained unfilled across the state. The Oklahoma State Department of Education said it issued 4,466 emergency teaching certifications in fiscal year 2025, which Hicks said represents about 1% of the overall teaching workforce.

Hicks also pointed out that many teachers relocating from New York and California do so because their spouses find jobs in Oklahoma industries such as aerospace, oil and gas, or the military.

“As a Legislature we’ve created a lot of incentives for folks to relocate to Oklahoma, and their spouses are being confronted by some of what I would consider additional bureaucracy,” she said.

While OSDE has not released the full test, he maintains the move is needed. Hicks, however, says the state should stay focused on recruiting and retaining educators.

“We need to make sure that our kids are getting the very best and brightest,” Hicks said.