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Superintendent Walters prepares Oklahoma schools for elimination of U.S. Department of Education

State Superintendent Ryan Walters presents his education budget proposal at his first meeting as superintendent, January 2023.
Beth Wallis
/
StateImpact Oklahoma
State Superintendent Ryan Walters presents his education budget proposal at his first meeting as superintendent, January 2023.

A memo sent to superintendents across Oklahoma Thursday says the state department will work hand in hand with the Trump Administration to transition to block grants.

President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education. Now, State Superintendent Ryan Walters is enthusiastically preparing Oklahoma schools for just that. A memo was sent to superintendents across the state on Thursday.

Walters says his department is “preparing to work hand in hand with an incoming Trump Administration to continue the work of dismantling the federal government’s decades of undue influence over public education.”

The memo supports eliminating the federal education department in favor of moving to block grants.

Walters outlines five areas where he sees this as beneficial for Oklahoma schools: Parental rights, ending social indoctrination in classrooms, protecting patriotism in curriculum, stopping illegal immigration’s impact on schools and blocking foreign influence.

The memo also says the state department will be directing its resources to ensure those priorities are championed so schools can smoothly transition after the coming changes.
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Logan Layden is a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma. Logan spent six years as a reporter with StateImpact from 2011 to 2017.
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