Weekly Opinion Editorial
TEST
PANDERING
by Steve
Fair
Oklahoma
is a politically conservative state.
Voters in the Sooner state have voted for the Republican candidate for
president since 1968- 15 straight elections!
Republicans have super majorities in both Oklahoma state legislative
chambers. The entire federal delegation
is Republican. All statewide elected
officials are Republican. Republicans
dominate elected county offices. To
describe Oklahoma a 'Red state,' is an understatement. But that could be changing.
Oklahoma
is experiencing significant inbound domestic migration, attracting over 25,000
new residents each year. Many are coming
from California and other 'blue' states, bringing their politics with
them. A conservative in a 'blue' state
is very often a liberal in Oklahoma. These
new Okies scare conservatives in the Sooner state. One elected official has announced a way to
screen these new immigrants. Superintendent
of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has announced a plan to test teachers coming
to Oklahoma from a liberal state. Using
an assessment developed by the conservative media company, PragerU, out-of-state
teacher will have to pass a fifty-question test that appears to be along the
line of a basic civic quiz. The move has
sparked controversy, with opponents of Walters labeling the test a "MAGA
loyalty test."
“As
long as I am superintendent, Oklahoma classrooms will be safeguarded from the
radical leftist ideology fostered in places like California and New York. Any
teacher coming from these states will be required to pass our new PragerU
assessment before receiving certification, because we refuse to let Gavin
Newsom's (governor of California) woke, Marxist agenda turn Oklahoma into the
same dumpster fire California has become,” Walters says. Three observations:
First, what
is PragerU? Started by Dennis Prager, a
Jewish talk show host, and screenwriter Allen Estrin (Touched by an Angel, The
Practice) in 2009 to promote conservative and capitalist viewpoints using
videos, PragerU doesn't confer degrees. It is privately funded, with the initial seed
money coming from conservative Texas oil tycoon Dan Wilks.
Prager,
77, has been called the Jewish Billy Graham, speaks four languages, and has
hosted a nationally syndicated conservative talk show for over 25 years. Prager is a secularist in theology, but has
supporters at both ends of the conservative political spectrum.
Second,
no test will weed out the woke. All teachers
should know basic civics, and not just teachers from blue states. Every Oklahoman (teacher or otherwise) should
know the number of members in the U.S. House of Representatives (435). They should know the first three words of the
U.S. Constitution. (We the People). But administering
a test to separate the sheep from the goats won't work. Nothing prevents a 'liberal' teacher from marking
the 'conservative' answer? Nothing!
For
years, conservative college students played 'toady' game. They passed tests by 'telling the prof what
the teacher wanted to hear.' They hid
their true values in order to pass a course.
They pandered/sucked up for a grade.
The 'woke' will do the same on the PragerU test.
Third,
local control of education is a mark of conservativism. Republicans have advocated for the federal
Department of Education to be disbanded for decades. Every GOP- national and state- platform touts
the importance of education decisions being the responsibility of parents and
local school boards. Local school boards
are elected by the patrons of the local school district and have the power and
authority to hire and fire administrators and teachers. Because they are on the front lines, local
school leadership is in a better position to protect Oklahoma students from the
radical left agenda. Parents, administrators, and school board members should
pay close attention to what is being taught in the classroom. If a 'woke' teacher is promoting a world view
inconsistent with local values, they should be held accountable. If local leadership is unwilling to deal with
it, vote them out.
The woke
are educating our children because the American family is disintegrating. When
coupled with unengaged citizens in local education, the radical left has a perfect
storm. No test can fix that.