Oklahoma Schools Will Make Teachers from California and New York Pass an Ideology Test Before Getting Hired

Teachers from California and New York will now be required to pass a new test if they wish to teach in Oklahoma, with some sample questions already made public.

Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters announced that educators from those states must complete a mandatory assessment aimed at eliminating what he calls “radical leftist ideology” from classrooms, according to The Associated Press, The Hill and News 9.

“As long as I am superintendent, Oklahoma classrooms will be safeguarded from the radical leftist ideology fostered in places like California and New York,” Walters said, per News 9.

“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 woke, Marxist agenda turn Oklahoma into the same dumpster fire California has become,” he added.

The new test is said to cover American history, civics, and constitutional principles, featuring roughly 50 questions.

Five multiple-choice sample questions shared with the outlets ask teachers to provide the “first words of the U.S. Constitution,” explain why “freedom of religion” is “important to America’s identity,” name the two parts of Congress, identify the number of U.S. Senators, and explain why “some states have more Representatives than others,” according to News 9.

Speaking to CNN, PragerU CEO Marissa Streit noted that the test would also address “undoing the damage of gender ideology.”

The Oklahoma Department of Education did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the new test.

Supporters say the requirement is intended to ensure teachers align with what Walters describes as “traditional American values” before entering the classroom, according to AP and News 9.

However, critics, including the American Federation of Teachers — one of the nation’s largest teachers unions — condemned the test.

“This MAGA loyalty test will be yet another turnoff for teachers in a state already struggling with a huge shortage,” AFT President Randi Weingarten told AP. “His priority should be educating students, but instead, it’s getting Donald Trump and other MAGA politicians to notice him.”

The AFT has previously criticized Walters for updating school curricula to include debunked claims about the 2020 presidential election, including allegations that the election was “stolen” from President Donald Trump by the Democratic Party.

Last year, Walters also mandated that schools incorporate the Bible into their curricula, a move criticized by organizations such as the Interfaith Alliance, which advocates for religious freedom.

Regarding the new teacher requirement, a spokesperson for the state education department told AP that the test for incoming teachers from California and New York is ready and will be implemented “very soon.”