Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ryan Walters, criticized modern education during a CNN interview on Friday, comparing it unfavorably to the days of “one-room schoolhouses.”
He expressed support for President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, which would give more control over education to individual states. Walters was enthusiastic about this possibility, stating, “President Trump is going to fulfill his promise to get rid of the federal Department of Education and focus on free market principles in education.”
He also argued that the U.S. was historically the “greatest country in the history of the world” without a federal education department, adding that current educational practices have set the country back and need to return to “common sense.”
Walters criticized modern learning methods and blamed what he described as an “industrial complex” created by the left and teachers’ unions for undermining education. He emphasized a need to return to a simpler, more effective approach like that of the one-room schoolhouse, which, according to him, helped shape some of the greatest minds in history.
When CNN host Laura Coates challenged his view, Walters pointed to the federal Department of Education, claiming it has promoted what he called “critical race theory, DEI, common core math, transgenderism”—which he labeled “absurd.”
He further criticized the department, arguing that educational outcomes have worsened since its creation under President Jimmy Carter, and reiterated his belief that education should be handled at the state level.
In his closing remarks, Walters suggested that the focus in schools should shift toward teaching Judeo-Christian values and patriotism rather than what he referred to as “wokeism.” He also mentioned buying over 500 Bibles for Oklahoma classrooms, asserting that promoting these values should be part of the curriculum.