Education

Oklahoma Superintendent forms advisory committee in anticipation of U.S. Department of Education phaseout

By Beth Wallis,

StateImpact Oklahoma

Published November 11, 2024 at 2:13 PM CST

State Superintendent Ryan Walters asks questions of attorney Brad Clark from the State Attorney General's Office about his role during the Oct. 24, 2024 State Board of Education meeting.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced Monday the formation of an advisory committee to oversee anticipated federal education policy changes from the incoming Trump administration.

The move comes after sending a memo last week preparing schools for the potential elimination of the U.S. Department of Education.

Walters said the committee will identify how to align state policy with a new federal agenda, including phasing out and replacing federal programs, and proposing state legislation.

“The future of Oklahoma’s public education is bright with incoming President Donald Trump, who has been a fearless champion of efforts to eliminate the federal bureaucracy that has shut local communities and parents out of the decisions that impact their students’ educations,” Walters said in the release.

While Walters searched across the country for other recent high-profile committees — like tapping the president of the Heritage Foundation for a social studies review committee and LibsofTikTok’s Chaya Raichik for a library advisory committee — he said the department is looking for education leaders and policymakers “from across Oklahoma” for this committee.

He said the search has commenced for people who have championed parents’ rights, school choice, minimizing government bureaucracy and fought against “social indoctrination.” Members will be announced in the coming days.

The committee echoes similar sentiments as Thursday’s memo to district superintendents, in which Walters outlined five areas of department priorities going into the new Trump administration: parents’ rights, ending “social indoctrination… like promoting boys in girls’ sports and pushing divisive gender and racial ideologies,” promoting “patriotism” in curriculum, stopping “illegal immigration’s impact on schools,” and blocking “foreign influence” in schools.

Walters, who is rumored to be on the shortlist for the Secretary of Education position in President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet, has been on a taxpayer-funded national media blitz for months, touting his loyalty to Trump and championing conservative policies. The department joined Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, this summer, and Walters regularly signals support for Trump in social media posts.

The charge to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education comes after several scuffles with the agency, including suing current U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona over Title IX rules and a recent highly critical report on the state department’s management of federal funds.