Oklahoma Republicans want to indoctrinate children with lessons on widely debunked 2020 election conspiracy theories to ensure “pro-American” pride. New social studies academic standards would force students to learn about so-called “discrepancies” in the 2020 election, furthering Trump’s big lie and other claims proven as false.
Specifically, the new standards require students to “identify discrepancies in 2020 elections results by looking at graphs and other information, including the sudden halting of ballot-counting in select cities and key battleground states, the security risks of mail-in balloting, sudden batch dumps, an unforeseen record number of voters, and the unprecedented contradiction of ‘bellwether county’ trends.”
Citing due process and other procedural issues, a group of parents and educators, represented by the former Oklahoma Attorney General, filed suit last week challenging the academic standards. As reported by the Oklahoman Voice, Republican State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters defended the absurd requirement by calling the standard “the most pro-American standards in the nation.” He further claimed the standards were “rooted in the founding principles that built this country and shaped our state.”
It’s clear that by “pro-American,” Walters means majority white and fine with disenfranchising Black voters and others committed to creating an equitable future. False claims of “election integrity” post-2020 have been used to pass restrictions on voting rights, target organizing by Black-led grassroots groups, and defund vital resources for election administration. To help create his “pro-American” propaganda standards, Walters sought the support of far-right groups like the Heritage Foundation, which authored Project 2025, and out-of-state conservative media personalities, including the Heritage Foundation. There’s no indication that educators or anyone qualified to develop social studies and civic engagement standards were involved.
It’s not surprising that the party committed to undermining truth and accuracy in history and culture would also want to mandate political propaganda as part of the curriculum being taught to school children. But requiring the teaching of election fraud conspiracies deepens concerns about how Republican attacks on various aspects of civil society will impact our communities for generations to come.
The standards also removed reference to George Floyd’s killing and the widespread uprising that took place nearly five years ago. Over the past several years, Oklahoma Republicans have been at the forefront of the Trump administration’s war against truth, diversity, equity, and inclusion in education. Teachers previously expressed concerns about their ability to teach difficult subjects like the Tulsa race massacre. And now, they are being directed to undermine the historic mobilization of voters during a global pandemic.
Democratic leaders from the state’s House and Senate urged their Republican colleagues to reject the standards and work to pass updates that would meet the real needs of Oklahoma students. In a statement last month, House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson called out the political pressure Walters placed on the Republican-controlled legislature.
“We rank 49th in the nation for public education and last in the region for teacher pay and per-pupil spending. The superintendent is not focused on improving education outcomes or increasing funding for our public schools,” Munson said. “It has become clear that the political pressure the superintendent has placed on House leaders has more power than our constituents – it is disappointing, concerning, and dangerous for the future of public education for our children.”
SEE ALSO:
Oklahoma Governor Puts Feelings Over Facts By Signing Anti-Critical Race Theory Law
Oklahoma Gov. Investigates ‘Troubling’ Claim Tulsa Public Schools Violated State’s Anti-CRT Law
Oklahoma Education Standards Mandate Teaching 2020 Election Conspiracy Theories
was originally published on
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