Ideology in Education: Battle for the Soul of Academia

Two states, two vastly different approaches.

The left-wing movement to indoctrinate public school children is getting pushback in Oklahoma, where a state official is proposing to screen out-of-state teachers to find out if they’re activists or patriots. Sooner State education official Ryan Walters plans to utilize conservative nonprofit PragerU to develop an America First assessment test that will evaluate applicants’ knowledge of the US Constitution, patriotism, and the biological differences between boys and girls.

In announcing this new initiative, Walters asserted: “We’re sending a clear message: Oklahoma’s schools will not be a haven for woke agendas pushed in places like California and New York.” In an eye-popping press release, he added: “We’re raising a generation of patriots, not activists, and I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep leftist propaganda out of our classrooms.” The new screening test is ostensibly designed to counter the “liberal, America-hating” indoctrination of students in Oklahoma.

Changing Ideology in Education

The move to alter leftist ideology taught in Oklahoma classrooms follows in the footsteps of a red state offensive on teaching critical race theory. Florida initiated a similar program in 2023, alongside several other reforms, including a robust school choice program.

This isn’t the first time the state has collaborated with PragerU. In 2023, the Oklahoma Department of Education announced a partnership with them to be used as a resource for teachers. At the time, the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) aggressively opposed the plan. In a press release, they called on Walters to “reject” the partnership due to “anti-Muslim” content.

As red states press forward in their efforts to change the ideological tenor in government education, blue states are still working hard to maintain the status quo. In the Northeast, a battle between homeschool educators and the Garden State is heating up. New Jersey is estimated to have just under 100,000 children who have opted out of government programs and are taught at home, and the legislature is currently considering several bills that would heavily regulate homeschooling.

In Assembly Bill 5825, parents would have “to share a copy of their curriculum, which shall be aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.” It also requires parents to include lesson plans on diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as climate change. Such ham-handed mandates have New Jersey homeschoolers up in arms. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) asserts that no other state has required this level of curricular control as is currently being considered in the Garden State. In stating their opposition to the bill, the HSLDA said their objection comes “on the grounds that it would create ‘pointless and burdensome red tape.’”

The other bill in the state legislature is aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect. It would require homeschoolers and their parents to meet in person annually with a school official for a child welfare checkup. While the measure comes with good intentions, no evidence reveals that homeschoolers are any more likely to be abused and neglected when compared to their publicly educated peers. In fact, a 2017 study showed the exact opposite: “Homeschool child fatalities were fewer than the national average.” Government education officials and other critics have raised this issue for decades without much in the way of statistical backup. This bill was introduced on June 16 of this year and currently sits in the Assembly Education Committee.

Liberty in Education

The freedom to educate your child is another one of those issues with firmly held viewpoints by both the political left and right. Adding multiple burdens to the homeschooling parent is one method often used to discourage them from taking on such a daunting task. While government schools debate ideological curricula, homeschoolers in general have found themselves liberated from such requirements. However, if the New Jersey legislature votes in favor of these proposals, it will be a significant blow to educational freedom in the Garden State.