While reading the newspaper today I came upon an article detailing how the state of Oklahoma is now requiring teacher applicants from both New York and California who are looking to get a job teaching in Oklahoma to pass a loyalty test. The test is produced by PragerU, an Oklahoma based conservative non-profit which is becoming well known for posting ultra-conservative and religiously based teaching materials on-line.
Here is the link to the article:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/oklahoma-to-require-id...
Apparently, the test is only being required for applicants who are arriving from a blue state, and it is being imposed as a requirement for those applicants to achieve certification to teach in Oklahoma. It should be noted that in order to teach in New York State that you must have a Masters Degree in order to obtain state certification. Oklahoma only requires that a person have a bachelor’s degree. In other words, a person who is teaching in New York and decides to move to Oklahoma to take a teaching job is already over qualified. However, a teacher from Oklahoma who moves to New York will probably not meet the state’s required educational qualifications for teacher certification.
Also, Oklahoma is already suffering from a shortage of teachers - so why not make it even harder to hire qualified people? It should also be noted that Oklahoma ranks near the bottom, 50 out of 51 (against all 50 states and Washington D.C.), for education - outpacing only New Mexico. Oklahoma consistently ranks in the bottom ten states for multiple rankings, including:
Median ACT Score (49)
Reading Test Scores (48)
Dropout Rate (46)
Median SAT Score (45)
Math Test Scores (44)
Pupil-Teacher Ratio (39)
But fear not! They will rank #1 in MAGA loyalty!
It is truly scary just what passes for intelligence in some parts of this country.
Comments
Simply
Another step towards a fascist playbook to indoctrinate students with a preferred ideology.
Not surprised anymore
I suggested I will move to Canada one day and given all this it is looking better and better.
I pass fine so it is not my transness that is necessarily driving me but for my own emotional and mental health.
Also, I refuse to travel to any red state anymore, even if it is Montana where Yellowstone is. It is most unfortunate some of the most amazing natural wonders are there.
Recently I watched a YouTube video about Canadian snowbirds who overwinter in Florida are deciding they no longer am willing to do so given the shit the US has turned into (especially Florida!) and are now avoiding the state, causing a big economic hit.
Good for them ! I share that boycott and refuse to visit there anymore also.
I am all so grateful that purely by accident I wound up transitioning in a Blue State and be able to make a good living. I would be pulling my hair out otherwise even so I am close to doing so now.