If you want to apply to be a teacher in Oklahoma, prepare a resume, references — and to take a 34-question test about civics. Here, Marissa Streit, the CEO of PragerU, which developed the test, and Ryan Walters, the superintendent of education for Oklahoma, explain the reason behind the test and respond to the backlash.
Oklahoma and PragerU have introduced a Teacher Qualification Test: a straightforward assessment to ensure educators know American civics, constitutional values, parental rights, and the basics of history and literacy.
Before the questions were even published, national media outlets launched a coordinated smear campaign. That isn’t fair-minded criticism. It’s sabotage.
When Oklahoma asked PragerU to assist, it was not to impose ideology, but to restore competence and ensure that new teachers understand what Oklahoma’s families expect in their classrooms.
Parents expect teachers to be able to identify the three branches of government, understand Supreme Court precedents that affect education, protect children’s innocence, and recognize why freedom of religion matters.
That is not “extremism” — it is the bare minimum.
Instead of waiting for facts, the press pounced. That tells you everything about their motives. As Ronald Reagan warned, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”
If our teachers don’t understand the basics, how can they prepare the next generation to defend their rights?
Americans have awakened to the problem: students are falling behind, parents feel ignored, and classrooms too often replace fundamentals with politics.
Families want teachers who teach — not activists.
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So why the outrage? Because this test challenges the left’s monopoly on classrooms. They want to control all teacher training and credentialing — and they know the way to maintain that control is by keeping parents shut out and students uninformed. Calling Oklahoma “extreme” for requiring teachers to pass the most basic of tests says far more about them than it does about us.
And let’s clear up another smear: PragerU does not “whitewash” history. Critics often attack our content without watching the videos — or worse, by pulling clips out of context to intentionally mislead viewers. Take our episode on Frederick Douglass. We quote Douglass directly: “The Constitution is a glorious liberty document.” Douglass despised slavery but worked within the system to abolish it, a powerful and inspiring lesson for children. Or consider our Columbus episode: We make clear that slavery was evil, while also expressing his attitude toward it within its historical context for accuracy. These aren’t distortions — they’re age-appropriate ways to teach truth.
The same critics who distort children’s videos are now attacking a test they haven’t seen. Why? To create a false narrative ahead of its publication because they know people remember the alarming headlines and rarely see the corrective information.
This isn’t just about Oklahoma. It’s about whether schools serve families or bureaucrats and activists. It’s about accountability over ideology, parents over politics, and truth over lies.
Here’s our challenge: Take the Teacher Qualification Test yourself and see firsthand how clear and straightforward it really is. Then ask: why are so many on the left so desperate to paint it as sinister before anybody had the chance to look at it?
- According to the Supreme Court cases Meyer v. Nebraska (1923) and Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925), who has the ultimate right to direct a child’s education?
- What is the fundamental biological distinction between males and females?
- How is a child’s biological sex typically identified?
- Which chromosome pair determines biological sex in humans?
- Why is the distinction between male and female considered important in areas like sports and privacy?
- Should teachers be allowed to express their own political viewpoints in the classroom in order to persuade the students to adopt their point of view?
- What did the Supreme Court rule in the 2025 case Mahmoud v. Taylor?
- What are the first three words of the Constitution?
- Why is freedom of religion important to America’s identity?
- What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
- How many total U.S. senators are there?
- Why do some states have more Representatives than others?
- What is the primary responsibility of the president’s Cabinet?
- Who signs bills into law?
- What is the highest court in the United States?
- In the United States, which of the following is a responsibility reserved only for citizens?
- Which of the following are explicitly listed in the Bill of Rights?
- What right does the Second Amendment protect?
- What is the supreme law of the United States?
- Who wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence?
- When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
- What was the primary reason the colonists fought the British?
- Who were the first three U.S. presidents?
- Who is called the “Father of Our Country”?
- What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
- What was Abraham Lincoln’s primary reason for waging the Civil War?
- What cause is Martin Luther King Jr. best known for?
- How did the Cold War end?
- Who was President during the Great Depression and WWII?
- What is the name of the national anthem?
- Why are there thirteen stripes on the American flag?
- Which national holiday honors those who died while serving in the U.S. military?
- Which of the following is a phrase from the Pledge of Allegiance?
- From whom does the United States government derive its power?
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