Why is Ryan Walters resigning? Oklahoma AG Gentner Drummond calls the State Superintendent's era "an embarrassment"

On Wednesday, September 24, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters announced his resignation. Walters said the same on FOX News and added that he was set to join Teacher Freedom Alliance, a conservative teacher organization. For the unversed, the organization reportedly identifies itself as an alternative to teacher unions.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Oklahoma AG Gentner Drummond reacted to the announcement by Walters. In his full statement, he described Drummond's tenure as Secretary of Education was filled with "scandal and political drama." Drummond further added,

"From the mishandling of pandemic relief funds that resulted in families buying Xboxes and refrigerators to the latest squabbling with board members over what was or wasn’t showing on TV, the Stitt-Walters era has been an embarrassment to our state."

In the statement, Drummond further claimed that "test scores and reading proficiency" amongst students have also been impacted negatively while Walters was in office. He continued by saying that the community needed someone who would focus on proper instruction in the public schools.

While announcing his resignation, Ryan Walters said on FOX News,

"I'm excited to announce I'll be stepping down as Oklahoma State Superintendent and taking on the role as the CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance."

Ryan Walters recently announced a plan to include Turning Point USA chapters in state high schools

On Tuesday, Ryan Walters had made an announcement about his plans to include chapters from the Turning Point USA in state high schools in Oklahoma. The announcement was made by Walters through a tweet, on X, formerly known as Twitter. The tweet came with a video address by Walters.

He revealed that this decision was taken amid a partnership with Turning Point USA, leading to the plan for inclusion of the chapters. The tweet that went viral, read,

"I am very excited to announce a partnership with @TPUSA to establish chapters in ALL Oklahoma high schools. Radical leftist teachers’ unions have dominated classrooms for far too long, and we are taking them back."

As of now, the tweet has gained more than 2 million views as well as over 50K likes since the time it was uploaded. The tweet was also reposted by Turning Point USA, a non-profit conservative organization co-founded by Charlie Kirk back in the year 2012.

This announcement surfaced sometime after Kirk was assassinated earlier this month at Utah Valley University while he was in the middle of taking up questions from a student at the event. Last week, Walters had shared his take on the tragic incident in which Kirk was assassinated. He took to X, and wrote that the incident gave rise to a "new era of Christian conservative leaders."

The tweet further read,

"Charlie Kirk’s assassination has just birthed a new era of Christian conservative leaders. There will be new faces and leaders emerge all across the country."

Walters even addressed the posts in which many apparently celebrated Charlie Kirk's death. According to Ryan Walters, while many were apparently celebrating Kirk's death, he said that the "radical left" did not understand the intensity of the "movement."

After Gentner Drummond's remarks about Ryan Walters went viral, the latter has not issued any statement as of now.