Democrats are furious with Oklahoma lawmakers for requiring out-of-state teachers, many of them from deep-blue states, to pass a basic civics test before teaching in Oklahoma classrooms.
The law is straightforward: anyone responsible for educating American students must demonstrate knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and basic principles of government.
Yet the left is treating this as if it were some radical assault on public education.
BREAKING: Democrats are furious with Oklahoma lawmakers for requiring out-of-state teachers, many of them from deep-blue states, to pass a basic civics test before teaching in Oklahoma classrooms. pic.twitter.com/O21OgRjVhe
— Gregory Lyakhov (@GregoryLyakhov) August 31, 2025
The test itself is not complicated. It mirrors the civics portion of the U.S. naturalization exam—the same test immigrants must pass to become citizens.
Sample questions include: Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? or What is the supreme law of the land?
If immigrants seeking citizenship can learn these answers, surely teachers entrusted with the education of young Americans should be held to the same standard.
The statistics speak for themselves.
According to a 2022 survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center, only 47% of Americans could name all three branches of government. Even more troubling, 23% could not name a single branch.
The growing crisis of civic illiteracy reflects decades of neglect in schools where basic U.S. history and constitutional principles have been sidelined in favor of political activism.
Teachers who do not know or respect America’s founding documents cannot be expected to instill civic responsibility in their students.
Oklahoma’s approach is both reasonable and popular. Polling consistently shows that Americans want more civics in schools.
A 2021 Gallup poll found that 73% of adults believe K-12 schools should place greater emphasis on teaching civics and government.
Parents understand that without civic knowledge, the next generation cannot function as informed voters. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) revealed in 2022 that only 22% of eighth graders scored proficient in civics.
That means nearly four out of five students are failing to grasp the basics of how their government works.
By requiring teachers to pass a civics test, Oklahoma is simply addressing the problem at its root.
Teachers who arrive from states like California or New York—where curricula often focus more on identity politics than American history—will now be asked to prove they can teach the essentials.
This is hardly unreasonable. In fact, it is common sense.
After all, every state requires teachers to pass certification exams in math or reading before stepping into a classroom.
Why should civics be treated as less important?
Democrats’ backlash reveals a deeper discomfort. Their opposition to Oklahoma’s law is not about the difficulty of the test—it is about the principle behind it.
For decades, the left has resisted efforts to reinforce patriotism, civic duty, and parental rights in education.
They have promoted radical curricula while downplaying America’s achievements.
Now, when one state insists that teachers know the very system they are supposed to explain to students, the left calls it an attack.
The truth is simple: no teacher should be allowed to shape the minds of American students without basic civic knowledge.
If immigrants can pass the test, so can teachers. Oklahoma has set a model that other states should follow.
The outrage from Democrats only proves how far they have strayed from valuing citizenship and national unity.
Every state should demand that educators, especially those coming from failing blue-state systems, pass the same test.
Anyone stepping foot near American students should know the basics of the republic they are preparing young people to inherit.
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