State School Superintendent Ryan Walters says the Department of Education will cut ties with several professional associations that he claims are promoting a “woke” agenda.

Walters says the SDE will no longer work with the Oklahoma State School Board Association, the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center and the Cooperative Council for School Administrators.

Walters said the decision was made based on legislation the groups support and oppose.

“We see them target parents and fight against parent rights and school choice. We're not going to support those groups. We're not going to let them continue doing that,” he said.

Local school boards hire the groups for their expertise in training that isn’t provided otherwise by the state. Walters said SDE will expand training so districts will have the services they need.

A spokesman for the Council for School Administrators said it provided training for 5,400 educators last year. The spokesman said the CCOSA was encouraging Walters to “move beyond politics and prioritize public education with impactful investments.”