Oklahoma may become dumbest state as high schools approve teaching 2020 election conspiracy theories as facts

Oklahoma’s high school students are about to learn U.S. history from a heavily distorted perspective. The state is introducing a revised social studies curriculum that includes conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election. The new standards will require students to analyze alleged “discrepancies” in the election results starting next school year.

This will likely lead to the state’s public schools spreading misinformation and politically biased lessons. The updated curriculum goes much further than the previous version, which only asked students to “Examine issues related to the 2020 election and its outcome.”

According to The Guardian, the new standard directs students to “Identify discrepancies in 2020 elections results by looking at graphs and other information, including the sudden halting of ballot-counting in select cities in key battleground states, the security risks of mail-in balloting, sudden batch dumps, an unforeseen record number of voters, and the unprecedented contradiction of ‘bellwether county’ trends.”

Oklahoma is going to teach conspiracy theories as facts

Leading this change is Oklahoma’s state school superintendent, Ryan Walters, a strong supporter of Donald Trump. Per ABC News, Walters has stated his goal to eliminate what he refers to as “wokeness” in public schools and has pushed for including references to the Bible and promoting national pride in the K-12 social studies curriculum. “The left has been pushing left-wing indoctrination in schools,” Walters said, defending the changes. “We’re shifting back to teaching real history… and I won’t apologize for that.”

We reported on this back when it was just a suggestion and was not confirmed to be happening. However, with the approval, it is legitimately going to be taught in schools. Trump is still trying to claim that he didn’t lose, even saying that previous admissions were said sarcastically.

The extensive revisions come with a significant price tag for Oklahoma taxpayers, estimated at $33 million for new textbooks and teaching materials. This cost has added to the controversy, as spending money on a curriculum that spreads questionable information is a waste of resources.

Many have raised concerns about how quickly the changes were made, with some additions (like the 2020 election and a claim that COVID-19 originated in a Chinese lab) being inserted just hours before the state school board voted. Opponents argue that the standards were not properly reviewed and push a slanted version of social studies that favors a biased, outdated viewpoint. A group of parents and educators has filed a lawsuit asking a judge to block the standards for these reasons.

Oklahoma teachers have had mixed reactions. While many are upset by the changes, some believe skilled educators can teach the new standards without misleading students. However, worries persist that teachers in conservative, rural areas may use the curriculum to push their personal beliefs, particularly regarding the validity of the 2020 election.

Despite the new standards, election officials have repeatedly verified that recounts, reviews, and audits in the battleground states where Trump disputed the results all confirmed Democrat Joe Biden’s victory. Trump also lost numerous lawsuits challenging the election.