If you are wondering whether Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction, is related to David Walters, the former governor of Oklahoma, the answer is no. They are not related by blood or marriage, but they do share a common surname and a passion for public service.
Who is Ryan Walters?
Ryan Walters (born May 23, 1985) is an American educator and politician who has served as the elected Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction since 2023 and who served as the appointed Oklahoma Secretary of Education between September 2020 and April 2023.
Walters grew up in McAlester, Oklahoma and attended Harding University before returning to teach at McAlester High School. He was a McAlester Teacher of the Year and finalist for the 2016 State Teacher of the Year. He was also appointed to the Oklahoma Community Service Commission in 2018 by Governor Mary Fallin and Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability in 2019 by Governor Kevin Stitt. He resigned from McAlester Public Schools in 2019.
On May 29, 2019 he was appointed as the Executive Director of Oklahoma Achieves, a nonprofit education organization created by the State Chamber of Oklahoma. By March 2020, Oklahoma Achieves transitioned into an independent nonprofit, Every Kid Counts Oklahoma, with Walters as its executive director. Walters resigned from his position at Every Kid Counts Oklahoma the week before his inauguration as Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction.
On September 10, 2020, Governor Kevin Stitt nominated Ryan Walters to be Oklahoma Secretary of Education. On May 2, 2022, The Frontier and Oklahoma Watch reported on a United States Department of Education report which found the Bridge the Gap program Walters oversaw was implemented with few safeguards to prevent fraud or abuse and that federal auditors were investigating the distribution of COVID-19 relief money through the program. On May 11, Oklahoma House of Representatives Democrats called on Governor Stitt to call for Walters resignation. The Governor’s office responded “Secretary Walters is doing a great job fighting for parents’ right to be in charge of their child’s education and advocating for funding students, not government-controlled systems.”
Later in May, Oklahoma newspapers reported that while working as Secretary of Education, Walters remained Executive Director of Every Kid Counts Oklahoma, an Oklahoma education non-profit. Walters was paid approximately $120,000 a year by Every Kid Counts Oklahoma compared to his state salary of $40,000. The Frontier and Oklahoma Watch reported that Every Kid Counts Oklahoma was funded by national school privatization advocates and charter school expansion advocates, such as the Walton Family Foundation and another group founded by Charles Koch.
Who is David Walters?
David Lee Walters (born November 20, 1951) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 24th governor of Oklahoma from 1991 to 1995. Born in Canute, Oklahoma, Walters was a project manager for Governor David Boren and the youngest executive officer working for the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Walters ran for governor in 1986 but lost the Democratic primary to Henry Bellmon. He ran again in 1990 and won both the primary and the general election against Republican Bill Price. He became the first governor in state history to appoint women and minorities to a majority of cabinet positions. He also increased funding for education, health care, transportation and economic development. He was re-elected in 1994 with over 60% of the vote against Republican Frank Keating.
However, his second term was marred by a federal investigation into his campaign finances. He was accused of accepting illegal contributions from several donors in exchange for favorable treatment or appointments. He pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of violating federal election law and agreed to pay a $50,000 fine and perform community service. He resigned from office on November 15, 1995, two months before his term expired. He was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Mary Fallin.
After leaving office, Walters returned to his business ventures in energy, real estate and construction. He also served as chairman of the board of regents for Oklahoma City Community College from 2003 to 2007 and as president of the American Cancer Society’s Oklahoma chapter from 2007 to 2009. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2014 but lost the Democratic primary to state Senator Connie Johnson.
Conclusion
Ryan Walters and David Walters are both prominent figures in Oklahoma politics and education, but they are not related to each other. They have different backgrounds, careers and ideologies. They also have different challenges and controversies in their public service. However, they both share a common goal of improving the lives of Oklahomans through their respective roles.
