Walters will lead Oklahoma Achieves, an education initiative of the State Chamber of Oklahoma. Walters was an AP History teacher at McAlester Public Schools and serves on Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Education Committee.

Oklahoma City (May 29, 2019) – The State Chamber of Oklahoma announced today that Ryan Walters will serve as the new executive director of Oklahoma Achieves, an education initiative of the State Chamber.

“We are very excited to welcome Ryan as the new executive director of Oklahoma Achieves,” said Fred Morgan, president and CEO of the State Chamber of Oklahoma. “Ryan’s real-world education and reform-minded leadership will help make us a top ten state in education. For too long, Oklahoma’s education system has been more focused on increasing appropriations and less focused on results. Ryan knows what is needed to improve outcomes.”

Last week, Gov. Stitt signed a budget that includes a $157 million increase in education spending. As education spending has increased, so too have calls to focus on reform and outcomes in Oklahoma’s education system. In his new position with Oklahoma Achieves, Walters will advocate for policies and ideas that focus on student achievement and educational outcomes.

“I am very excited about the opportunity presented to me,” Walters said. “This is a pivotal time for Oklahoma education. Now that we’ve invested in public education, we need to focus on reforms and policies that give kids opportunities and empower them for success.”

Walters was an AP History teacher for McAlester Public Schools and serves on Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Education Committee. Originally from McAlester, Walters attended Harding University before returning to teach in his hometown after graduation. A former McAlester Teacher of the Year and a finalist for the 2015 State Teacher of the Year, Walters has used his platform to advocate for change within Oklahoma’s education system.

A project of the State Chamber, Oklahoma Achieves is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of business leaders committed to improving Oklahoma’s education system through advocacy and policy to ensure every Oklahoma student graduates with the knowledge, skills, and behavior to succeed in a competitive global economy.