What happens when a former classroom teacher gets tired of watching unions and bureaucrats suffocate students — and decides to do something about it? You get Ryan Walters.

As Oklahoma's former State Superintendent of Public Instruction and now CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, Ryan Walters has become one of the most disruptive forces in American education reform. And he's just getting started.

In this episode, Ashley and Ryan get into the real conversation about teachers unions — what they were supposed to be, what they've become, and why so many teachers feel trapped inside a system that was never built for them. Ryan breaks down the Teacher Freedom Alliance, an initiative powered by the Freedom Foundation designed to give educators a genuine alternative to union membership and the space to actually exercise their First Amendment rights. He also talks about the critical need for a Teacher Whistleblower Bill — protections for the educators who are seeing what's happening inside classrooms and don't have a safe way to speak up.

This is a conversation about being for teachers — for their freedom, their voice, and their ability to actually do the job they showed up to do.

If the system was built this way on purpose, then dismantling it is going to take people who refuse to back down.

Ryan Walters is one of those people.

Listen and learn on how you can make a difference for your teachers and classrooms in your state.

About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.

About Ashley: As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.

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