A pair of candidates for Oklahoma state superintendent took the stage in Tulsa Thursday evening, less than two weeks before the June 16 primary election.
Of the nine candidates running for the position, only two — Robert Franklin and state Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond — spoke at the University of Tulsa event co-hosted by the Tulsa Press Club and Oklahoma Watch. There are seven Republicans and two Democrats vying for their parties’ nominations.
The Oklahoma superintendent is essentially the chief executive officer of the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The person manages the agency’s budget, overseeing the public school system and instituting educational policy.
Here are some key takeaways from Thursday evening’s forum. Find more election information, and our coverage of the Tuesday night governors candidate debate, on our voter guide.
Moving past Ryan Walters era
Former Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters resigned from the position last year to become CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a national conservative group that focused on anti-union advocacy. His resignation came amid ongoing ethics investigations and lawsuits tied to his campaign and claims of targeting educators.
In his first 100 days in office, Franklin — an inductee into the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame after a career in K-12 and vocational education — said he would be on board with creating regional resource centers for the state department education for school support.
He says it is an opportunity for Oklahoma to figure out how to create resource centers that would encourage occupational and physical therapy along with teacher development programs.
Too much state bureaucracy could be solved by the presence of regional centers where decisions could be made, Franklin said.
“We have had far too long of an option where getting an answer from the state can take weeks. And sometimes people will stop calling and rely on their colleagues,” Franklin said.
Pugh said running the superintendent position is not like running a school district. The first thing he says the superintendent should do is “analyze the organization.” He mentioned hiring a chief financial officer, which the agency has not had for some time.
Pugh added that school districts outside of metropolitan areas can suffer frustration when they are not able to get answers from the state. To him, that is centered around having a fluid organization and making it customer-focused.
“You have to structure your organization properly and it really is a paradigm shift,” Pugh said.
Addressing Oklahoma’s literacy gaps
The education challenges facing students and educators have earned headlines over the past year, with one study ranking Oklahoma 50th out of the nation’s educational systems.
Franklin said raising the rankings would be one of his top priorities and should start with building a teacher workforce that knows how to work with children efficiently. The state has taken efforts to address this, Franklin mentioned, as he noted the HEROES literacy workshop.
The workshop occurs during the summer time, when literacy leaders hold workshops with parents and students between pre-K and fifth grade. Under Franklin’s leadership, reading specialists would be placed in every school, he said.
“Those are literacy coaches at the state department which can come into school districts that are struggling and be a force multiplier for them,” Franklin said.
Oklahoma lawmakers recently passed legislation that focused on literacy, teacher wages and minimum school days. In the past, Pugh said, some laws have not always landed how it was intended. He pointed to the idea of adding specialists that can focus on behavioral intervention and strategy specialists. While he supports the bill, some parts could be difficult.
“Those are the things that are complicated because they are expensive,” Pugh said.
Another matter is how schools are prepping students and teachers for the school year. The state will need more personnel training, he said, and some school districts have already started to make progress. But in some of the state’s more rural areas, it could be more challenging.
“We will have a difficult time particularly in our rural districts, and that is where this regional concept of shared resources is going to have to come into play in a really big way,” Pugh added.
Teacher shortages
Oklahoma still suffers from teacher shortages statewide.
How leaders talk about teachers matters and impacts who wants to get involved in the profession, Pugh said. It is about creating a culture that builds leaders.
“People don’t quit their jobs, they quit their bosses. And it will certainly be true for these people right here,” Pugh said.
Franklin pushed back on Pugh, saying teachers are not quitting their bosses — it is more about the heavy burden educators carry. Part of fixing that is celebrating the work of educators, he said, which keeps people wanting to do their jobs.
He also wants Oklahoma teachers to have more competitive salaries with neighboring states. If the state pushes itself that way, more teachers would come to Oklahoma, Franklin said.
Democrat Jennettie Marshall was scheduled to participate in the forum but did not show. Marshall served for eight years on Tulsa Public Schools’ board.
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