At first, Robert Franklin and James Taylor were reluctant contenders for Oklahoma’s next superintendent of public instruction. Prayer brought them both to the ballot.
The Republicans are headed for a statewide runoff election Aug. 25 following a crowded June primary. Though both describe themselves as conservative, Christian candidates for the state’s top education seat, they offer different visions for Oklahoma’s public schools.
Both men say they will not pursue elected office after this race. The winner will face Democrat Jennettie Marshall, a former Tulsa Public Schools board member, in the Nov. 3 general election.
Robert Franklin vows to bring ‘breath of calm’ to superintendent’s office
Franklin, 66, is an Oklahoma Educators Hall of Famer and current lecturer for doctoral and master’s students at OU-Tulsa. He spent 29 years at Sand Springs Public Schools, first as a special education teacher at the shuttered Hissom Memorial Center before rising through the ranks to assistant superintendent. He spent more than 15 years as an associate superintendent at Tulsa Tech.
Franklin considered running for the office after finishing his doctoral program but passed the baton to former Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller. When Miller dropped out in February due to his wife’s sudden death, Franklin prayed hard with his wife, Sandi, and daughter, Hannah, before stepping up to the plate.
“We just feel like perhaps that we need someone with experience in that space, and if we try to collaborate, people will lean in with us and work effectively,” Franklin said.
Franklin was endorsed by more than 175 active and retired superintendents from across Oklahoma in early August, including Union’s John Federline and two retired superintendents from Broken Arrow.
Franklin promises greater support for teachers and a “breath of calm” from the office, which often earned headlines under the leadership of Ryan Walters. Key among his priorities are professional development for emergency-certified or new teachers, class size restrictions and added resources for behavior challenges in the classroom.
As state superintendent, Franklin says he’d bring more people to the table, including higher education and Career Tech partners, industry representatives and tribal leadership, which he calls a “life link for Oklahomans.”
He pledges large-scale revisions to the Oklahoma State Testing Program and State Report Card, a federally mandated accountability system for schools. The A-F label on each school “hides more than it reveals,” he says.
“I think we could do that more efficiently, more cost effectively and certainly that would be more meaningful for the children, for the families and for the teachers,” Franklin said.
Franklin changed his party registration from Democrat to Republican in 2023, calling himself a centrist. He said the state superintendent should be “the least politically charged” position in state government.
“For those that are devoutly Republican that say the only time they would ever support anyone for this kind of office is if they’ve been Republican all their life, I would say that’s a narrow scope,” Franklin said. “If you don’t want to bring people toward a conservative disposition, then perhaps that disposition will be harder and harder and harder to attract people to.”
James Taylor promises leadership defined by ‘biblical principles’
Taylor, 67, is a history teacher at Little Axe High School and pastor at First Christ’s Church in Norman, a small nondenominational congregation he’s led since 2013. He’s the author of “It’s Biblical, Not Political!,” a guide for Christian political engagement.
Taylor is a four-time primary challenger to U.S. Rep Tom Cole. He joined the state superintendent race in January after his wife, Raphala, prayed for a sign he should run.
“God orchestrated all of this and he made it happen,” Taylor said.
Taylor has been endorsed by the Make Oklahoma Healthy Again PAC, Oklahoma Second Amendment Association and several state lawmakers, including Rep. Gabe Woolley, R-Broken Arrow, and Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid.
He promises greater parental empowerment in public education and leadership defined by “biblical principles.” Taylor said he brought on the former president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Everett Piper, to his team.
He supports merit pay for teachers, strengthened phonics-based instruction and a statewide audit of educational spending “about eliminating waste,” through a combination of work with the state auditor’s office or audits led by school districts. Public districts are already required to complete yearly financial audits.
“What we will ask when I get in my administration, we will ask the simple question of, ‘does this program help our kids to read, write and do math?’” Taylor said. “And if it doesn’t then it shouldn’t be there.”
Taylor plans to establish a parent advisory council for the state department to help with “transparency on curriculum” and to avoid “unnecessary screentime.” Oklahoma’s academic standards are publicly accessible and regularly reviewed by the state board of education.
“Curriculum needs to be available to everybody, so (parents) can see it at any time, without hesitation — that’s all,” Taylor said. “Parents are not outsiders. They’re not a special interest group, none of those things. They are first and foremost the most important teachers those children will ever have.”
Taylor recently removed campaign videos filmed in his Little Axe classroom after “repeated requests” from the district over the use of school resources, according to a statement from Superintendent Jay Thomas dated Aug. 1.
“I take full responsibility for the content that was posted and at no point did Little Axe Public Schools have anything to do with my filming in the school,” said Taylor in a statement that same day.
Taylor previously outlined plans for district consolidation or a county-based superintendent model but has since stepped back.
When asked by the Flyer about the consolidation proposals, Taylor said, “that’s something that we are not looking at doing right now, and that’s all I can tell you, what our focus is. And that’s not our focus.”
Early voting runs from Aug. 20-22. Find more information on the Aug. 25 election in the Flyer’s election guide.
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