Oklahoma’s next Superintendent of Public Instruction Robert Franklin believes Oklahoma’s own education miracle is on the way.
“You start marking down ‘Onward Oklahoma’ and you watch what’s gonna happen here in about three years,” Franklin said from his watch party inside the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa’s Schusterman Center Tuesday night. “Because here’s what’s happening: Moms and dads, and Oklahoma folks, have voted to say it’s time for a change.”
Franklin secured the highest role in the state’s public school system with nearly a 35% lead by 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night. With votes still rolling in, Franklin handily beat former Tulsa Public Schools board member Jennettie Marshall, according to unofficial results from the state election board.
He will be the first elected official to step into the superintendent seat since the tumultuous tenure of Ryan Walters, who resigned in 2025, and the 15-month term of appointed successor Lindel Fields. Franklin has promised an education department that returns focus to teachers and students, pledging reform to statewide spring testing and greater support for educators.
“We’ve gotten ourselves lost throughout this process, and we’ve made things way too complicated,” Franklin said. “So I just remind myself, when I’m looking at the hope of these little ones and your little ones, that we can do better when we collectively work together.”
Marshall did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Flyer Tuesday night.
Franklin’s campaign leaned into his multi-decade tenure as an educator in the Tulsa area. Before his induction into the Oklahoma Educators’ Hall of Fame in 2024, Franklin spent nearly 30 years at Sand Springs Public Schools and more than 15 years as an associate superintendent at Tulsa Tech.
Franklin stepped into the race shortly after Rob Miller, former superintendent of Bixby Public Schools, exited following the sudden death of his wife, Anna, in February.
“It’s obviously been a very difficult year, but this makes me very, very happy,” Miller said at Franklin’s watch party. “And not just for Robert, because he definitely put in the time and the effort and the work to earn this opportunity — I’m happy for the teachers and happy for the kids of Oklahoma.”
In the months to follow, Franklin won endorsement of more than 200 superintendents across the state ahead of the Republican runoff and brought in $203,690.95 in individual campaign contributions by Election Day. Political action committees added another $36,500, including donations from Oklahoma Retired Educators, Oklahoma Association for Career and Technical Education and Muscogee Nation.
“If they can do better in Arkansas, they can do better in Texas … in surrounding places, we can compensate and support our educators together,” he said Tuesday. “We love our children as much as they love their children — so let’s collectively do this work.”
A self-described centrist, Franklin was a registered Democrat until he changed his registration to Republican in 2023, drawing criticism from conservatives skeptical of his candidacy. But despite party politics, by 9:30 p.m. he carried a greater share of voter support on election night than the last two elected state superintendents.
In 2022, Walters won with slightly more than a 13.5% margin against Democrat Jena Nelson. In 2018, Democrat Joy Hofmeister beat Republican John Cox with a margin of nearly 25%.
“As I think about education in Oklahoma, I can’t think of anyone who has the experience, the attitude and just the wherewithal more so than Robert Franklin,” Fields said Tuesday night before leaving Franklin’s watch party around 7:30 p.m. “I think he’s exactly what the state needs and he’s going to do a wonderful job.”
Fields said he hopes the next state superintendent is “given a chance.”
“That they’ll truly move the needle, and I hope that they continue to work on teacher recruitment and retention, and have some success with the Strong Readers Act,” Fields said. “But ultimately, I hope they’re able to build relationships, to do all the things they need to do.”
Franklin will take office in January 2027.
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