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Republican Robert Franklin defeated Democrat Jennettie Marshall in Tuesday’s general election for Oklahoma state superintendent. The former teacher and district administrator is expected to take office in January, with priorities including addressing teacher shortages, student behavior and academic results.
Republican Robert Franklin, a former teacher and education administrator, was elected Oklahoma’s state superintendent of public schools after defeating Democrat Jennettie Marshall in Tuesday’s general election. Franklin is scheduled to take office in January, when he will lead the state Department of Education and serve as head of the State Board of Education.
Franklin, 67, is from Sand Springs and campaigned on his decades of experience in education. He began working for Sand Springs Public Schools in 1981 as a special education teacher, later becoming a principal and assistant superintendent. In 2010, he joined Tulsa Technology Center as an associate superintendent, remaining there until retiring in 2024. He now teaches educational leadership courses at the University of Oklahoma’s Tulsa campus.
His campaign called for a response to Oklahoma’s teacher shortage and low academic results. Franklin also proposed hiring more behavioral health specialists and counselors to address disruptive student behavior, expanding vocational education into middle school, and changing the state’s testing model. He criticized the political partisanship of former Superintendent Ryan Walters, who resigned last year to lead a nonprofit.
Franklin will succeed Lindel Fields, whom Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed in October 2025 after Walters left office. Fields chose not to seek election. Marshall, 68, served eight years on the board overseeing Tulsa Public Schools and previously worked as a pastor and in law enforcement, including as a parole officer and case manager for the state Department of Corrections.
Franklin’s Priorities for Oklahoma Schools
The superintendent oversees the state education agency and leads the State Board of Education, giving the office influence over statewide policy and administration. Franklin’s election puts a candidate who emphasized educator experience and reducing political division in charge of a system confronting teacher recruitment challenges and concerns about student achievement.
His proposals point to possible areas of focus, including student support services, career and technical education, and state testing. Those campaign commitments are not yet policy decisions: their reach, funding and implementation will depend on actions taken after he assumes office and on the responsibilities shared with the Legislature, school districts and state board.
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From Classroom to State Leadership
Franklin spent more than four decades in education roles across Sand Springs and Tulsa. He also served on the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board from 2018 to 2024, including four years as chair. In 2023, he was one of two board members who voted against a proposal for a publicly funded Catholic charter school.
His opposition to faith-based instruction in public schools remained part of his campaign. Franklin argued that such a school would be unconstitutional and place too great a burden on teachers. The Oklahoma Supreme Court later ruled that a publicly funded Catholic school was unconstitutional, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld that ruling, according to the source report. A further proposal for a religious charter school arose during the campaign.
Franklin entered the superintendent race shortly before candidate filing and led a field of seven candidates in the June Republican primary. He then defeated James Taylor in an August Republican runoff. His general-election victory followed a campaign in which he presented his professional background as a contrast with Marshall’s experience on Tulsa’s school board and in public service.
“His 45 years of experience in education set him apart from his general-election opponent.”
— Robert Franklin, as described in the campaign coverage
Policy Plans Still Need Details
The election result establishes who will lead the state education agency, but the source report does not provide vote totals or a detailed transition plan. It is also not yet clear which campaign proposals Franklin will pursue first, how they would be financed, or whether they would require legislative or board action.
The report identifies teacher shortages and poor academic results as challenges Franklin addressed on the campaign trail, but it does not specify his measures for tracking progress on those issues. The timing and details of any changes to testing, counseling support or middle-school vocational programs remain unsettled.
January Handoff and Early Decisions
Franklin is expected to be sworn in in January and take over from Fields. The next steps will include setting priorities for the Department of Education and working with the State Board of Education and other state officials. The source report does not give a specific inauguration date or announce appointments to his leadership team.
As Franklin begins the role, readers can expect greater clarity on whether his campaign proposals become formal plans, what resources they would require and how the state would measure results. Until those details emerge, the confirmed development is his election and the upcoming change in leadership.
Key Questions
Who was elected Oklahoma state superintendent?
Robert Franklin, a Republican from Sand Springs, defeated Democrat Jennettie Marshall in Tuesday’s general election.
When is Franklin expected to take office?
Franklin is scheduled to take office in January, succeeding Superintendent Lindel Fields. The report does not specify the exact swearing-in date.
What are Franklin’s main education priorities?
His campaign focused on addressing the teacher shortage and academic results. He also proposed more behavioral health specialists and counselors, expanded middle-school vocational education and changes to the state testing model.
What experience does Franklin bring to the job?
Franklin worked as a special education teacher, principal and assistant superintendent in Sand Springs, then as an associate superintendent at Tulsa Technology Center. He also served on the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board and teaches educational leadership courses.
What is not yet known about his plans?
The report does not say which proposals Franklin will pursue first, how they would be funded, or whether they would require action by the Legislature or State Board of Education. Specific implementation details remain to be announced.
Source: the74million.org
