The Republican candidates largely agree on the direction of Oklahoma education. Their differences center on how the state’s chief school official should use the office to pursue conservative priorities and work with educators, lawmakers and local school districts.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Republican voters choosing their nominee for state superintendent on Aug. 25 will decide between two candidates who largely agree on the direction of Oklahoma education but differ in how they would lead the state’s public school system.
Both Robert Franklin and James Taylor support expanding school choice, strengthening parental involvement and continuing Oklahoma’s conservative approach to education policy. Neither is campaigning to reverse the major education initiatives adopted in recent years.
Instead, the runoff offers Republican voters a choice between two different visions for the office itself: Should the state superintendent primarily serve as an administrator focused on implementing policy and improving academic outcomes, or as a more outspoken advocate shaping the public debate over education?
The distinction matters because, despite the office’s high profile, the state superintendent’s authority is significant but not unlimited.
The superintendent oversees the Oklahoma State Department of Education, administers state and federal education programs, distributes funding to school districts and helps carry out education laws enacted by the Legislature. But many of the state’s most consequential education policies require action by the Legislature, approval by the State Board of Education or decisions made by Oklahoma’s more than 500 local school districts.
Different approaches to leadership
Franklin has generally presented himself as a consensus builder focused on improving academic achievement, supporting teachers and working collaboratively with lawmakers, local school districts and the State Board of Education.
His campaign has emphasized restoring attention to classroom performance and effective administration while maintaining the conservative education policies Oklahoma has adopted in recent years.
Taylor has campaigned as a more activist conservative, arguing the superintendent should continue taking an aggressive public role in debates over education policy, parental rights and what he describes as ideological influences in public schools.
His campaign has emphasized that the superintendent should not simply administer education policy but actively champion conservative priorities and challenge practices he believes conflict with parents’ values.
The contrast reflects different governing philosophies more than fundamentally different ideological beliefs.
Familiar public records
Each candidate also enters the runoff with a well-known chapter from his public career that has helped shape his political identity.
Franklin served on the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, where he voted against approving the application for what became the proposed St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The Oklahoma Supreme Court later ruled the religious charter school could not operate as a public charter school under state law. The issue has remained part of discussions about Franklin’s views on school choice and public education.
Taylor became known to many conservative Republicans after losing his teaching position with Oklahoma City Public Schools during the COVID-19 pandemic over the district’s employee mask requirement. He has frequently cited the episode during the campaign as an example of standing by his principles despite professional consequences.
Those episodes helped introduce each candidate to many Republican voters, but the runoff campaign has focused primarily on how each would lead the department if elected.
Shared priorities, different emphasis
Both candidates support expanding educational options for families, increasing parental involvement and maintaining Oklahoma’s conservative direction on education policy.
Their differences are largely matters of emphasis.
Franklin has generally focused more on academic performance, agency management and building working relationships needed to implement policy.
Taylor has placed greater emphasis on using the office as a platform to advocate for conservative education priorities and challenge what he views as political or ideological influences in schools.
For many Republican voters, the choice is less about competing policy agendas than competing approaches to leadership.
What actually changes?
The eventual winner will inherit responsibility for leading one of Oklahoma’s largest state agencies and representing public education across the state.
The superintendent influences agency priorities, recommends policies to lawmakers, proposes administrative rules, oversees implementation of state education programs and serves as Oklahoma’s most visible education official.
But the office does not operate independently.
The Legislature controls education funding and enacts state law. The State Board of Education adopts many administrative rules and exercises oversight over numerous department actions. Local school boards continue to make decisions on hiring, budgets, curriculum implementation and many day-to-day operations within their districts.
As a result, the next superintendent’s success will depend not only on campaign promises but also on the ability to work with the governor, legislators, the State Board of Education and local school leaders while advancing the priorities that helped secure the Republican nomination.
The Republican runoff winner will face the Democratic nominee in the Nov. 3 general election.
