Top education adviser will become UT Austin education dean in August
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Education Secretary Dan Hamlin will leave Gov. Kevin Stitt’s administration this summer to become dean of the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin, creating a vacancy in one of the governor’s top Cabinet posts during the final months of his administration.
The University of Texas announced Hamlin will begin his new position Aug. 16. Hamlin, an education policy professor at the University of Oklahoma, has served as Oklahoma’s education secretary since October.
“I am deeply honored to join The University of Texas at Austin as dean of the College of Education,” Hamlin said in a university news release. “The college has an extraordinary record of research, teaching and engagement with schools and communities. I look forward to working alongside its outstanding faculty, staff, students and alumni to advance the college’s impact across Texas and the nation.”
In a statement released through his communications staff, Stitt praised Hamlin’s work.
“He has been committed to ensuring every Oklahoma student has access to the education that suits them best and has brought new, innovative ideas to our education system,” Stitt said. “He will be an asset to the University of Texas and the next generation of educators. I know he’ll still cheer for the Sooners, even down in Austin.”
The Governor’s Office did not indicate whether Stitt plans to appoint another education secretary before leaving office in January, according to reporting by Oklahoma Voice.
Hamlin was appointed education secretary in October following a major reorganization of Oklahoma’s education leadership after former State Superintendent Ryan Walters resigned. At the time, Stitt also appointed Lindel Fields to lead the Oklahoma State Department of Education and named new members to the State Board of Education.
During Hamlin’s tenure, lawmakers approved sweeping literacy reforms that strengthened reading instruction requirements and require students to demonstrate reading proficiency before advancing to fourth grade, with limited exceptions. Hamlin publicly supported the legislation when Stitt signed it into law.
This story is based on reporting by Oklahoma Voice, published through The Oklahoman.
