Jennettie Marshall Announces Candidacy for Oklahoma State Superintendent of Education
Former Tulsa Public Schools Board Member Jennettie Marshall announced her candidacy for Oklahoma State Superintendent of Education today at Greenwood Cultural Center.
Dr. Marshall recently ended an eight-year tenure as the elected school board representative for TPS District D3, choosing not to run this year.
Many will remember that Dr. Marshall, along with TPS Board Member E’Lena Ashley, requested an audit of Tulsa Public Schools under former Superintendent Deborah Gist. While sometimes on opposite sides of cultural issues, Marshall and Ashley both questioned large expenditures on the board consent agenda, but, according to Marshall, were unable to get satisfactory answers. Because board members are expected to manage the district budget, the lack of transparency concerned both Marshall and Ashley.
Ultimately, the audit uncovered over 1,400 discrepancies. (sai.ok.gov/Search%20Reports/database/TPS%20Audit%20Report%20web%20final.pdf)
Marshall’s experience with TPS was difficult, but she hopes it will lead to changes, including more oversight over expenditures and greater transparency about how money is being spent.
Time for Education in Oklahoma
At her announcement, Marshall began by quoting Ecclesiastes 3:1 – To Everything There Is a Season. She said that after meeting with many individuals and groups – followed by much personal reflection – she felt it was the right time for her to pursue the state office.
“It is that time for education in Oklahoma. It is that time for educators in Oklahoma. It is that time, most assuredly, for every student in the great state of Oklahoma. It’s time for a change of leadership. It’s time for a new direction. It’s time for putting education first, and the political calisthenics and grandstanding to rest.”
Marshall said she wants to restore good working relationships with the state Legislature, teachers, superintendents and school board members – and to stand up for parents and children in Oklahoma.
She wants to empower educators and remove obstacles to education for children and families.
Marshall pointed out that in 2010 and 2011, Oklahoma ranked 17th in the nation in education. In 2024, Oklahoma had fallen to 49th. The most recent Annie E. Casey Kids Count data ranked Oklahoma at 49th in the nation. Oklahoma ranked in the bottom 10 in the NAEP, called the national report card.
“We have been in consistent decline,” Marshall said, “and are now ranked at 50th, just one above New Mexico. Oklahoma ranked 50th for quality of education and 34th in school safety, 44th for the drop-out rate and 49th in median ACT scores.”
She added that Oklahoma ranked 8th in private school education, indicating the parents are leaving public schools for private schools “to ensure that their children are educated…Oklahoma has been low performing for quite some time.” She also noted that TPS dropped from 44,000 students to 32,000 students, which she says has been a statewide trend.
Marshall called on the state to “seriously consider” the chronic underinvestment in public education, and expressed concern that teachers are leaving the profession and the state.
“Over the last month, what I witnessed was anywhere from 10 to 20 teachers appearing on the celebration part of the Tulsa Public Schools agenda,” she said. “People are leaving. We have to look at that.”
She also noted that the urban and rural divide in resources must be addressed.
Marshall said she is concerned about the “deep, dark valley” of educational despair that Oklahoma has fallen into, but she noted that “all is not lost.”
If Oklahoma citizens vote for leadership change, as state superintendent, Marshall said she will find and address the factors that have caused Oklahoma schools to decline.
She called on everyone to “travel in unity,” to work together to look at issues such as financial mishandling, teacher recruitment efforts, the exodus of teachers, education disparity, teacher pay, and more to “clean up the state department of education.”
Marshall called on the public to “pay attention to everything that has held us back in education. I want to see Oklahoma thrust into the top 10. That means we need to have hard discussions. We have to be real with ourselves and our leadership and when leadership does not respond to parents, students, educators, we must put our foot down and say enough is enough. That day is today. My foot is down. I want you to come along with me.”
