Oklahoma’s Shift in Education Leadership Offers Hope, Healing and a Call to Action
Doesn’t it feel good to finally not wake up to an inflammatory post from the very person who was supposed to lead education in Oklahoma? Have you noticed the stillness—the kind that doesn’t come with fear, but with relief? Isn’t it a powerful shift to finally feel seen—not as a problem to manage, but as a partner in shaping our children’s future? After years of tension, anxiety and political distractions, the Oklahoma education community is finally starting to exhale. With new leadership under interim State Superintendent Lindel Fields, there is a renewed sense of hope, calm and possibility. And not just for those of us in education, but for every parent, grandparent and guardian who has had to navigate the turmoil while trying to do what’s best for their child.
A climate of fear
As a veteran, educator and mother, I’ve felt the weight of the uncertainty. Let’s talk about the fear that seeped into our schools. It wasn’t imagined—it was lived. After rhetoric that painted a librarian as an enemy and stoked division in our communities, some of our schools started receiving bomb threats. Yes—bomb threats. Over books. Over learning. Over love. Including my son’s school.
For the first two weeks of school last year, I received calls, emails and texts every single day—sometimes several times a day about the bomb squad sweeping our schools for everyone’s safety. Parents were scared. Students were scared. Educators were drained before the first bell of the school year even rang. Then came the chilling ICE announcement—greenlit by the top education official—leaving families in survival mode. I know parents who had emergency plans for their children: The oldest would walk the youngest home if Mom or Dad didn’t make it back. Teachers watched as desks sat empty because some families were too afraid to send their children at all. One mother told me it reminded her of “The Diary of Anne Frank”—and I can’t forget that.
This wasn’t about politics—it was about people. About our babies walking into school buildings and needing to feel safe, supported and loved. But instead, they’ve been caught in the middle of adult power plays while teachers stood on the frontlines—overworked, undervalued and holding the line for our kids. Our administrators felt cut off. Entire schools operated like islands, doing everything they could just to stay afloat. If you’re not in the classroom changing lives, then your job is to lift up the ones who are. That’s it. That’s the charge. That’s the only way forward.
Focusing on what matters
Dr. Lindel Fields’ letter to Oklahoma parents came like a deep breath we didn’t know we were holding. After everything we’ve been through—being constantly on edge, defending our schools instead of building them up—just seeing educators acknowledged, not attacked, felt like a sacred shift. His words didn’t scream for attention or stir division. They focused on what matters: our kids, our classrooms, and the people who show up every day to make a difference.
He spoke about literacy as a gateway, about communication that builds trust, and about the need to create schools where students feel safe, valued and inspired. And after years of feeling dismissed, gaslit or pitted against each other, that message landed in a powerful way.
But let’s be clear—this is just the start. One letter can’t fix years of harm. As a mom who’s walked through Oklahoma’s public school system with my children, I’ve seen what happens when students are uplifted. I’ve also seen how quickly things unravel when schools are underfunded, teachers are unprotected, and families are made to feel like outsiders. We’ve got work to do. And we’ve got to do it together.
Change starts with us
We need more than cheerleading. We need change. And that change starts with us. To every parent or guardian who’s had to tune out just to protect your peace—I see you. I’ve been you. But now? Now is the time to check back in, not for the system, but for our children. Show up again. Ask the hard questions. Go to the school board meetings. Know who’s making decisions about your child. Build relationships with their teachers. Lend your voice, your presence, your time. Support where you can; challenge when you must.
Hold your elected officials accountable—but also hold yourself accountable. Because education isn’t a spectator sport, and our kids can’t afford for us to sit in the stands. They need us in the game, fighting for their future, together.
As my grandpa used to say, “Goodbye—and good riddance.” The only direction from here is up. We’ve survived the storms, the silence, the suspicion. Now it’s time to rebuild—not just better, but braver. Braver for our kids, for our classrooms, for our communities. And if anyone’s wondering where change begins—look in the mirror. Because the era of pretending everything is fine is over. We are the movement, and we’re not waiting for permission to lead.
Dr. Tamecca Rogers serves as Director of Student Access and Success at Tulsa Technology Center. An award-winning author and filmmaker, she is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in all her endeavors. Photo by Denice Toombs-Dotson with Lasting Impressions Photography.
