Joy Hofmeister for Governor of Oklahoma
The Network for Public Education Action has endorsed Joy Hofmeister for Governor of Oklahoma. A former public school teacher, she is currently the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Schools. Joy Hofmeister has a Bachelor’s degree in education from Texas Christian University and a master’s degree in Education Administration with a specialty in Education Policy and Law from the University of Oklahoma. According to Oklahoma retired teacher Dr. John Thompson, Hofmeister led the “rescue of Oklahoma public schools, and laid the foundation for meaningful and long-lasting school improvements.”
When she was first elected in 2014, Hofmeister led the fight to stop Oklahoma’s “End of Instruction” exams. She also prioritized pre-K and reading comprehension for 3rd graders. She successfully ended the teacher shortage by giving teachers raises and listening to what teachers said about educating children. “I often say that the world outside the classroom impacts the world inside every school house,” Hofmeister said. “Having great teachers is going to be a key focus so that we can have great support, more individualized learning for our children.”
She opposes vouchers and said that Stitt’s plan to divert public money to private schools is “a rural school killer” and will cause property values to plummet. “Kill the school, and you kill the community,” she said. She understands that the reason children are not succeeding in Oklahoma public schools is due to inadequate public school funding, poor student wraparound support, and lagging teacher pay.
In stark contrast, Governor Stitt and Ryan Walters, Oklahoma Secretary of Education, have led attacks on teachers in Oklahoma and on the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT). Walters is also being investigated for distributing COVID-19 relief money for Oklahoma’s Bridge the Gap program without following guidelines to prevent abuse and fraud. State Superintendent Hofmeister noted that Stitt has run the state into the ground, and rather than work to unify people, is “sowing chaos and division and pitting neighbor against neighbor.”
We strongly encourage our supporters in Oklahoma to vote for Joy Hofmeister in the general election on Tuesday, November 8th.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. Authorized and paid for by National for Public Education Action, 225 East 36th St. New York, NY 10016. 646-678-4477.