In a notable shift within the Oklahoma educational leadership, Governor Kevin Stitt has bid farewell to Secretary of Education Nellie Sanders, who has chosen to leave her post for pursuits in the private sector, and in her stead, he has appointed Dan Hamlin, a University of Oklahoma professor, as the new Secretary of Education, as reported by the governor's office.
Governor Stitt praised Sanders for her innovative approach to education, crediting her with bringing transformative change to the Oklahoma education system and particularly to students who deviate from the conventional educational archetype, in a statement obtained by the Governor's office, he stated, “Nellie’s passion for students, especially those that don’t fit the traditional education mold, has revolutionized the Oklahoma education system,” adding, “She sees students who think differently in a way no one else does, and our state is better for it.” While Sanders reflected on her tenure by saying, “Serving as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Education has been the honor of my lifetime,” detailing the initiatives undertaken during her time such as the Science of Reading requirements and the launch of the Human Potential for Future Industries Task Force.
The incoming Secretary, Dan Hamlin, comes with a background heavily rooted in educational research, currently serving as Presidential Professor in education policy and Faculty Director of the Oklahoma Center for Education Policy (OCEP) at the University of Oklahoma; he is also credited with being the founding director of OCEP, the Editor-in-Chief of the Oklahoma Education Journal, and holding a Research Affiliate position at Harvard University's Program on Education Policy and Governance, his accolades and published research, which according to the Governor's statement attest to his qualifications and readiness to helm the state's educational direction.
“I’m excited to bring Dan to the team,” Governor Stitt expressed his optimism for Hamlin's appointment, anticipating positive outcomes for the state's education sector, Hamlin himself, in a statement obtained by the governor's office, acknowledged the potential within the state and his eagerness to steer educational strategies, saying, “Oklahoma is a state that's full of promise, but our children need a strong education to pursue the opportunities available to them,” elaborating on his commitment to working collaboratively across the state to enhance the educational system and acknowledging the importance of such a concerted effort in actualizing the state's latent promise.
