I am humbled to be your new State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Now I’m getting to work.

I’m not interested in boasting about media coverage, but I do want to keep you up to date on the latest news. So in case you missed it, Oklahoma media outlets over the last few weeks have outlined some of my goals. You might find these articles interesting and informative, so I’m providing links to some of them here:

• The Oklahoman’s Megan Rolland first shared some details of my vision for transforming the state’s education system in a story that ran just before Christmas.
• News 9 ran a feature story that previewed my agenda last week.
• The AP’s Murray Evans prepared a lengthy article about my plans for reforms.
• And on Sunday, The Tulsa World’s Andrea Eger put together an in-depth Q&A about my goals.

In coming weeks, you’ll hear more about the agenda for change that I intend to shepherd as the new chief of Oklahoma’s public education system. I’ll be talking more about three prominent themes that I consider the new fundamentals for the 21st Century: rethink, restructure and reform.

Think of them as the new “3R’s” for Oklahoma’s future.

We must rethink our entire approach to education in the 21st Century. We should buck the status quo and stop making excuses that only make adults feel better about themselves. Our children don’t have time for antiquated approaches that hold them back. We should empower parents and children, and embrace new tools like digital learning. It’s time to compete globally in the knowledge economy.

We must restructure Oklahoma’s State Department of Education to ensure that dollars are getting into the classroom, rather than concentrating critical funds on administrative overhead. I intend to transform the State Department of Education from being primarily a regulatory agency into a service organization for parents and children. I’ll also move quickly to conduct a financial and performance audit of the department.

Finally, we must enact bold reforms. That means demanding accountability, rewarding great schools and great teachers, giving parents more and better choices, implementing a clear-cut grading system for schools so we all know where things stand, and making it easier to fire bad teachers.

I’ll share more details about all of these important changes as we forge ahead. After two decades without a leadership change, I’m excited about getting to work for our state’s children.

I couldn’t do any of this without your support. I am honored that you have entrusted this important office to me. I will work hard every single day to provide our state’s children with the opportunities for learning that they deserve — and to transform Oklahoma’s education system for the better.