Stitt wants state schools superintendent to be appointed, not elected

Gov. Kevin Stitt wants Oklahoma's state schools chief to be appointed, a move that would give the governor more control over public education.

Under the current system, Oklahoma voters elect a superintendent of public instruction — the state's top public education official, who leads the state Department of Education and serves on the state Board of Education.

To change the current structure, legislators would have to refer to the ballot a constitutional amendment asking voters to decide whether Oklahoma’s state superintendent should be appointed instead of elected.

Riding high after the Legislature expanded his power last year, Stitt has shifted his focus to re-envisioning the state's education structure. At least one high-ranking member of Oklahoma's Republican-controlled Legislature supports changing how the state superintendent is selected.