OKLAHOMA CITY – As of Oct. 1, Ryan Walters is no longer the state’s superintendent of public instruction.
Walters, who told a national television audience last week that he was leaving his elected post as the state’s chief common education officer, sent his official letter of resignation to Gov. Kevin Stitt, Senate Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton and House Speaker Kyle Hilbert on Sept. 30, just hours before he was set to take over a conservative group that targets teachers’ unions.
Stitt received Walters’ letter just after 4 p.m.
“After much thought and prayer, I have decided at the end of today, September 30, 2025, I will step down from my position as Oklahoma’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction,” Walters wrote.
Walters wrote that his office had advanced reforms many believe could never be achieved.
“We returned decision-making power to parents. We demanded transparency in our schools. We expanded choice and opportunity so families, not bureaucrats, could shape the future of their children,” he wrote. “We raised expectations in our classrooms and defended Oklahoma values against agendas that distracted from learning. These accomplishments belong not only to me, but to the parents, teachers, students, and legislators who stood firm in the belief that Oklahoma can lead the way.”
While Walters touted a number of accomplishments during his tenure as state superintendent, many of those changes won’t be permanent, the chairman of the Senate’s Education Committee said.
State Sen. Adam Pugh, a Republican from Edmond, told The Oklahoman newspaper that mandates such as teaching from the Bible, starting a Turning Point USA chapter in each public school, paying for school lunches for all students and immediately ending high-stakes standardized testing – effectively will disappear once Walters leaves office.
Pugh said those mandates had no statutory authority.
“Nothing happens, because nothing was going to happen, because there wasn’t statutory authority to do it,” Pugh told the newspaper. “I’ve always maintained that position, because we have to be able to say, ‘What is the administrative authority to do something?’ It’s only what you’re given by law to do.”
Walters’ delayed exit also forced Stitt to wait until the last moment to name a new education leader. On Wednesday, the Tulsa World published a story which indicated that Stitt had chosen a replacement for Walters.
The newspaper said Stitt chose retired CareerTech administrator and Tulsa resident Lindel Fields, 54, as his choice to serve out the remainder of Ryan Walters’ unexpired term.
On Thursday, Stitt officially announced Fields’ appointment.
Stitt said Fields was a veteran educator with more than 30 years of experience in Oklahoma’s CareerTech system.
Fields began his career in 1991 as an educator at the Dick Conner Correctional Center and was quickly promoted to Director of Instruction, overseeing correctional training programs statewide. He later served as Assistant Director at Central Tech before joining Tri County Technology Center in 1999, where he became Superintendent & CEO in 2009.
Under Fields’ leadership, Tri County Tech earned national recognition for innovation, student achievement and organizational culture. Fields retired in 2021. He is also the founder of Culture Coach, a company that helps businesses and schools nationwide build strong cultures to improve retention, efficiency and outcomes.
The governor said Fields’ appointment offers “a new day for Oklahoma students.”
“I want us to be top ten in everything we do, and we need a top ten education system to achieve that. Lindel will give the agency a fresh start and get it back to its mission of producing top tier students,” the governor said. “I’m excited to appoint my first superintendent of public instruction, and I know great things are ahead.”
For his part, Fields said he was grateful to Governor Stitt for his trust. “As his first appointed superintendent of public instruction, I look forward to implementing his vision for the education of Oklahoma students. We are going to turn this department around and equip our students with the skills they need to make Oklahoma the best state it can be,” Fields said.
Stitt’s choice, the paper said, signaled a sharp departure from the headline-grabbing, cable TV news-seeking style of Walters. Neither Stitt nor Fields could be reached for comment.
Stitt also named University of Oklahoma professor Dan Hamlin as his secretary of education. “I’m excited to bring Dan to the team,” the governor said. “He brings a new perspective that will pay dividends as we work to stabilize the Oklahoma State Department of Education and turnaround our education system.”
Hamlin said Oklahoma is full of promise, but added that state children “need a strong education to pursue the opportunities available to them. For many years, I have dedicated my work to researching how to strengthen education systems, so I am thrilled to have an opportunity to work with our partners across the state to do just that.”
State lawmakers will return to the Capitol in February 2026 for the Second Session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature.