Governor Stitt names Bridal Fields as Oklahoma education chief, unveils 'turnaround team'

Tulsa — Governor Stitt announced the appointment of Bridal Fields as the new leader of the Oklahoma Department of Education and introduced a statewide “turnaround team” onstage at Eisenhower International School, saying the move begins "a new season" for students, families and teachers.

"This appointment is important, not just because it marks a new leadership in the department, but because it also signifies this mindset shift," the governor said, framing the hire as part of a broader effort to steady the agency. He urged lawmakers to place a ballot measure letting future governors appoint the superintendent, saying the change would better align leadership with statewide goals.

Bridal Fields, who the governor described as a "lifelong educator" and a business owner, outlined three priorities if confirmed in the role: improving reading proficiency, recruiting and retaining teachers, and expanding career pathways for students. "Every student deserves the gift of literacy," the appointee said, and added that the agency must "take care of the people who take care of the students."

At the event the governor named members of a turnaround team who he said will help review operations, contracts and vendors inside the department. He also announced Dan Hamlin will join the administration as "secretary of education," and Hamlin said he is "looking forward to the work" and to working with partners across the state to enact changes.

Reporters pressed the governor and the new team on several issues during a question-and-answer period. Rick Marin of Fox 23 asked about teacher morale; the appointee said improving morale begins with recognition and meaningful work for educators. A reporter asked whether the appointee plans to run for office; the appointee replied, "No," and said the focus will be on agency work rather than campaigning.

Reporters also asked about reassessing controversial contracts. When asked specifically about contracts that have been criticized as political, including with external providers named in the transcript, officials said they would review all contracts and assess their value to students, describing the review as a near-term priority for the team.

The governor reiterated his view that the state has made fiscal progress, saying Oklahoma now has "record savings, over $3,000,000,000," and that a larger share of college graduates are remaining in the state than in past years. Those numeric claims were presented by the governor in his remarks.

On questions about the timing of the previous superintendent's resignation, the governor said he first received a text asking to meet and that the formal resignation letter arrived the following Tuesday; he characterized the sequence as consistent with the timeline he described.

The event ended without any formal vote; the announced hires and the governor's request to the legislature are the immediate next steps. The legislature would need to act to place an appointment-authority question on the ballot, and the turnaround team will begin an internal review of the department's operations and contracts.