Dr. John Cox, a longtime teacher and superintendent in Oklahoma is running for the office of State Superintendent.

With multiple advanced degrees in education as well as decades of working in the Oklahoma School System, Cox represents not only the highest levels of professional competence but also a keen understanding of what is needed to fix Oklahoma’s broken school system.

Cox believes it is a priority to support and trust Oklahoma’s teachers. Without strong, dedicated teachers, it is impossible to teach our children. Dr. Cox believes we have a strong base of experienced, certified teachers to build on.

“Many teachers are still here who have been dedicated to the children of Oklahoma for decades. However, I recognize that without the right resources, Oklahoma will struggle to attract and retain teachers. In today’s work environment, corporations are recruiting young teachers out of college at a much higher salary,” Cox said.

Cox understands from his inside-theclassroom experience that the critical needs of education are not being met, and he promises to bring a clear focus to those needs along with plans on how Oklahoma can start moving in the right direction.

Dr. Cox also believes in providing safe and secure schools.

“Protecting our students from indoctrination, inappropriate materials, sexual predators, or harmful intruders, is of the highest priority, and will be a focus of my administration.” he said.

As an advocate for stronger investment in our public schools, Cox knows that the answers are not political. They are educational.

He said his plan is to first, educate the public and the legislature about the defined needs of education and then engage all parties in an exploration of ways to meet those needs.

Strong Pre-K through eighth grade curriculums, Cox believes, plus greater flexibility in high school courses will best meet the individual interests of each student and enable them to have more and better career choices.

Cox said he is also a strong supporter of local control of schools by our locally elected board members.

After getting his Associate of Arts degree from NEO A&M, Cox went on to earn his Bachelor in Education from Northeastern State University, a Master’s in Counseling from NSU, and then a Doctorate in Education Administration from Oklahoma State University. He has also served in officer and leadership positions with several statewide education organizations.