State Supt. Joy Hofmeister Reflects On 8 Years In Office, Talks Next Chapter

For eight years, Joy Hofmeister has served at the top of education in the state as superintendent.

She has been a champion for students, parents and teachers, putting an emphasis on competitive teacher pay and adequate resources for students such as trauma-informed instruction.

News 9 sat down with Hofmeister as her term wrapped up about her accomplishments in office, and her hopes for the future of education in Oklahoma.

“Well, it's just a new chapter," Hofmeister said. “We have to stay vigilant with transparency, with accountability, with taxpayer dollars, and keep those in Oklahoma public schools so that our parents are able to have a top choice in their neighborhood school just around the corner."

She told News 9 that she is proud of the partnership between the legislature, department of education, teachers and parents.

“It's a time where we had to assess where we are, where the needs are and work together to support student outcomes," Hofmeister said.

One of the most difficult times in education was navigating through the pandemic. Through this time, Hofmeister had daily or weekly Zoom calls with teachers, administrators and state leaders to figure out the best way to move forward. 

She said this created such a unique relationship between educators across the state that she hopes continues.

“What it did was it knit us together, helped us navigate challenges that nobody ever expected they would have to navigate," Hofmeister said.

She said something they learned during this time was the need for trauma-informed instruction. She said this put a spotlight on children who have problems at home including trauma, mental illness, and poverty. 

“The world outside the classroom impacts the world inside every schoolhouse. We have to meet our kids where they are, and I hope we will continue to do that," Hofmeister said.

Hofmeister also commended stakeholders that pulled together to lift expectations for academic standards in the state, saying Oklahoma is now among the top in the nation. 

She adds that the state is at record-enrollment, hitting 700,000 kids in public school for only the second time in history.

She said she hopes the focus will continue to stay on getting top notch teachers into the classroom, and working to combat the teacher shortage.

“I really championed the need for teacher pay raises to be competitive and we did accomplish that with a lot of hard work and collaboration, but it's time to revisit that again," Hofmeister said.

As for what's next for Hofmeister, she said she plans to spend time with her family, especially her children and grandchildren. 

She said as she begins this new chapter though, her priorities and focus will stay the same.

"We're all impacted by the success of our kids and I think that needs to be the focus for everyone, and it certainly will remain my focus," Hofmeister said.

The new State Supt. Ryan Walters will be inaugurated on Jan. 9. 

News 9 sat down with Walters as well to talk about the first things he will plan to tackle in the position, and his response will air next Wednesday on News 9.