Jennettie Marshall, a Democrat and former Tulsa Public Schools board member, is running for Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Robert Franklin.

Marshall, who served on the Tulsa Public Schools board representing District 3 from 2017 to 2025 according to BallotReady, has centered her campaign on teacher pay, school funding transparency and special education services.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Office sought: Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Education: Associate's degree in political science and government, Tulsa Junior College; bachelor's degree in corrections, Langston University; master's degree in management, Southern Nazarene University; associate's degree in funeral service and mortuary science, Dallas Institute of Funeral Service; master of religious arts in divinity, Integrity Seminary; doctorate in pastoral psychology, Integrity Seminary, according to her campaign website and BallotReady

Experience and public service

Marshall says she served 17 years as a probation and parole officer and case manager for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. She also says she worked three years as a child welfare investigator with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

She has served as a chaplain for the Tulsa Police Department and for Supporters of Families with Sickle Cell Disease, according to her campaign website. Marshall says she founded Reclaim Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity, in 1994. She is the founding pastor of Living Sanctuary Evangelistic Ministries and says she has been preaching and serving congregations throughout Oklahoma for more than 32 years.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Marshall's campaign website and her responses to a BallotReady questionnaire.

Teacher pay and retention

Marshall says raising teacher salaries to be competitive with neighboring states and the national average is vital to addressing Oklahoma's teacher shortage. She says the state should support and mentor new teachers to reduce turnover rather than rely solely on signing bonuses. She also calls for reducing administrative burdens on educators and providing adequate classroom resources.

School funding and budget transparency

Marshall says she would push for a top-to-bottom review of the Oklahoma State Department of Education to ensure it operates with maximum efficiency. She says taxpayer dollars should reach classrooms rather than being diverted to what she calls political operatives or unnecessary bureaucratic functions. She says districts should be transparent about how funding is spent, particularly the share that directly benefits instruction.

Special education

Marshall says every student with an individualized education program should receive the services outlined in their plan. She calls for reducing caseloads for special education teachers and ensuring state funding allocated for special education reaches students who need it.

Curriculum and accountability

Marshall says schools should focus on core academic subjects like reading, writing and math, saying Oklahoma students are falling behind in these areas. She says curriculum standards should be academically rigorous and free from political influence. She also says the state should address chronic absenteeism by collaborating with communities to re-engage students and families.

Parental involvement

Marshall says parents are a child's first teacher and calls for policies that promote communication between parents, teachers and administrators. She says parents should have easy access to information about their child's curriculum, learning materials and academic progress.

The Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction leads the state education department, which oversees public education policy, curriculum standards, school funding distribution and teacher certification for all Oklahoma public schools, including Oklahoma City-area districts.

Candidate responses were collected through BallotReady's questionnaire process and the candidate's campaign website. The Oklahoma City Ledger did not interview the candidate for this profile.