44 Years in Education.
Not One Day in Politics.
“Oklahoma doesn’t need more chaos in education. We need leadership that knows what works, what’s broken, and how to fix it.”
Robert Franklin has spent more than four decades serving Oklahoma students, families, and schools — not from the sidelines, but from the classroom, the principal’s office, district leadership, CareerTech, and higher education.
He’s been a special education teacher, assistant principal, high school principal, assistant superintendent, Associate Superintendent at Tulsa Tech, and now teaches future school leaders at OU-Tulsa.
Robert has spent his life doing the real work of education — helping students succeed, supporting teachers, building career pathways, and creating opportunities for kids from every background.
He’s not running to play politics.
He’s running because Oklahoma schools are falling behind — and he knows we can do better.
Robert believes in back-to-basics academics, parent involvement, school choice with accountability, discipline in the classroom, and making sure students graduate with a real path to success.
He’s a conservative, a proven leader, and a man of deep faith, family, and conviction.
Robert Franklin knows what works — and he knows what’s broken.
Oklahoma students deserve better than political noise, ideological distractions, and a system that’s lost focus. Robert Franklin will bring serious leadership, real accountability, and proven solutions to public education.
Reading. Math. Discipline. Real Learning.
Robert Franklin believes Oklahoma schools must get back to the fundamentals that matter most: reading, math, classroom discipline, and strong academic expectations.
That means focusing on early literacy, numeracy, and making sure students have the foundation they need before they fall behind. It also means supporting teachers with the tools and training they need to help students succeed.
Less politics.
More learning.
Parents should be respected, informed, and engaged.
Parents deserve a voice in their child’s education.
Robert supports parental involvement, transparency, and common sense in the classroom. He believes schools should partner with families every step of the way.
He also believes Oklahoma education should stay focused on preparing students for life — not chasing every political fad or culture war distraction that takes attention away from student achievement.
Choice matters — but so do results.
Robert Franklin supports school choice and believes families should have options.
But he also believes Oklahoma must keep its eye on the real goal: helping students learn, grow, and succeed.
That means school choice should come with high standards, clear accountability, and a commitment to making sure education dollars are used wisely and effectively.
Robert’s approach is simple:
Support innovation. Demand results. Stay focused on students.
Every student deserves a path to a good job and a strong future.
Not every student’s path looks the same — and Oklahoma needs to do a better job preparing young people for real opportunity.
Robert helped expand workforce and technical education opportunities through Tulsa Tech and has spent years building partnerships between schools, business leaders, and industry.
He believes students should graduate with a pathway that fits their future — whether that’s:
CareerTech
College
Apprenticeships
Certifications
Workforce training
Education should help students build a life — not just check a box.
Respect the people doing the work — and raise the standard.
Oklahoma needs to stop treating teachers like the enemy and start treating them like professionals.
Robert believes we should support educators, improve professional development, and recruit strong leaders into the classroom — while also expecting real results for students.
He understands that if Oklahoma wants better outcomes, we need better support systems, stronger leadership, and a culture that values excellence.
We can be pro-teacher and pro-accountability at the same time.
Oklahoma doesn’t need another politician running education.
Robert Franklin has spent 44 years in Oklahoma education — from special education classrooms to district leadership to statewide innovation and policy work.
He’s helped lead:
He’s seen what works.
He’s seen what fails.
And he knows the difference between political theater and real leadership.
