Sandy Garrett
Encyclopedia
Sandy Garrett is a retired American
Democratic politician
from the US state of Oklahoma
. Garrett is the former Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction.
She was first elected to this office in 1990, and again in 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006. Garrett is the only woman to hold the office of Superintendent and is the only woman to hold a statewide office for five consecutive terms. In 2010, after the campaign announcement by Janet Barresi, later Garrett announced that she would not seek a sixth term in office.
, and later graduated from Stilwell High School. She received her bachelor's degree
and master's degrees from Northeastern State University
. Garrett briefly pursued but did not complete her postgraduate education at the University of Oklahoma
and the John F. Kennedy School of Government
at Harvard University
. She later returned to Muskogee where she spent 15 years as a teacher and a gifted programs coordinator in Muskogee County
schools. After her years as a teacher, Garrett joined the Oklahoma State Department of Education as the Gifted and Talented Programs Coordinator. She would later became Executive Director of Education Programs, which included rural education, technology, satellite instruction, media applications, and library resources.
Throughout her career in Oklahoma Department of Education, Garrett was an outspoken advocate for children and active participant in education reform. She played a pivotal role in implementing the state's Learning by Satellite program and in establishing a two-way interactive fiber-optic instruction system in the Panhandle region drew national attention to Oklahoma in the 1980s. In 1988, she was named Cabinet Secretary of Education
by Republican
Governor of Oklahoma
Henry Bellmon
. Following the election of Democrat
David Walters
as Governor, Garrett remained in that position.
In 1990, Garrett was the first woman elected to serve as the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction
. As the Chief Executive Officer
of the State Department of Education, Superintendent Garrett has led the timely implementation of the mandates of Oklahoma 's landmark Education Reform Act of 1990. Additionally, since taking office in 1991, she has downsized the Department, saving taxpayers a cumulative $52.7 million. A hallmark of her administration, Superintendent Garrett's administration has been key to the development of Oklahoma's Pre-Kindergarten programs throughout the state. Garret has raised standards to the extent that Oklahoma is recognized as a national model by the National Institute for Early Education Research. Increasing academic standards, improving reading skills, bringing technology to the classroom and making schools safer are also priorities Superintendent Garrett continues to pursue.
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
|-
!Year
!Office
!Election
!Votes for Garrett
!%
!Opponent
!Party
!Votes
!%
|-
|1994
|Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction
|General
| |
| |51%
| |Linda Murphy
| |Republican
| |
| |49%
|-
|1998
|Superintendent of Public Instruction
|General
| |520,270
| |61%
| |Linda Murphy
| |Republican
| |343,291
| |39%
|-
|2002
|Superintendent of Public Instruction
|General
| |609,851
| |60%
| |Lloyd Roettger
| |Republican
| |411,814
| |40%
|-
|2006
|Superintendent of Public Instruction
|General
| |576,304
| |63%
| |Bill Crozier
| |Republican
| |343,900
| |37%
|-
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Democratic politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the US state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. Garrett is the former Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction.
She was first elected to this office in 1990, and again in 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006. Garrett is the only woman to hold the office of Superintendent and is the only woman to hold a statewide office for five consecutive terms. In 2010, after the campaign announcement by Janet Barresi, later Garrett announced that she would not seek a sixth term in office.
Biography
Sandy Garrett was born in Muskogee, OklahomaMuskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
, and later graduated from Stilwell High School. She received her bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and master's degrees from Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University is a public university with its main campus located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States, at the foot of the Ozark Mountains. Northeastern's home, Tahlequah, is also the capital of the Cherokee nation of Oklahoma...
. Garrett briefly pursued but did not complete her postgraduate education at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and the John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. She later returned to Muskogee where she spent 15 years as a teacher and a gifted programs coordinator in Muskogee County
Muskogee County, Oklahoma
Muskogee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 70,990. Its county seat is Muskogee.-Government:...
schools. After her years as a teacher, Garrett joined the Oklahoma State Department of Education as the Gifted and Talented Programs Coordinator. She would later became Executive Director of Education Programs, which included rural education, technology, satellite instruction, media applications, and library resources.
Throughout her career in Oklahoma Department of Education, Garrett was an outspoken advocate for children and active participant in education reform. She played a pivotal role in implementing the state's Learning by Satellite program and in establishing a two-way interactive fiber-optic instruction system in the Panhandle region drew national attention to Oklahoma in the 1980s. In 1988, she was named Cabinet Secretary of Education
Oklahoma State Cabinet
The Cabinet of the Governor of Oklahoma is a body of the most senior appointed officials of the executive branch of the government of Oklahoma. Originally an informal meeting between the Governor of Oklahoma and various government officials, the Governor's Cabinet has evolved into a major part of...
by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Henry Bellmon
Henry Bellmon
Henry Louis "Harry" Bellmon was an American Republican politician from Oklahoma. He was a member of the Oklahoma Legislature, the 18th and 23rd Governor of Oklahoma , and a two-term United States Senator.-Service in World War II:Bellmon was born in Tonkawa, Oklahoma and graduated from Billings...
. Following the election of Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
David Walters
David Walters
David Lee Walters was the 24th Governor of Oklahoma from 1991 to 1995.-Biography:Walters was born near Canute, Oklahoma. He graduated as valedictorian from Canute High School in 1969. He later graduated from University of Oklahoma in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering...
as Governor, Garrett remained in that position.
In 1990, Garrett was the first woman elected to serve as the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction
The Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes called the Oklahoma State School Superintendent, is the chief executive officer for the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the President of the Oklahoma State Board of Education...
. As the Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the State Department of Education, Superintendent Garrett has led the timely implementation of the mandates of Oklahoma 's landmark Education Reform Act of 1990. Additionally, since taking office in 1991, she has downsized the Department, saving taxpayers a cumulative $52.7 million. A hallmark of her administration, Superintendent Garrett's administration has been key to the development of Oklahoma's Pre-Kindergarten programs throughout the state. Garret has raised standards to the extent that Oklahoma is recognized as a national model by the National Institute for Early Education Research. Increasing academic standards, improving reading skills, bringing technology to the classroom and making schools safer are also priorities Superintendent Garrett continues to pursue.
Awards
- The Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 2001
- Named one of the “Fifty Making a Difference” in Oklahoma by The Journal Record.
- She was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in March 2001
- Inducted into the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame in August 2000
- Member of the Northeastern State University Alumni Association Hall of Fame.
- She received the First Lady's Leadership in Literacy Award in November 2000.
- On April 28, 2009, the Oklahoma Alliance for Geographic Education awarded Superintendent Garrett the “2009 James M. Goodman Friend of Geography Award.” Earlier in the same month, she received the “Vision Award” from the Oklahoma State Teachers of the Year Association. In November 2008, Superintendent Garrett was presented the “Equal Opportunity Award” from the Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City in honor of her “leadership and contributions to improving urban education."
- She received the Kate Barnard Award for lifetime leadership; presented in February 2010 by the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women
Election history
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
|-
!Year
!Office
!Election
!Votes for Garrett
!%
!Opponent
!Party
!Votes
!%
|-
|1994
|Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction
|General
| |
| |51%
| |Linda Murphy
Linda Murphy
Linda Murphy is an American teacher and politician from Oklahoma. Murphy was the Republican nominee for Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1994 and 1998.-Biography:...
| |Republican
| |
| |49%
|-
|1998
|Superintendent of Public Instruction
|General
| |520,270
| |61%
| |Linda Murphy
Linda Murphy
Linda Murphy is an American teacher and politician from Oklahoma. Murphy was the Republican nominee for Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1994 and 1998.-Biography:...
| |Republican
| |343,291
| |39%
|-
|2002
|Superintendent of Public Instruction
|General
| |609,851
| |60%
| |Lloyd Roettger
| |Republican
| |411,814
| |40%
|-
|2006
|Superintendent of Public Instruction
|General
| |576,304
| |63%
| |Bill Crozier
Bill Crozier
Bill Crozier was the 2006 Republican candidate for Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction losing to Sandy Garrett.Crozier is an advocate of instructing students to use textbooks as shields against projectiles in the event of a school invasion....
| |Republican
| |343,900
| |37%
|-
External links
- Official website
- Audio interview with her and her 2006 challenger, Bill CrozierBill CrozierBill Crozier was the 2006 Republican candidate for Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction losing to Sandy Garrett.Crozier is an advocate of instructing students to use textbooks as shields against projectiles in the event of a school invasion....
.