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Gov. Kevin Stitt announced a new beginning for public education in Oklahoma on Thursday with ties back to Bartlesville.

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An air of excitement filled the library at Eisenhower International School in Tulsa as Gov. Kevin Stitt formally announced Lindel Fields, the former superintendent of Tri County Tech in Bartlesville, is now the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Fields replaces Ryan Walters, whose controversial tenure as state superintendent ended earlier this week.

The governor says Fields is the right man for the job to lead the Department of Education after a tumultuous time.

Fields retired from Tri County Tech in 2021 after 30 years in public education. In an emotional statement, Fields says the appointment as state superintendent is one that is deeply personal to him.

In the wake of Walters tenure, Fields says he is committed to taking care of the state's teachers.

Focusing on "steadying the ship," Fields laid out three principles he will bring to public education.

Oklahoma Senate Floor Leader Julie Daniels, a Republican from Bartlesville, attended Thursday's announcement. She says Fields is a proven leader, which is evident by the legacy he left at Tri County Tech.

Dr. Tammie Strobel is Fields' successor as superintendent at Tri County Tech. She worked with Fields for nearly 20 years. Strobel says it is a great day for Oklahoma.

Fields says he has no political ambitions at all and emphatically said he will not run for office. Instead, he says he wants to take this time to be a servant leader for all students, parents and teachers, taking the helm of the ship to guide it back on course for excellence.