2014 campaign The
Tulsa World had been speculating that State Superintendent
Janet Barresi would face a serious primary challenge since October 2012. On April 24, 2013, Hofmeister resigned from the
Oklahoma State Board of Education to consider a run for State Superintendent. On January 7, 2014, Hofmeister announced her exploratory campaign's steering committee, which included 20
Republican state legislators. In her formal campaign announcement, Hofmeister denounced what she called the Barresi "reign of terror", critiquing the incumbent for a "cookie cutter" and "one size fits all" approach to education reform. During the campaign Barresi requested copies, under Oklahoma's open records laws, of all emails Hofmeister had exchanged with
Jenks Public Schools since 2007. Hofmeister had been a parent of a JPS student and served on the board of the Jenks Public Schools Foundation. Two of Barresi's campaign staffers reviewed over 7,000 pages of emails. The campaign later requested all emails between Hofmeister and
Tulsa Public Schools,
Sand Springs Public Schools,
Sapulpa Public Schools, and
Union Public Schools. Barresi had a financial lead over Hofmeister throughout the campaign, ultimately spending almost $910,000 of her own money. and won the June 2014 Republican primary, defeating Barresi. She defeated
Democrat John Cox in the November general election. She was sworn in as Oklahoma's 14th Superintendent of Public Instruction on January 12, 2015. The program was expanded to allow a district to choose between ACT or SAT in 2016. In 2017, the program sparked a 29 percent increase in ACT participation. In 2016, Hofmeister led the charge to eliminate statewide end-of-instruction (EOI) exams for high school students, reducing the number of standardized tests to only those required under federal law (except US History), thereby significantly reducing testing costs.
Campaign finance investigation In 2014,
Oklahoma County District Attorney
David Prater announced his office was investigating complaints alleging that Hofmeister's campaign for superintendent and a "dark money"
PAC. The investigation stemmed from emails the District Attorney's office received from the campaign of
Janet Barresi, Hofmeister's opponent. Hofmeister had allegedly met with Chad Alexander in April 2013, and Alexander later ran an anti-Barresi PAC. Hofmeister denounced the investigation as politically motivated. Hofmeister was arrested in 2016, and charged with conspiracy and campaign finance violations in Oklahoma County. She denied wrongdoing and said: "I will vigorously defend my integrity and reputation against any suggestion of wrongdoing ... And I will fight the allegations that have been made against me."
Oklahoma Democrats, as well as a few Republicans, called for Hofmeister to resign. On August 1, 2017, District Attorney David Prater dismissed all charges against Hofmeister. Charges against four other defendants were also dropped. Hofmeister said, "I knew I was innocent and that I had conducted myself appropriately, and I am happy that this day has come."
2018 campaign Second term The conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute rated the Oklahoma ESSA accountability plan, included in "Oklahoma Edge," among the highest in the nation. In 2018, the Oklahoma Legislature passed House Bill 1010xx, which raised more than half a billion dollars in revenue for the state. The landmark legislation, the first to earn the required three-fourths majority in both chambers since 1992, allowed for the first teacher pay raise in 10 years – an average salary increase of $6,100 for certified personnel. In addition, all full-time school support staff received a pay increase of $1,250. This measure was a significant victory for Hofmeister, who had advocated for competitive teacher pay since first taking office. Hofmeister has worked to initiate a discussion surrounding mental health and resiliency for children, exploring the science of childhood trauma and its effects on learning. The Oklahoma State Department of Education organized statewide summits in 2018 and 2019, offering training for educators who are often the first to encounter trauma in individual children. Hofmeister is also pursuing the addition of a School Counselor Corps to increase the number of counselors in schools. == 2022 gubernatorial campaign ==