John M. Folks

John M. Folks was born in Carter, Oklahoma, to Cecil and Walene Folks, both schoolteachers. He attended the University of Oklahoma and earned a bachelor's and doctoral degree. He started his career teaching in Port Arthur, Texas, where he was the teacher of the year in 1970. In 1972, he moved to Oklahoma City where he worked for Western Heights Public Schools.^[1] Folks was appointed Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction on July 1, 1984, by Governor George Nigh after Leslie R. Fisher resigned.^[2] He resigned on June 30, 1988, and was succeeded in office by Gerald Hoeltzel.^[3]

After leaving office he was the superintendent for Western Heights Public Schools, the dean of the school of education at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, the superintendent of Spring Independent School District from 1997 to 2002, and the superintendent of Northside Independent School District from 2002 to 2012.^[1]