Daniel Hamlin will become the 13th dean of the College of Education, the University announced in a June 29 news release. Hamlin discussed how he hopes to change the narrative around teaching and increase mentorship for young educators in the school.

“When this opportunity came up to be able to become dean of the College of Education at the University of Texas, I mean, I was obviously thrilled and honored by the opportunity,” Hamlin said. “What happens at the University of Texas, the programs that are undertaken and the research that’s done actually has a national impact.”

Hamlin begins his term on Aug. 16, succeeding Charles Martinez, the current dean. Martinez will stay at the school as a faculty member when his term ends. 

 Hamlin currently serves as Oklahoma’s secretary of education and is a professor of education policy at the University of Oklahoma. Hamlin said he hopes to change the narrative surrounding the teaching profession, shifting the focus of the profession from its difficulties to its rewards.

“We need to do a better job of communicating to young people considering the field of education (and) the impact that they can have,” Hamlin said. “There’s not too many jobs … where you can have an impact every single day, and you can shape the next generation. Everything that you do on a daily basis really matters … you hear that from teachers all the time, and it’s why a lot of them say they wouldn’t do anything else.”

Hamlin said he wants to increase support and mentorship for early-career teachers to encourage them to stay in the profession. He plans to do so by continuing programs like Longhorns in Residence and the Superintendent Lab, which enable teaching experience and conduct education policy research, respectively. 

“(This school) is really one of the highest performing colleges of education in the country, and really in the world,” Hamlin said. “We want to make sure that as I come into the role, that all of the different initiatives … that the college is undertaking continue to be well supported.”

In his work as Oklahoma’s secretary of education, Hamlin worked to implement education policy passed by the legislature, which he said has prepared him well for his new role.

“A lot of the work that I’ve done is administrative, and I think translates quite well to what someone would be doing within a college of education,” Hamlin said. “You’re working across different departments to coordinate on different initiatives, you’re working with faculty, you’re working with students, donors, community partners to get people rowing together to try to achieve common goals.” 

Hamlin holds a M.A. from Sejong University in South Korea and a PhD from the University of Toronto. He said his international experience has informed his perspective on American education.

“You want an education system that’s the great equalizer, that provides that opportunity for anyone who puts in the effort,” Hamlin said. “That’s the promise of education, and so that’s what’s underneath a lot of what I do.”