About Tulsa Public Schools

Our students lead through literacy, are empowered through experience, and contribute to their community.

Our Students

Total enrollment: 33,572 students

84% economically disadvantaged

Student demographics

36% Multilingual learners*
13% students with disabilities
13% gifted and talented

Student Race/ethnicity

38% Hispanic/Latinx
22% Black
21% white
11% multiracial
4% American Indian or Alaska Native
3% Asian/Pacific islander

As of Oct. 2023

*Represents both current and former multilingual learners

77

45

schools offering free full-day pre-kindergarten programs

7

5

criteria-based magnet programs

11

4

high schools with embedded Tulsa Tech career-ready programs

2

3

Joined Team Tulsa - January 2023

Prior to coming to Tulsa Public Schools, Dr. Kathy Dodd served as Chief Innovation Officer and Deputy Superintendent for the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), where she was responsible for the allocation and transparent reporting of $2.3B in pandemic relief funds for 540 districts and private schools. Dr. Dodd has also served as the Regional Vice President for Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a national STEM education non-profit, as well as the Associate Superintendent of Union Public Schools. In addition to being a teacher, state science specialist, curriculum director, and data/assessment administrator, she is the co-author of two curricula from the OERB, Fossils to Fuel and PetroActive, designed to teach the science behind Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry.

Dr. Dodd holds a BS in elementary education from Oklahoma State University, an MS in educational administration, and a Ph.D. in educational foundations from the University of Oklahoma.

Joe Jennings

Chief Information and Analytics Officer
jennijo@tulsaschools.org

Joined Team Tulsa - 1991

I joined team Tulsa right after my education at NSU. My first job was as a budget accountant and was hired by Tulsa Public Schools and longtime Union CFO Debbie Jacoby. Talk about having a great first boss.

Education: B.S., Oklahoma State University; M.B.A., Northeastern State University.

Leader for: Data, analytics, and IT

Favorite Teacher: Memorial High School history teacher Mr. Travis Henderson, hands down. I remember he always referred to us as scholars and told us those who failed to learn the lessons of history were doomed to repeat them, or some variation. His approach to history was hands on and we had to team build and present our projects in class. Think STEM in the early 80s! Interesting turn of events, I was fortunate enough to be able to support his career throughout my various roles within the district.

Favorite place in Tulsa: As a lifelong Tulsan, except 4 years in Stillwater, there is a special place in my heart for Bell's Amusement Park. Now that Tulsa has so many awesome places that families can go explore and enjoy, it is hard to choose. However, right now it is the backyard, grilling with family and friends and trying to keep up with the grandkids.

Jana Burk

General Counsel
burkja@tulsaschools.org

Joined Team Tulsa - Spring 2011

I wanted challenging work on a high-performing team that improves outcomes for children and families.

Experience: Prior to my current position, my most recent Tulsa Public Schools experience involved leading the design of our district strategic plan and co-developing our teacher evaluation system with the district's teachers. Before working at TPS, I spent many years as a school law attorney, and though I taught middle school for only a brief period of time, it is one of my career highlights.

Education: B.A., Plan I, at University of Texas, Austin; J.D. at University of Texas, Austin

Leader for: Legal

Favorite Teacher: My global economic geography teacher at UT Austin. He opened my world and changed my life course by introducing me to a field of study that connects economics, demography, culture, sociology, environment and location.

Favorite place in Tulsa: The renovated Tulsa City/County Library - it's beautiful, it's a place for everyone, and the possibilities are endless.

By the Numbers

Our 5,272 Team Members*

Racial/Ethnic
Distribution of Our Team*

26% Black
5% American Indian or Alaska Native
2% Asian/Pacific Islander
12% Hispanic/Latinx
54% White

*As of January 18, 2024

3rd Largest Employer
in the Tulsa Area*

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Board of Education

Our Strategic Plan

Pathways to Opportunity is the culmination of many candid community conversations, insights and suggestions from every corner of our city, and the very best thinking of our system’s educators, school leaders, support professionals, parents, students, partners, and advocates. Click here to learn more.

Mission and Vision

Our Core Values

Equity

We know that our diversity is a community treasure, and we are committed to dismantling practices and systems that perpetuate inequities, being actively anti-bias, anti-racist, and working toward justice and opportunity for all.

Character

We are honest, trustworthy, and have high standards of behavior. We make decisions based on what our students and community need, and we do the right thing even when it is hard.

Excellence

We work together to give Tulsa the world-class schools it needs and deserves. We expect a lot of one another, and we support one another in achieving our shared, high expectations.

Team

We care for one another and work together to celebrate success, learn from struggles, and work to help every team member be their best selves.

Joy

Joy at school and at work makes us more productive, because when we create, innovate, and imagine, our motivation grows. Also, we love to have fun!

Our Beliefs

Our Students Can

Every child can learn. Every child has talent. Every child has value. To succeed in a competitive world and to serve as the next generation of leaders, students must engage in their education, own their learning, and feel accepted and supported in our schools.

Our Teachers Make it Happen

Extraordinary teachers are the heart of successful schools, and they deserve working conditions and environments that promote educator professional growth and fulfillment. We must foster learning communities where teachers can continually hone their craft and content knowledge to design engaging learning experiences that meet the needs of every child.

Our Principals are Key

Principals’ responsibilities are strategic, vast, and intense. As leaders, they must be visible, hire the right staff, cultivate talent, build relationships with families and communities, foster positive and safe school cultures, and ensure results. We must support principals’ growth as instructional leaders who strengthen the quality of teaching and learning in all classrooms.

Our District is "All In"

Effective teams collaborate and continually assess and improve their service to schools. This means our employees and board must work together, reflect, adjust, think ahead, and innovate in service of powerful teaching and learning.

Our Community is Essential

High quality schools are vital to the health of our community. Our children and schools need all of us—educators, families, and community partners. We must engage our families and all of Tulsa by embracing transparency, holding ourselves accountable to high standards, proactively communicating, and working as a team toward the success of every student.

Our Progress

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District News

Tulsa Public Schools teachers selected as 2024 Oklahoma Colonial Williamsburg fellows

EDGE students volunteer with Food on the Move

Middle school athletes attend FUEL Girls in Sport Summit

Video: Indian Education Honor Dance (opens in new window/tab)

Students attend Farm to School event

Departments and Services