Joined Team Tulsa - July 2015 

In doing research on Tulsa, it was clear that there was something special underway in the city—and that Tulsans care a great deal about education. Tulsa captured my heart, and I'm committed to leading alongside many dedicated educators and staff to ensure that each young Tulsan is able to realize their full potential.

Experience: My career in education started as a Teach for America corps member in Houston, TX. Over the last 20 years, I’ve worked for Providence Public Schools, Syracuse City School District, and Achievement First serving as a teacher, literacy coach, curriculum director, and chief academic officer. I came to Tulsa as the district’s chief of staff in 2015 and took on the role of deputy superintendent in 2016.

Education: B.A., University of Notre Dame; M.Ed., Lesley University; M.A., University of Rhode Island

Favorite Teacher: Christophe Kougniazonde at Notre Dame challenged my thinking early in my post-secondary career. As I became a teacher, I realized the gift that Christophe gave to me—a deep belief in the power of transformative relationships and the role that we can play in creating connectedness and helping young people make meaning of the world around them.

Favorite place in Tulsa: I'm less into places and more into experiences. A current favorite is mountain biking in Turkey Mountain followed by a coffee at Double Shot or Hodges Bend.

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.

Joined Team Tulsa - January 2023

Kathy Dodd currently serves as Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, utilizing innovation and design to achieve district goals and optimize systems. In this role, she oversees the Strategy, Network Support, and Communications teams. Dr. Dodd monitors education legislation and policy and works closely with community stakeholders to maximize investments in districtwide initiatives.  

Prior to coming to Tulsa Public Schools, Dr. 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.