District News

This morning, the Oklahoma State Department of Education named Tulsa Public Schools 2021 Teacher of the Year Donna Ross as one of 12 finalists for the 2022 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year. In May, Tulsa Public Schools named Ross as the 2021 Teacher of the Year at a special event to celebrate the district’s Teachers of the Year from schools and sites throughout the district. 

There is an ongoing nationwide conversation occurring around the use of mascots with Native American imagery and terms. From school districts to universities to professional sports teams there is active engagement to review the use of these mascots and to understand the concerns regarding cultural appropriation and the impacts of Native American mascots on our youth. Based on our commitment to Equity as a core value and along with the Board of Education and encouragement from our Indian Education Parent Committee we have opened this conversation with our own community.

Applications are now available for the Tulsa Teacher Corps mid-year cohort, a teacher preparation program developed by Tulsa Public Schools to train and place educators in district classrooms. Tulsa Teacher Corps launched in summer 2018 with a group of 75 teachers who participated in a rigorous summer training program and began leading their own classrooms in the fall of 2019. In 2020, the program received state approval to expand its certification pathways to include Special Education. This year, Tulsa Public Schools is excited to launch its first mid-year cohort for Tulsa Teacher Corps.  Interested applicants can learn more and apply online at tulsaschools.org/tulsateachercorps.