With families and fellow staff members clapping and beaming with pride, Tulsa Public Schools named Lanier Elementary fifth-grade teacher Akela Leach as the district’s 2026 Teacher of the Year and Anderson Elementary parent involvement facilitator Tyseeke Edwards as the 2026 Support Professional of the Year.  

“Akela and Tyseeke embody everything that makes Tulsa Public Schools a wonderful place to learn and work,” said Dr. Ebony Johnson, Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent. “They represent the thousands of extraordinary educators and professionals who diligently serve Tulsa children and families every day. I am so grateful for their commitment to our young people, to their teams, and to their school communities for the great work they’ve done and continue to do.”

Akela Leach is a proud Tulsa Public Schools graduate who is in her ninth year teaching fifth-grade social studies and English language arts and in her eleventh year at Lanier Elementary. She began her career at TPS as a paraprofessional before deciding she wanted to impact students’ lives as a classroom teacher. Her favorite part of her job is preparing elementary students for the transition to middle school by instilling confidence in the lives of the young people she encounters.

“Akela is a thoughtful, engaging, and empathetic leader who loves teaching and does a tremendous job making connections with families,” said TCTA President Shawna Mott-Wright. “We are so proud of Akela, who is a TPS legacy, and all the other amazing teachers in our district who do meaningful work every day positively affecting the lives of our students and their families.”

Tyseeke Edwards has been a part of Team Tulsa since 2000. She has served as the parent involvement facilitator for 14 years and loves working with the families and staff of the school. She chose to work at Tulsa Public Schools because she wanted to positively impact people’s lives and make a difference in her community. 

“We’re so proud of Tyseeke and all the wonderful support professionals that work at Tulsa Public Schools,” said American Federation of Teachers President, Nancy Leonard. “Tyseeke has worked at TPS for nearly three decades and has made a lasting impact with her ability to foster relationships and help others. Her passion for her work and her selfless attitude is an inspiration, and we are so grateful for her contributions to the Anderson community.”

The Teacher of the Year and Support Professional of the Year event is supported in part by the Foundation for Tulsa Schools. The Foundation for Tulsa Schools is grateful for its generous community donors who help fund the monetary awards for our winners and finalists: Donnie Duntley with Creating and Managing Wealth, LLC. and Anhna Vuong and Darrell Ross, who founded the Jim Howard Impact Award Endowed Fund. 

The Teacher of the Year and Support Professional of the Year awards are the culmination of a months-long process that begins in the fall when they are selected from each school and some district sites. Site-level winners are then reviewed by committees that include representatives from the TCTA and AFT, school leaders, district staff, community partners, 2025 Teacher of the Year Keely Flynn, and 2025 Support Professional of the Year Bobbi Richins. These committees identified five finalists from each group listed below:

Teacher of the Year finalists:

• Sarah Baker, English Language Development teacher at Hawthorne Elementary School
• Kara Donnini, history teacher and department lead at Hale Middle School
• Akela Leach, social studies and language arts teacher at Lanier Elementary School
• Kraig Mewbourne, U.S. history, advanced history and leadership teacher at Edison Preparatory Middle School
• Resha Vo, special education teacher at McLain High School

Support Professional of the Year finalists:

• Tyseeke Edwards, parent involvement facilitator at Anderson Elementary School
• Ashley Jackson, paraprofessional at Hawthorne Elementary School
• Tonya Mure, attendance clerk at Central High School
• Anisia Simpson, paraprofessional at Thoreau Demonstration Academy
• Rolanda Watkins, principal’s administrative assistant at Booker T. Washington High School

See below or click here to view photos from the celebration, and learn more about our site-level winners here.