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Greater Tulsa

Greater Tulsa is a city on the rise. Reconciliation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration are fueling change, and this welcoming city invites more equity-oriented educators to join the growing Teach For America community with over 350 corps members and alumni working in collaboration with community members to build a brighter future.
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Living in Greater Tulsa

Living in a rising city means access to amenities. Our friends of Tulsa Remote describe Tulsa as a “tight-knit community meets a population large enough to support world-class music and theater, sports venues, and one of the most impressive park systems in the country, including the recently opened $465 million Gathering Place.” 

With a cost of living 43% below the national average and a community open to partnerships and collaboration, a move to Greater Tulsa is an invitation to innovate and build a life for yourself and a more just society for all. 

Photo of Gathering Place provided by Shane Bevel Photography

Builders wanted.

Join the community of Tulsa in building a brighter future for us all.
Apply Now

City on The Rise

In order to rise, you have to reconcile. Tulsa’s painful history includes racial violence and systemic oppression. Tulsans are working to reckon with the past and we need builders to start their careers in education and join our diverse coalition building an inclusive and equitable future. 

Humility sculpture in Hope Plaza, Tulsa

Impact Now

Greater Tulsa corps members have an immediate and much needed impact in the classroom. Thirteen of our corps members and alumni were selected as the Teacher of the Year on their campuses last year, and three of the past seven TPS district-wide Teachers of the Year were TFA alumni.

TFA Greater Tulsa is positioned to support our teachers with one of the lowest corps member to teacher coach ratios (15:1). In addition to one-on-one coaching, corps members are a part of a community of learners engaging in ongoing professional development lead by staff, alumni, and community members to support each other to be effective in the classroom.

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Kids Leading in Tulsa

With the experience and credibility that comes from effectively leading a classroom, our corps members and alumni increase their impact through increased responsibility. We have over 40 alumni serving in key leadership positions as school leaders, assistant principals, deans, and schools systems leaders. In addition to traditional leadership roles, our alumni have access to community leaders who support them to launch innovations that better support our students.  

Tulsa is known for being open to leaders of all ages and backgrounds. Alumni Jake Learner (Greater Tulsa '15) and Andrew Specter (Greater Tulsa '15) noticed this in their experience, and wanted to ensure their students had access to the same assets of our community which lead them to launch Tulsa Changemakers.  

Spotlight on Tulsa

Greater Tulsa Financial Supports

In addition to the financial supports all corps members are eligible to receive, TFA Greater Tulsa offers the following:

(1) Low certification cost

In 2009, the Oklahoma State Legislature passed a law enabling Teach For America to become a certifying agent in the state. As a result, our Teach For America Greater Tulsa region provides a low-cost certification program that is differentiated for the needs of our corps.

Breakdown of Certification Costs

  • $120-$150 per subject area exam (two exams required)
  • ~$59 for background check 
  • approximately $50 for degree-conferred transcript (varies by university)

(2) First day of school bonus

Thanks to the generosity of our community, each incoming Greater Tulsa Corps Member will receive a $1,500 First Day of School bonus.

 

Get in Touch

Questions about Teach For America Greater Tulsa?
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Local Leadership

Sarah Park_Oklahoma City_OKC_cropped

Sarah Park

Hawai'i '08

Executive Director

Sarah Park serves the Executive Director of Teach For America Greater Tulsa and Oklahoma City and brings 15 years of experience in education. Sarah’s passion for educational equity started in the classroom as a 2008 Teach For America Hawai’i corps member where she taught 7th and 8th grade math. She took the lessons learned alongside students to become a Corps Member Advisor and a Manager of Teacher Leadership Development with TFA Hawai’i.

 

In 2013, she joined the Oklahoma team where she held various programmatic roles and increased rigor and student learning in math and science classrooms across Oklahoma, launched Regional Summer Institute, and strengthened the corps and alumni experience for over 550 educators. Sarah now leads a localized strategic vision and plan, works side-by-side with local stakeholders to ensure TFA plays its critical role in advancing educational equity, and aims to influence the conversation about education, learning, and economic mobility in Oklahoma.

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Support Our Work in Greater Tulsa

Without supporters like you, we would not be able to create a network of leaders dedicated to advancing educational equity. To join us in making an even greater impact, we invite you to consider a donation today. Your contribution will empower us to do more for Greater Tulsa students while creating a brighter future together.