Teach For America Greater Tulsa

This , we celebrate the educators in our network and beyond, for their leadership, vision, and belief in what students can become.

Across Greater Tulsa, 38,000 students are impacted by our network. Thank you, teachers, for showing up each day for your students. Your impact is far greater than your classroom.

Last week we hosted Rise and Shine, an educational leadership breakfast, that brought together over 80 educators, students, alumni, and civic leaders from our community to reflect on what's working and what it will take to continue to strengthen outcomes for students across Greater Tulsa.

It was inspiring to hear from members of our network on what is possible for our students and broader community through our organization’s impact, programs, and partnerships. Special thanks to our speakers, featuring:

🌟 Members of the Monroe Demonstration Academy Debate Team, coached by Laura Grisham (Greater Tulsa ‘17)
🌟 Teach For America CEO, Aneesh Sohoni (Twin Cities ‘09)
🌟 Brita Faerber (Greater Tulsa ‘24), McLain High School for Science & Technology Teacher
🌟 Dr. Robert Kaiser (Greater Tulsa ‘13), McLain High School for Science & Technology Principal
🌟 Marissa E. King (Phoenix ‘08), Teaching and Leading Initiative of Oklahoma Director

Thank you to all who joined us, and to our event sponsors - QuikTrip, Price Family Properties, TTCU Federal Credit Union, Bama Companies, Inc., Capital Homes, and Tulsa Community College. Together, we can continue to provide an excellent education to our students.

Join us at our annual Rise & Shine Educational Leadership Breakfast, as we celebrate our impact in education and the Greater Tulsa community! At the event, you’ll have the chance to hear from Teach For America’s new CEO, Aneesh Sohoni, connect with members of our network, and learn more about our programs and impact.

Since 2009, we have served as one of the most robust teacher pipeline programs - bringing excellent, action-oriented leaders to our community. With nearly 400 corps members, Ignite fellows, and alumni currently working in Greater Tulsa, we continue to serve as a source of inspiration and innovation towards what is needed in the educational landscape throughout Oklahoma, impacting more than 38,000 students.

Registration, sponsorships, and event information can be found on our event website - https://events.bizzabo.com/riseandshine26.

We would love to see you there!

🗓️ Wednesday, April 8, 2026
🕰️ Registration: 8:30am | Program: 9:00-10:00am
📍 Discovery Lab

Every child deserves an excellent education, and our educators bring that vision to life. As we begin this year, we celebrate alongside our network who continue to be recognized by their school communities for their impact in the classroom.

We are proud to share that we have 13 Teach For America alumni educators in Tulsa Public Schools honored thus far this year. Join us in celebrating with:

🌟Alec Dugin (Greater Tulsa ‘21): Tulsa Will Rogers High School Teacher of the Year
🌟Amor Suarez (Greater Tulsa ‘20): John Hope Franklin Elementary SchoolTeacher of the Year
🌟Ashley Alexa (Greater Tulsa ‘23): Anderson Elementary School Teacher of the Year
🌟Brittany Lee Davis (Greater Tulsa ‘18): Monroe Demonstration Academy Teacher of the Year
🌟Camryn Boone (Greater Tulsa ‘22): Greenwood Leadership Academy Teacher of the Year
🌟Emily Merkle (Greater Tulsa ‘19): Lewis & Clark Elementary Teacher of the Year
🌟Felicia Harris (Greater Tulsa ‘23): Unity Learning Academy Support Professional of the Year
🌟G’ahri Gassaway (Greater Tulsa ‘23): Springdale Elementary Teacher of the Year
🌟Hannah Al-Jibouri (Greater Tulsa ‘12): Tulsa Emerson Elementary Teacher of the Year
🌟Jonathan Carter (Eastern North Carolina ‘17): Mayo Demonstration School Teacher of the Year
🌟Katt Maloney-Jacobs (Greater Tulsa ‘18): MacArthur Elementary School Teacher of the Year
🌟Rebecca Babel (Greater Tulsa ‘22:) Kerr Elementary of the Year

This brings our total to over 115 Teachers of the Year in Greater Tulsa since 2009. In partnership with our community, we’re developing a deep network of leaders working at all levels to improve education and life outcomes for students across Greater Tulsa.