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Union Public Schools
Our mission is to graduate 100 percent of our students, college and career ready.

Our Employees

Employee Statistics 

Union employed 1,024 teachers, 918 support personnel and 78 administrators during the 2023-2024 school year. Of the district's administrators, 90 percent had a master's degree or higher. Of the teaching and administrative staff, 40.9 percent held graduate-level degrees - 451 with master's degrees and 22 with doctorates.

The district welcomed 141 new teachers for the 2023-24 school year.

The ethnic diversity among the staff was 8 percet African American, 6 percent American Indian, 16 percent Hispanic, 3 percent Asian and 67 percent Caucasian/other. There were 464 male employees and 1,556 female employees.

Thumbs up from a custodian

Employee Achievements

Kirby Mackenzie, Ellen Ochoa
Elementary media specialist, was
named District Teacher of the Year.

Flute Ngo, Union bus driver, was named Support Employee of the Year. 

High School teacher Rexanne McCrary
was honored at an Oklahoma State
University game as a "Hometown Hero."

National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson, math teacher at Union High School, and Superintendent Dr. Kirt Hartzler were among five educators recognized as "Tulsans of the Year" by the Tulsa World, having appeared in more than 130 news stories in a year when education dominated the headlines.

Rosa Parks kindergarten teacher Heather Ross received the Siegfried Excellence in STEM Education Award.

Chief Communications Officer Chris Payne received the Steve Turnbo Lifetime Achievement Award from the Public Relations Society of America, Tulsa Chapter. This honor is only the second time the award has been bestowed.

Union College and Career advisors Emily Ashley and Chanda Gibson were recognized as "Collaborative Champions" by the Tulsa Higher Education Consortium in April 2024.

Dr. Kirt Hartzler was recognized as Oklahoma State Superintendent of the Year at the American Association of School Administrators 2024 National Conference on Education in San Diego. He retired from Union in
June, after 39 years in public education.

Dr. John Federline was named superintendent of Union Public Schools. He assumed
his new role on July 1, 2024. 

Athletics Staff Honors

  • Emily Barkley, CMAA, Athletic Director 
    OIAAA Bruce D. Whitehead Distinguished Service Award 
    OIAAA Steve Smiley Award of Excellence 
  • Joe Redmond, Associate Athletic Director 
    OCA Region 7 Athletic Director of the Year 
  • Stephanie Blackwell, CMAA, Athletics Coordinator 
    OIAAA State Award of Merit 
    OIAAA Steve Smiley Award of Excellence
  • Kirk Fridrich, Head Football Coach/ Associate Director of Athletics
    Inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Association (OCA) Hall of Fame 
  • Dan Newman, Athletic Trainer
    Inducted into Oklahoma Athletic Trainer's Association (OATA) Hall of Fame 
  • Steve Dunlap (retired Associate Athletic Director)
    All-World Lifetime Achievement Award (Tulsa World)