Episode Summary
Named as one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2010 by TIME magazine, Dr. Deborah Gist has been working to create a new way for school leaders to collaborate with their stakeholders: from teachers and staff to parents and the community at Tulsa Public Schools in Oklahoma. Join this conversation about the power of radical collaboration.

Episode Notes
Dr. Deborah Gist’s education career spans from the elementary classroom to being listed in 2010 as one of the 100 Most Influential People. She served as the first State Superintendent of Education for Washington, D.C. and then as Commissioner of Education for the State of Rhode Island.

Read SchoolCEO’s article featuring Dr. Gist in January 2021 here.

Today Dr. Gist leads Tulsa Public Schools in Oklahoma, which has recently become the largest district in the state.

During Superintendent Gist’s tenure, the district has seen sustained increases in high school graduation rates, novice teacher retention, employee engagement, and the percentage of students meeting projected reading and math growth. Tulsa Public Schools has expanded its dual language programming, opened the only three public Montessori programs in the state, implemented the Seal of Biliteracy for high school students demonstrating proficiency in at least two languages, launched a unified enrollment system, and successfully passed a five-year $415 million bond that will transform teaching and learning experiences across the city.

Follow Dr. Gist on Twitter at @deborahgist and Tulsa Public Schools  at @TulsaSchools.

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