Every student in Oklahoma deserves an education that gives them the opportunity to achieve big things. And every parent knows that finding the right school for their child can make all the difference. For my family, that school was Santa Fe South.
What I didn’t realize when I walked into Santa Fe South as an 8th grader, was how much that school would shape the rest of my life. Santa Fe South didn’t just teach me academics. It gave me a community. It was the kind of place where you could walk through the door and know that people cared about you.
That sense of belonging stayed with me. After graduating, I told our superintendent that I was going to work there one day. He laughed and said that’s not how hiring works. But I meant it.
In 2013, while finishing college, I came back to Santa Fe South as the school librarian. From there I worked in special education and helped start an etiquette club, a running club, and a leadership club for students, because I saw opportunities to help kids grow in ways beyond the classroom.
Today, fourteen years after first enrolling as a student, I’m part of the leadership team at Santa Fe South High School. Every day I see firsthand why schools like ours matter so much to Oklahoma families.
Santa Fe South is just one of the more than 30 exceptional Oklahoma public charter schools educating students across the state today. These schools are free, public, and open to all. These are public school kids. They are our kids.
What makes Santa Fe South special isn’t complicated. It’s the relationships. Many students face unseen challenges outside of school. Some don’t get the sleep they need. Some don’t know where their next meal will come from. Some carry fears and responsibilities that no teenager should have to carry. So when students walk through our doors, our job isn’t just to teach them to make sure they feel safe, respected, and supported.
When students know someone is paying attention, they start to believe in themselves a little more. Some freshmen arrive with the mindset that school doesn’t matter. A few weeks later they’re excited to show me a grade they improved because they know someone noticed their effort. That’s how confidence begins.
What’s even more meaningful for me personally is seeing how long these relationships last. When I first started working at Santa Fe South, I would go read to our pre-kindergarten classes. At the time I was just a tall guy who came in to read books. Now many of those same kids are seniors in high school. I helped welcome them to school when they were four years old. Now I’m helping them prepare for graduation and life after high school. That’s what a community school looks like.
Santa Fe South is something that Oklahomans built together, with educators, parents, and community members who wanted a school where students could thrive. As a charter school leader, I know we are providing so much more than a great education. We could do even more for the students we already serve if Oklahoma invested the same resources in its high quality public charter schools as it does in traditional schools. Public charter schools are part of Oklahoma’s public education system, yet they often receive fewer
resources than other public schools educating the same students.
Every child deserves a school where they feel supported, challenged, and understood. For thousands of Oklahoma families, public charter schools are that place. I know, because one of those students was me.
