Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Visits Alma Mater On First Day Of School

Tuesday is the first day back to the classroom for students and staff at Tulsa Public Schools. It's also Superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson's first time welcoming students back as superintendent.

One school she visited, Walt Whitman Elementary School, brings a familiar feeling and is a trip down memory lane for her.

“I used to walk these hallways,” she said.  She was a student there.

As the superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools, she says every school is special, but Whitman is especially close to her heart.

“When you’ve actually been a student somewhere and then you then step into leadership, it’s just different, it’s special,” she said. 

It’s where her love for learning sparked — and now she’s revisiting this piece of her past on the first day of school to welcome students back for another year of learning and to keep that spark lit for everyone.

“I've got a pretty big job and it's all for you guys,” she said to students. 

Principal Collete Allen says Dr. Johnson inspires her.

“I see her, her love for students, her love for community, her love for parents and teachers and I want to just follow behind her,” she said. 

With each interaction, Dr. Johnson says she grows more confident in the environment TPS creates for everyone.

“We’re gonna have an amazing school year, 24-25 is kicking off already strong, and great,” she said. 

She says Whitman will always be where her story began — a story she now gets to help write for others.

“I'm so proud of y'all, keep up the great work,” she told students.