Hello! My name is Cathy Denton. I was a mom of TSAS before working here and was fortunate to have all three of my children attend TSAS. My best trait is that I tend to laugh easily. Life can be dark and having a sense of humor helps. I’m very curious, so I read a lot. I enjoy working on creative projects like coloring, drawing and writing. I think creativity is a superpower. I’m also slightly obsessed with personality quizzes.
I’ve played lots of roles at TSAS but now I enjoy working in operations. I manage the amazing operations team, organize substitutes, track accreditation reports, and run the child nutrition program. I love the TSAS students, they are quirky, authentic and capture my heart each year. My work feels meaningful because of them.
Email: cdenton@tsas.org
Room: Main Office
Educational Background:
- Bachelor of Arts in English from Southwest Baptist University
I’m a proud Texan that calls Tulsa home. I enjoy flea markets, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, 90s hip-hop, stand-up comedy, and mathematics.
I teach because I get to help youth actualize their power and position in dismantling an oppressive and dusty education system.
Email: rortiz@tsas.org
Room: 204
Educational Background:
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Oklahoma State University
I have been in public schools in Tulsa my entire professional life. I first started teaching at East Central HS in 2008, then Clinton MS, and I joined TSAS in 2011 as an English teacher. In 2016, I started as the first middle school principal. This job is the supreme joy of my life. I love our school, our students, our families, and our teachers and staff deeply. In my spare time, I hang out with my wife Amanda and our two kids Adrian and David. I love playing, refereeing, and watching soccer. I love music (currently into Bright Eyes, The National, Protomartyr, Fire in Little Africa, and boygenius). I like reading magazines, riding my bike, and looking for my keys.
I do the work I do because I draw strength and clarity from our students. I see all the answers for all of our problems in them and am filled with hope at their brilliance, senses of humor, and innate strength. I will be at TSAS for as long as they let me and I look forward to every twist and turn in the road as we wind our way toward self-actualization together.
Email: dhahn@tsas.org
Phone: 918-207-8997
Room: 302
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Educational Background:
- Doctorate of Education in Educational Administration and Policy Studies from the University of Oklahoma (in progress)
- Master of Education in Educational Administration, Curriculum, and Supervision from the University of Oklahoma
- Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Northeastern State University
I have lived in Tulsa most of my life but love to travel as much as I can. I also enjoy reading, writing about television and film, doing crossword puzzles, playing basketball, and walking my dogs in our neighborhood. My wife, son, and I live near downtown Tulsa so you can frequently find us dining or wandering around there.
I’ve been involved in youth development and education for over twenty years now, but I love my work most with TSAS. Our community is a weird and wonderful place to work and I think we’re doing something remarkable in education: It is humane, it is innovative, and it is providing a space for personal growth for all the stakeholders involved. My position allows me to see all aspects of our school’s past, present, and future, and what I witness on a daily basis makes me excited about what is ahead.
Email: dsharples@tsas.org
Room: 112 F
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Educational Background:
- Master’s in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Oklahoma (in progress)
- Graduate coursework in Secondary Education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis
- Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from the University of Oklahoma
Though I was born far away in California, I am proud to be an Oklahoman who has lived for 4 decades in Tulsa. I have invested more than 20 years as a career educator and am grateful for the ways I have been transformed by my years at TSAS, and that my four children had the privilege of graduating from TSAS as well. I love learning and spend as much time as I can reading books, writing, practicing artistic pursuits, cooking, and enjoying nature. I think that good conversations, time with family and friends, coffee, and dogs bring beauty to the mess of life.
I am honored to be a school leader at TSAS because it is a learning community focused on the human experience of teaching and learning. It is a school concerned about the whole person and committed to nurturing the potential and growth of each individual student. The teachers at TSAS care about each student’s academic achievement as well as their human journey. On an almost daily basis I am awed by our relational environment and the ways it supports and encourages both students and the faculty. Our school community is made up of people who care deeply about intellectual pursuits, creativity, innovation and humanity.There’s no place like TSAS and I am honored to contribute to this special school.
Email: lsmith@tsas.org
Room: 201
Educational Background:
- Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies from Oklahoma State University
- Masters of Education in School Administration from Northeastern State university
- Bachelor of Arts in English, Fine Art & Education from the University of Tulsa
- Associate of Arts in Fine Art from Tulsa Junior College
I started at TSAS in 2006 as a substitute barely three years older than my students. I was hired full-time the next year, teaching World Lit, Brit Lit, The Graphic Novel, YA Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Nonfiction, Mythology, AP Lang, and Computers I and II over the next ten years. Seeing a need to better serve our graduates, I created the College & Career Counselor position; then, seeing a further need, I began building our library. When I’m not at TSAS I’m working on my house, building drawing machines, knitting/crocheting, reading, or designing CNC projects.
I do this work because I believe that access to information is an essential right, and that nurturing the wisdom to use that information can bring about self-emancipation. Getting the right books into the hands of a curious student—or the right tools into the hands of a student with an idea—is all I want to do in this world.
Email: jstallings@tsas.org
Room: Collegiate Commons
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Educational Background:
- Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Oklahoma
- Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Rogers State University
I’m just a guy lucky enough to work with the best team in the city! #TeamTSAS. I am a Tulsa native and a descendant of Black Wall Street/Greenwood. I married a Chicago girl and together we parent a very energetic Siberian husky.
I first started in education as an elementary educator, and later I had the honor of advising the Mayor of Tulsa on education issues as a member of his administration. But the opportunity to lead TSAS is an honor unlike any other that I’ve ever had. I know that the students that we have in our building today are the world-changers of tomorrow. Don’t believe me? Just watch!
When I’m not at TSAS, I love to read, write, study languages, and watch sports on television.
Office: 104 C
Email: jtownsend@tsas.org
Educational Background:
- Master of Science in Educational Leadership Studies from Oklahoma State University
- Bachelor of Arts in Government from Oral Roberts University
My wife and I currently have one rescue critter, a mischievous long-hair dachshund named Harvey. I’ve had a lifelong affinity for songwriting, mostly alternative/indie and americana. I enjoy gardening, mountain biking, fishing as well as learning new trades and tinkering around the house. I’m not particularly good at light conversation.
I believe that education should be liberating and it’s with that notion I embarked on this journey. There is no field more in need of challenging exclusive and often dehumanizing practices than in special education. At TSAS, it is my dream to continue to build upon an inclusive education program that embraces the unique needs of all our students and prioritizes togetherness in the classroom and greater community.
Email: ctucker@tsas.org
Room: 104 E
Educational Background:
- Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Oklahoma State University
- Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Oklahoma