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OFE News Release

Foundation Announces New Director of Local Education Foundation Outreach

August 9, 2006
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Karen Rose, a longtime public school administrator and state civic leader, has been named the director of local education foundation outreach for the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. The foundation is a statewide non-profit organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools.

Rose, who retired in June 2005 as assistant superintendent of Sand Springs Public Schools, will head up the foundation’s Local Education Foundation (LEF) Outreach Program, which provides technical assistance and training to local education foundations and to groups seeking to establish foundations in their communities.

Through its LEF Outreach Program, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has helped build one of the largest and most effective networks of local education foundations in the country, with more than 190 established to date. These citizen-led non-profits raise much-needed private dollars for their school districts and encourage community involvement in local schools.

“We are delighted to announce the addition of Dr. Karen Rose to our foundation staff,” said Emily Stratton, executive director of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. “As a non-profit leader and former school administrator and teacher, Karen brings a wealth of valuable experience to this position. In addition, she has demonstrated her commitment to the work of our foundation as a past member of our Board of Trustees and member of our Local Education Foundation Outreach Committee.”

Rose fills the post vacated by LEF Outreach Director Charlotte Jones, who resigned recently to accept a research position with the University of Oklahoma’s K20 Center, an interdisciplinary university-wide center with a focus on educational and community renewal in the United States and abroad.

“It is an honor to work with the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence,” Rose said. “Through association over the past several years with OFE as a trustee and a school administrator, I have witnessed the strong support and growth of this outstanding organization. As the new LEF Outreach director, I look forward to meeting and working with community leaders from around the state who care deeply about the success of their school systems and who have a shared vision of academic excellence for every student."

Prior to joining the foundation, Rose served six years as assistant superintendent for Sand Springs Public Schools, where she oversaw all aspects of Pre-K through 12th grade curriculum and instruction for a district serving approximately 5,500 students. Her duties also included personnel supervision, professional development, technology integration, community relations and strategic planning. Rose also worked closely as a district liaison with the Sand Springs Public School Foundation, assisting the foundation in assessing how they could best serve the needs of students and teachers.

Rose has also held positions as director of personnel for Norman Public Schools and as a coordinator and consultant for the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. In addition, she served as a principal for 13 years in Stillwater Public Schools and has held teaching positions in Stillwater and Morrison.

A graduate of Oklahoma State University, Rose earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education and her doctoral degree in educational administration and higher education. She has been a member of many state and national professional organizations and has served as chair of the Oklahoma Curriculum Improvement Commission and president of the Staff Development Council of Oklahoma.

An active community volunteer at state and local levels, Rose has served on the executive committee of Leadership Oklahoma and was a member of its 1991 class. She serves on the boards of Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition, the Oklahoma Conference for Community and Justice and is past vice president of the Tulsa County Child Abuse Network. She also has been active in the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, the Oklahoma Academy for State Goals and the OSU Heritage Foundation. A past officer of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, she also has been been active with the Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Philbrook Art Center, Special Olympics and the Nature Conservancy.