Union Public Schools superintendent named OASA District 5 Superintendent of the Year

Source: Union Public Schools

May 3, 2023 – The Oklahoma Association of School Administrators (OASA) is pleased to announce Superintendent Dr. Kirt Hartzler of Union Public Schools as the 2023 OASA District 5 Superintendent of the Year. Hartzler will be recognized at the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA) Summer Leadership Conference on June 14-16, 2023.

OASA annually recognizes outstanding administrators who:

• Demonstrate successful experience in top level educational administration;

• Have a sound, dynamic and realistic philosophy of education;

• Can inspire and motivate people and give support and recognition for the contributions of others;

• Have a record which evidences continued professional and personal growth through appropriate training and experiences including skills in human relations and the stamina to cope with the pressures of the job;

• Have the ability to speak for education on all levels with special emphasis on the district level; and

• Have made contributions to educational administration.

“Leadership is about building community, cultivating and empowering other leaders and focusing on student success,” said Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director. “These school leaders have led through many challenges. They have worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for students to learn, grow and realize their full potential. Dr. Kirt Hartzler is among the best of Oklahoma administrators. We are excited and proud to recognize these outstanding leaders who represent the next level in school leadership. They are courageous leaders.”

OASA has 20 Districts that consist of multiple counties. Eligible OASA members are nominated and selected by their peers in their OASA District.

Union Public Schools has been Dr. Hartzler’s home for 34 years, having served as superintendent since 2013. His other roles have included deputy superintendent (2011-2013), where he led the development of the district’s 5-year strategic plan; associate superintendent (2009-2011); assistant superintendent (2003-2009); and director of secondary education (2000-2003). He got his start as a social science instructor and coach at Union in 1986. Outside of a three-year stint at Bixby Public Schools, most of his education career has been at Union. Hartzler has also taught future educators, having served as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma’s College of Education.

“I am deeply honored by receiving this award from the Oklahoma Association of School Administrators,” said Hartzler. “None of us do this hard work for the personal accolades. It’s about ensuring all Oklahoma children get the very best public education we can give them, the one they deserve. While every day is a fight to secure adequate funding, to find enough teachers to staff our classrooms, it is a fight in which I will gladly engage if it means inspiring our students to excellence. Education, truly, is the best way we can provide our children with a safe, secure future.”

Visit the CCOSA website to see past Administrator of the Year awardees. For more information about OASA and CCOSA, please visit www.ccosa.org.

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About OASA

OASA supports adequate funding for Oklahoma public schools, supports accountability measures, rigorous and relevant academics, fair treatment of education employees, and seeks to reduce state intrusion in local board of education matters.

About CCOSA

The Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration is an incorporated, not for profit organization which establishes close and continuous communication and cooperation between educators, taxpayers and legislators to improve the effectiveness of professional school administrators and to communicate the needs of the schools. The Council is the umbrella organization for the following professional associations: the Oklahoma Association of School Administrators (OASA), the Oklahoma Association of Secondary School Principals (OASSP), the Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals (OAESP), the Oklahoma Middle Level Education Association (OMLEA), and the Oklahoma Directors of Special Services (ODSS).