Congratulations to all of our 2018-19 Teacher of the Year recipients!!
Kari Rhoden, Pre-K, OLE Teacher of the Year
My name is Kari Rhoden. My husband (Shane) and I have five children (Tyler, Kelcie, Zachary, Nicholas, and Grace). My career in education started 24 years ago. I have taught 3rd grade, 2nd grade, and Kindergarten. I currently teach Pre-K at OTPS. This marks my sixth year to be a Mustang! I wanted to become a teacher because I knew that every day I would be making a difference and impacting children’s lives. My desire to teach in Oologah was fueled by the district’s reputation for excellence and recommendations of students’ parents, previous/current employees, and friends. I love being a part of OTPS because not only do we care about our students and their success, but also about each other. I am proud to be part of the Mustang family in a hometown atmosphere where all parts of our community and school join together as one!
Nicole Mader, SPED, OUE Teacher of the Year
My name is Nicole Ouverson Mader, I am a Special Education teacher at Oologah-Talala Upper Elementary. I am married to Doug Mader, together we have three children, Bailey 21, Jacob 15, and McKenna 12. I began my employment with the O-T district as a Paraprofessional in the Severe-Profound Special Education classroom six years ago. I was employed as a Paraprofessional for two years while completing my non-traditional certification requirements. I have been teaching Special Education for the past four years in both the Self-Contained Severe-Profound classroom and the Special Education Resource Room. I have had the opportunity to be involved in many different community and school organizations throughout the years. Since 2014 I have served as an assistant coach for the Oologah Dream Team at the Oklahoma Special Olympics. Additionally, I currently serve on the Executive Board of the Oologah-Talala Spike Club as the Middle School Representative, and am an active member at the Oologah United Methodist Church. I love being a part of the OTPS school system because not only do I work with professionals that I can learn from, and who will push me to take on new and challenging opportunities, but because our school district is so dedicated to all of its students — not just in words, but in deeds.
Tim McCarthy, Leadership, OMS Teacher of the Year
This is my tenth year in teaching and coaching and third year here at Oologah-Talala Public Schools. I have taught many different subject areas from Physical Education, Health Education, Drivers Education, Intervention Program, and Leadership. Sports that I have coached are wrestling and football. The reason why I became an educator/coach is because of my passion to help kids find their direction and purpose to become positive and productive people in their lives. I was drawn to Oologah by the rich tradition that we have here. I am very honored to represent an amazing building of tremendous teachers at Oologah Middle School as the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year. GO STANGS!
Eric Rahn, English, OHS Teacher of the Year
My teaching career began as a substitute teacher and has evolved into a certified teaching position at Oologah-Talala Schools. I substitute taught for five years at Oologah and this is my first year as a certified teacher in our district. I am married and have two sons ages 28 and 24. I decided to become a teacher after retiring from a 20-year career in the awning and boat cover industry. At that time, I spent several hours volunteering in my wife’s 5th grade classroom, which led me to the realization that I enjoyed teaching and building relationships with students. As a result, I decided to begin substitute teaching and thought about exploring other school districts. I had always heard good things about Oologah Schools and its remarkable reputation including the amazing teachers, students, administrators, and staff. I enjoy the climate and culture at all of the school sites within the district and feel welcomed as a part of the educational family at Oologah. I love and value all of the support that I have received from the administration and faculty during my career at our school district. I’m proud and honored to call Oologah-Talala Schools my home “there’s no place like home”.
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