ABOUT TEACH FOR OKLAHOMA'S IMPACT
Building a Stronger Future for Oklahoma.
Teach For Oklahoma’s IMPACT exists to help aspiring educators pursue a meaningful path into teaching and prepare to make a lasting difference in Oklahoma classrooms.
WHO WE ARE
Preparing Educators.
Strengthening Oklahoma.
Teach For Oklahoma’s IMPACT is focused on creating meaningful pathways for aspiring educators who want to serve students and communities across Oklahoma. We believe becoming a teacher should be more than checking off requirements. It’s about developing the knowledge, skills, confidence, and support needed to step into the classroom prepared to make a difference.
That’s why we’re building an approach that connects preparation with coaching, professional growth, and the realities of teaching.
OUR PURPOSE
Great Teachers Can Change the Course of a Life.
A teacher can be the person who sees potential when a student doesn’t see it in themselves. They can open doors, spark curiosity, build confidence, and help a young person imagine what’s possible.
We exist because Oklahoma needs educators who are prepared not only to teach, but to make that kind of impact.
“The future of Oklahoma starts in the classroom.”
MEET THE TEAM
Jan Barrick
President and CEO
Jan Barrick is widely recognized as a lifelong champion for educational excellence and student achievement in Oklahoma. With a career spanning more than three decades, Barrick has dedicated her life to improving how students learn, how teachers teach, and how schools measure success. Her work has influenced classrooms, educators, and education policy across the state, making her one of Oklahoma’s most persistent advocates for academic improvement.
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Barrick began her professional journey as a special education teacher in Lawton, where she quickly developed a passion for helping students who struggled in traditional learning environments. She later taught in Norman and Edmond public schools and also at the University of Central Oklahoma, gaining experience at multiple levels of education.
Driven by the belief that every student can succeed with the right instruction and study methods, Barrick founded a tutoring and consulting enterprise that eventually grew into Alpha Plus Educational Systems. The organization developed curriculum resources, teacher training programs, and data-driven academic strategies designed to improve student performance. Over time, her model expanded into hundreds of schools across Oklahoma, helping educators align instruction with state standards and measurable improvements.
Barrick became particularly known for her work helping low-performing schools raise academic results, emphasizing structured instruction, assessment, and targeted remediation. Her philosophy centered on the idea that student success is driven by clear standards, effective teaching strategies, and accountability in the classroom.
Throughout her career, Jan Barrick has remained committed to a single mission: unlocking the potential of every student and strengthening the future of education in Oklahoma. Her legacy is defined by innovation, persistence, and a belief that great schools are built through high expectations and bold leadership.
Debra McCullough
Vice President Operations
Debra McCullough is an experienced education and organizational leader with more than 15 years of experience in school administration and organizational development. Her career reflects a deep commitment to building effective systems that help organizations and schools operate successfully while creating meaningful opportunities for students and educators.
Debra previously served as Executive Director and Program Administrator of Tulsa Hope Academy, where she directed organizational operations, strategic planning, budgeting, accreditation, program administration, donor relations, and community engagement. She led the school through three consecutive NCA/Cognia accreditation reviews, maintaining full accreditation and high ratings in teaching and learning environments across 17 years. As a Quality Assurance Reviewer she participated in public and private school accreditation reviews across the state. She has a passion for improving outcomes for all students developing programs for adults and early literacy program for struggling readers K-3,
As founder and president of Reign Resources LLC, Debra provides organizational development and strategic planning services to nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Her work includes strengthening policies, financial systems, internal controls, governance practices, revenue strategies, donor relations, and public visibility. Earlier in her career, she worked in systems development within the information technology sector, gaining extensive experience in analysis, process improvement, application implementation, database support, and user training.
Debra currently serves as Vice President of Operations for Teach for Oklahoma. In this role, she coordinates the operational planning for IMPACT (Innovative Model for Professional Advancement through Coaching and Teaching). Under her leadership, Teach for Oklahoma will launch a high quality teacher education and mentorship program. The program will provide a pathway for emergency or provisional teachers to achieve a Standard Oklahoma Teaching Certificate while training teachers for higher proficiency in the classroom.
Debra earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from the University of Oklahoma and completed graduate coursework in rehabilitation counseling at Langston University–Tulsa. She brings a combination of educational leadership, business and technology experience, and a commitment to preparing confident, capable educators for Oklahoma classrooms.
Carl McKenzie
Director of Recruitment and Enrollment
Carl McKenzie is an Oklahoma business leader, education advocate, and lifelong mentor with a strong commitment to helping students and educators thrive. He was appointed to the Regional University System of Oklahoma Board of Regents to serve a term ending June 10, 2030.
Carl attended Northeastern State University on a tennis scholarship and earned a degree in mass communications. He later earned a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. As a former student-athlete and longtime mentor, he has built his career around investing in young people and helping them develop the confidence, character, and resilience needed to succeed.
Carl is the owner and president of Hope EQ LLC, which develops and distributes emotional intelligence curriculum for K–12 schools. His work focuses on supporting student well-being and equipping young people with practical tools for emotional growth, healthy relationships, hope, and purpose.
As Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships for Teach for Oklahoma’s IMPACT, McKenzie leads efforts to build relationships with schools, districts, education leaders, and community partners across the state. He supports recruitment and enrollment growth, helps develop strategic partnerships, and contributes to the organization’s quality, accountability, finance, and compliance initiatives. He brings to Teach for Oklahoma’s IMPACT a combination of business leadership, educational experience, and a deep commitment to strengthening Oklahoma schools by helping prepare and support the next generation of educators.
Carl and his wife, Balie, have three children, JJ, Mason, and Kelsey. Their family is active in their church and local community.
Julie Meder, M.S.
LMS and Technical Support
Julie Meder, M.S., is an experienced educator, curriculum developer, and teacher educator with more than a decade of experience in K–12 education, online learning, and teacher preparation. She currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Southwestern Christian University, where she helps prepare future teachers for the classroom. Julie understands that effective teaching requires more than educational theory—it requires practical skills, confidence, and preparation. Her experience as a classroom teacher, mentor, curriculum developer, and educational leader gives her a well-rounded perspective on the realities teachers face. She specializes in lesson planning, instructional design, classroom management, student engagement, differentiated instruction, assessment, and educational technology.
Julie helps aspiring teachers translate what they learn in their preparation programs into practical strategies they can use with real students. She also has experience teaching in traditional, virtual, and alternative educational settings. This diverse experience allows her to help teachers prepare for a variety of classroom environments and student needs. Julie holds a Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction from Western Governors University and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education from Oklahoma State University. She is passionate about creating engaging, standards-aligned instruction that supports student success. Her approach focuses on equipping teachers with practical tools they can confidently implement from day one. Julie’s goal is to help teachers move from “I know what I need to teach” to “I know how to teach it.”
Casey Wann
LMS & Instructional Support Administrator
Casey Wann brings more than a decade of experience in education, instructional leadership, teacher development, and school improvement to Teach for Oklahoma. His career reflects a commitment to equipping educators with the training, resources, and support needed to strengthen classroom instruction and improve student achievement.
Casey began his career teaching biology, chemistry, and middle school subjects before transitioning into school leadership. As a principal with Epic Charter Schools, he led instructional teams of up to 40 educators serving more than 1,000 students in virtual and blended learning environments. His dedication to teacher coaching, professional development, and instructional improvement earned him recognition as Principal of the Year.
His experience also includes educational consulting, supporting schools with accreditation, curriculum development, staffing, and instructional systems, as well as organizational and pastoral leadership focused on mentoring and team development.
Casey holds a Bachelor of Science in Science Education from Northeastern State University and a Master of Education in Educational Administration, Curriculum, and Supervision from the University of Oklahoma.
At Teach for Oklahoma, Casey supports the development and implementation of the IMPACT program’s online learning environment, helping provide candidates with accessible coursework, professional development, and instructional support.
Guided by his belief that the best way to help students is to help their teachers, Casey is passionate about strengthening teacher effectiveness across Oklahoma.
He lives in Broken Arrow with his wife, Melodie, a kindergarten teacher, and their twins, Phoenix and Hazel.
Julie helps aspiring teachers translate what they learn in their preparation programs into practical strategies they can use with real students. She also has experience teaching in traditional, virtual, and alternative educational settings. This diverse experience allows her to help teachers prepare for a variety of classroom environments and student needs. Julie holds a Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction from Western Governors University and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education from Oklahoma State University. She is passionate about creating engaging, standards-aligned instruction that supports student success. Her approach focuses on equipping teachers with practical tools they can confidently implement from day one. Julie’s goal is to help teachers move from “I know what I need to teach” to “I know how to teach it.”
Experience You Can Build On
We’ve seen what is possible. Now we’re building the next generation of Oklahoma educators.