OPS Honors Teachers, Substitute Teachers and Support Employees of the Year

Liz Reed, an English Language Arts teacher at the Owasso 8th Grade Center, was named the 2025 Owasso Public Schools Teacher of the Year on the night of Wednesday, March 26 during a ceremony at the Mary Glass Performing Arts Center. Additionally, Heather Sundberg was honored as the District’s Support Employee of the Year, while Christina Chisholm was selected as the Substitute Teacher of the Year.

Reed was selected from a group of 15 OPS site Teachers of the Year by a committee of 30 OPS educators throughout the district. Additionally, a pair of district committees voted on a group of nominees to identify finalists and winners of the Support Employee and Substitute Teacher of the Year awards.

"Tonight's event was so inspiring! We not only celebrated the work of our exceptional teachers, but also honored our support personnel and substitute teachers,” OPS Superintendent Dr. Margaret Coates said. "I feel incredibly blessed to be in a community of educators who display unwavering dedication and passion not only for their students, but also their colleagues and Owasso families. Mrs. Reed's creativity, kindness, and commitment to excellence ignites a love of learning in her students that will last a lifetime. Her energy, smile, gracious heart, and sense of humor make learning fun. Everyone who comes in contact with her feels valued and cared for and she is a true inspiration to us all!

“In addition to our Teacher of the Year, it is an honor to recognize Christina Chisholm and Heather Sundberg for their outstanding contributions to the District. Christina embodies dedication, resilience, and a true passion for education. She has gone above and beyond to support our students with unwavering commitment and we are grateful for the positive impact she makes every day. As Kitchen Manager at the 7th Grade Center, Heather ensures that every meal is served with care, kindness, and excellence. Her dedication to Owasso students goes far beyond ensuring they have access to nutritious meals, as evidenced by her efforts to procure free books for summer reading. I congratulate these three individuals and I am both grateful and proud that they are part of Owasso Public Schools."

Reed is in her 7th year as an educator and her 5th year in Owasso Public Schools. A 2001 graduate of Owasso High School, she earned a degree in Journalism & Broadcasting from Oklahoma State University in 2005. Additionally, she is working toward her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership at Southern Nazarene University with a projected graduation date in 2026.

As a student at Owasso High School, Reed was a member of the Pride of Owasso colorguard and she returned to serve as a coach for the group for 10 years, including seven years as the Colorguard Director. During that time she mentored more than 350 students, using colorguard to not just teach the physical skills of the activity, but to help prepare each student for life after graduation.

She credits her experiences with the colorguard as the launching pad for her teaching career. Reed held her first classroom teaching position at the high school in 2009, but paused those duties to raise her four children. She returned to the classroom in the Spring of 2020 as a long-term substitute at Litchfield Elementary School in Arizona, before earning a full-time role as a 5th grade teacher there for the 2020-21 school year. Upon Reed’s return to Owasso, she began teaching English Language Arts at the 8th Grade Center in August 2021 and has continued in that role ever since. 

“Growing up in this community, being a product of this community and being named District Teacher of the Year is unbelievable,” Reed said. “I am so humbled and so grateful because I am surrounded by the most incredible educators and the most incredible leaders.”

Reed’s ultimate goal in the classroom is to use English Language Arts to inspire incredible future adults who can rise above their circumstances, as she once did. She believes her teaching philosophy can be summarized by this quote from the Dalai Lama: “When educating the minds of our youth, we must not forget to educate their hearts.”

With this in mind, Reed strives to take the time to truly understand each student’s unique social and emotional needs in order to break down any barriers to learning, which also builds trust and inspires academic growth. In her classroom, as well as throughout the school, Reed works to foster a culture of connection, where students feel seen, valued, and inspired to become their best selves.

Reed will complete the application process to be considered for Oklahoma Teacher of the Year over the next several months.

Meanwhile, Sundberg is the kitchen manager at the 7th Grade Center and she has served on the Child Nutrition Team for 12 years. At the 7th Grade Center, she spearheads Child Nutrition efforts and leads a team of seven, who work to ensure students are fueled for success in the classroom. Additionally, she manages summer feeding at Ator Elementary, where she created a program to promote reading. On her own time, she secured hundreds of book donations so that every child who comes to Ator for a free summer meal, can also leave with a book to keep.

Chisholm has been a substitute teacher throughout the district for the last two school years, serving primarily at the elementary level. This year, she has served as a substitute 86 days, with another 25 days scheduled for the remainder of the school year, for an average of more than three days per week of substitute teaching. 

Video Links
2025 Evening of Distinction Ceremony
Liz Reed Spotlight
Heather Sundberg Spotlight
Christina Chisholm Spotlight

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