District 4
Republican E’Lena Ashley will square off with Democrat Connie Dodson in the Tulsa Public School Board of Education District 4 race on April 7, 2026.
Ashley is the incumbent and has been on the Board since May of 2022. She has been a consistent outspoken conservative voice throughout that time. After asking the Board to look into financial irregularities and receiving no support, Ashley sent a petition to the governor asking the state to audit Tulsa Public Schools. When the audit was performed, it found numerous fraud instances and incomplete and nonforming accounting practices that needed change. TPS did work with State Auditor Cindi Byrd and her department to rectify many of the problems found.
She also helped bring a lawsuit against the Board for not following its own bylaws in the process of transitioning Interim Superintendent Ebony Johnson to Superintendent.
Dodson who is running against her is no stranger to Democrat politics. She ran as a Democrat in the 2006 and 2008 District 23 Oklahoma House of Representatives primaries. She lost in the Democrat primary in 2006, but in 2008 she won the primary but lost to Republican Sue Tibbs. In 2014 she ran for District 6 Tulsa City Council and beat incumbent Skip Steele. She went on to win that seat on the Council in 2016, 2018, and 2020 and lost to Christian Bengel in 2022.
Ashley has a Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science and a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. Her work experience includes working in the U.S. Army Military Intelligence program and in an advocacy position with the Department of Veteran Affairs. She has also worked in the educational field as a paraprofessional and later as a teacher with the Tulsa Job Corps.
Her platform for running is based on four basic areas:
Education – RESPECT children’s Innocence.
Teach Respect through athletics, music, board games. Prioritize scholastic learning Science technology engineering math(STEM). Introduce Civics K-12 igniting thought of equality and socialization.
Accountability – Set policies and practices used to measure and hold schools and districts responsible Academically and financially. Raise student achievement through prompt support and improved resources Measure evidence-based benefits and outcomes consistently.
Parental Rights – Regardless of family income or background, students whose parents/families are involved in their schooling are more likely to… Have higher grades and test scores, attend school regularly, and have better social skills. Years of Studies have shown Students will have improved behavior, and adapt to participate in school and community.
School Safety – Ensure that the district provides the proper resources and human capital needed to provide a safe environment in every school for students, teachers, and staff.
Connie Dodson has 5 children who all attended Tulsa Public Schools. She has previously been a small business owner. She has an Associates degree from Tulsa Community College.
She has listed three issues on her platform:
Improving Student Outcomes – College and career readiness programs that ensure every TPS graduate has options after graduating (whether that’s a four-year university, trade school, or entering the workforce). Early literacy interventions so every child reads at grade level by third grade. Support for teachers and educators who are on the front lines of improving student outcomes; they need resources, professional development, and respect, not political attacks. Data-driven decision making that focuses on measurable outcomes and proven strategies.
Increasing Transparency – Clear, accessible communication about budget decisions, policy changes, and board actions through multiple mediums (i.e. email updates, social media, and community town halls). Financial oversight that ensures taxpayer dollars are invested in classrooms and improving student success. Proactive accountability measures that increase transparency from district leadership and holding administrators to the highest ethical standards. Regular community engagement through town halls, neighborhood meetings, and open Q&A sessions where families can voice concerns and get answers.
Cut Down On Absenteeism – Identifying and addressing root causes using a data driven approach. We need answers and solutions, not assumptions and generalizations. Building support systems by partnering with community organizations, health providers, and social services to remove barriers keeping kids out of school. Family engagement and education so parents understand how absences impact academic progress and have the resources to get their children to school consistently. Making school worth attending by ensuring safe, welcoming environments, quality teachers, engaging curriculum, and extracurricular opportunities that keep students motivated.
District 7
In the District 7 race Susan Lamkin, the current Board President will be up against Michael Phillips.
Lamkin grew up in Tulsa and has volunteered in many capacities at TPS, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Meals on Wheels and Reading Partners.
Lamkin was elected in 2022 and beat former Tulsa DA Tim Harris for the position. During her tenure TPS has made some progress. She has worked to increase the number of PTAs from 30 to 49 total (out of 64 schools that are not alternative schools). She worked with the Board implementing new accountability measures following the State Audit and worked on the new School approximately $609 million Bond Proposal that is up for election on April 7.
She listed her three main emphasis on:
“Community Connections – I have made it a priority that our Tulsa Public School Board Members are out in the community. Our Board and District need to make efforts to share the plans, progress, success stories and also the challenges of our District, but most importantly, we all need to be listening to the students, teachers, families, community members that have an interest in our students’ outcomes. Our board is focused on our goals of literacy and college and career readiness and value the input from constituents on what our students should know, learn and be prepared for upon graduation. I am proud that we began this process under my leadership as Board President in Fall 2025 and scheduling additional sessions throughout 2026!
Having four Tulsa Public School students (three graduates) and a 3rd Tulsa Public School student myself, I recognize the importance of our students being prepared to work and live in Tulsa as adults. In Spring 2025, 50% of our TPS graduates had a post-secondary credit through a concurrent college class, AP course or a credential from a Tech school or a similar experience. More and more of our students would benefit from increased opportunities to be exposed to possible career paths through trade schools and internships and it is important that we create additional paths and partnerships for students to graduate with additional life skills, financial literacy, job experiences and a trade skill, ready to be part of our workforce!
Family Engagement must be encouraged in order to see changes and improvements in our students’ outcomes. TPS is the largest district in Oklahoma with over 33,000 students, 5500 staff and 77 sites. Our demographics are diverse and the percentage of economically disadvantaged families is on the rise, bringing challenges for the majority of our urban district students and sites. We need families to have relationships with their schools and teachers, and find ways to do their best to support them. If parents and caregivers are not in communication with and involved at their student’s school, they are not exercising their voice in their education. Our board and district need to find ways to connect and empower our families and students!”
Phillips is a retired high school math teacher, a veteran, a grandpa, a great-grandpa and a co-owner of a modest home rental business. He has attended almost 80 school board meetings over the most recent four years. He is married and is step father to three adult children and has six grandchildren.
His teaching career began when he graduated from Oklahoma University certified to teach math and science. Phillips taught for twenty-two years in the Tulsa Public School system. He taught at Central High School for 13 years and retired from Edison High School.
Phillips attended his first TPS School Board meeting on May 2, 2022, and has attended virtually every regular school board meeting since then. He observed that the vast majority of the agenda items (including spending hundreds of millions of dollars) were passed with little or no public discussion. Thus, the public remained unaware of the pluses and minuses of how the money was being used. It looked like the board was simply rubber stamping what the administration had already decided to do. That worried Michael. The worry grew and he decided to run for a seat at the table. I learned that (1) the administration presents a packed agenda of expenditures, (2) all seven members are not finished discussing the agenda before the vote is taken, and (3) the board vote is 4-3, 5-2, or 6-1 in favor of all agenda items.
His priorities on his website show 3 priorities:
Direct money into the Classroom, not the administration.
Accountability in the classroom with effective teachers and high expectations. Reward excellence in teachers and students.
Responsibility – He pledges to be responsible in approving budgets, overseeing operations and evaluating the Superintendent. He states “I pledge to approach these responsibilities with independence from the TPS administration and a clear commitment to serving students, families and taxpayers.”