Acting Superintendent Janet Vinson

  • Janet Vinson

    jvinson@stillwaterschools.com
    405.533.6300

    Superintendent Gordon is currently out of the office due to a health issue and will be away for an extended period. In light of his absence, the Board of Education met this morning and appointed me as acting superintendent until Mr. Gordon’s return. I understand that this unexpected news may cause concern for some in our community. I’d like to first assure you that we are confident we’ll be welcoming Mr. Gordon back in the near future. However, at this time, it is important that we allow him to fully focus on his recovery so he can return to his role as Superintendent of Schools as soon as possible.

    While we give Mr. Gordon time to recover, it is important to keep the district moving forward to serve our students. Please know that my experience has prepared me to assist in leading the district during this time. In my 30+ years as an educator, I’ve served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, associate superintendent of instruction, Superintendent of Broken Arrow Public Schools, and Deputy Superintendent of Teacher Recruitment and Retention at the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Since joining SPS, I’ve served as both Chief Human Resources Officer and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services. In short, I have fifteen years of experience in district administration, five years experience as the superintendent of a large 6A district and extensive knowledge of SPS.

    Additionally, I have worked closely with Mr. Gordon since August 2022, so I am confident that we can continue to follow his vision to support our schools, teachers, and, most importantly, our students.

    Please keep Mr. Gordon and his family in your thoughts, and we look forward to his healthy return. 

    Warm regards, Janet Vinson, Ph.D. Acting Superintendent Stillwater Public Schools

Superintendent Uwe Gordon

  • Uwe Gordon

    Uwe is pronounced "oo-vuh"
    ugordon@stillwaterschools.com
    405.533.6300

    After earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in science from Oklahoma State University (OSU), Gordon began his career as an educator in 1984 as a junior high social studies teacher at Stillwater Public Schools. He also gained experience as an administrator at SPS, serving as the junior high ISSP and Athletic Director from 1993-1994 and as a junior high assistant principal from 1994-2000. 

    After 16 years with Stillwater Public Schools, Gordon left the district in 2000, accepting the position of principal at Yale High School. He would also go on to serve as principal of Hennessey High School from 2002-2003. Gordon accepted his first job as a superintendent in 2003, leading Hennessey’s school district for three years.  

    After earning six years of experience as an administrator at Yale and Hennessey, Gordon returned to Stillwater Public Schools in 2006 where he served as the high school principal for 16 years before being named Superintended in 2022. 

    Gordon is dedicated and heavily involved in the Stillwater community. He was an adjunct professor for the college of education at OSU from 1996-2015 and is also a member of the Stillwater Community Resiliency Committee, Stillwater High School Alumni Association, Stillwater High School PTA, and the OSU College of Education Advisory Committee.  

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  • Jan 20, 2025

    Posted by Barry Fuxa on 1/20/2025

    SPS Families and Staff,

    Welcome back and Happy New Year! In reverence to the late President Jimmy Carter, it seems timely to ring in the new year with a renewed mindset of service and sacrifice. Regardless of your political party, it is indisputable that President Carter lived a life of service and sacrifice for others. It is human nature to sometimes dwell on our deficits; we look at others that we perceive to have more, work less, that are more attractive, etc. It is my personal goal in 2025 to focus on the blessings that I have; health, home, friends and family. Because I am so blessed, I want to be more like President Carter and actively search out ways that I can CHOOSE to serve others instead of self. 

     

    Having said that, I want to give a HUGE thank you to our teachers, interventionists, administrators, instructional staff, support staff and parents. As we recently heard, Stillwater Public Schools was highlighted in the Daily Oklahoman as one of the highest performing districts in the state of Oklahoma based on the Oklahoma School Report Cards. We learned Stillwater tied Moore for the most elementary schools (3) receiving an “A” grade. Stillwater has six elementary schools, and Moore has 25, making that achievement even more impressive, so we compiled a list to compare 6A district “Elementary School GPAs.” As you can see, SPS performed incredibly well.

     

    Keeping in mind that this is one measure of success and there are many ways to determine school effectiveness, this recognition is one indication of the hard work and dedication of our staff. From the bus drivers making sure students arrive safely, to the child nutrition staff providing healthy meals for all children, to the counselors providing guidance and wellness strategies, everyone pours in to our students’ school experience to set them up for success. Perhaps most impactful is a well-qualified and caring classroom teacher. So thank you, teachers for YOUR service to our children. 

     

    We are making GREAT strides in meeting our budget for this year and the 25-26 school year. We have already surpassed our goal for this year as shown in the chart below:



     

    In addition, our midterm allocation from the State of Oklahoma is significantly higher than expected, so this will help us meet next year’s goal sooner than expected. The target of savings remains $5.5 million for next year, but with additional funding coming in, it gets us even closer to our savings goal for next year. We are very confident we will meet the $5.5 million goal through attrition and by implementing a few additional non-staff reductions. 

     

    Also, this month is School Board appreciation month, so this gives us an opportunity to highlight the five community members that volunteer their time to provide oversight for our school district. Working alongside the superintendent and leadership team, these five members give countless hours to make sure each student receives the best education that Stillwater can offer. Our Pioneer Pathfinders and elementary students were kind and generous with their time and talents by providing gifts to recognize our board members as shown in the photo below. Please join me in a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Marshall Baker, Tim Riley, Rachel Dillin, Roberta Douglas and Dr. Gay Washington for your service and sacrifice to our children.

     

    Go Pioneers!

    Dr. Janet Vinson
    Acting Superintendent
    Stillwater Public Schools

     

     

    Cold Weather Safety
    Please be aware Stillwater will be experiencing very low temps and wind chills over the next few days. School is planned to be in session. Please make certain students dress appropriately, especially if riding buses. Multiple layers, hats, along with scarves and/or face masks are recommended. If your student needs cold weather apparel please contact your school's office.

    As always any change to the school days open status or start time, will be announced via email, phone, text, (if you are opted in), the website, and social media.

     

     

    No School Monday
    Today we join the nation and state in recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to honor the legacy of Dr. King and his contributions to civil rights and equality.

     

     

    Pioneer Proud
    Last week, we announced and celebrated our eleven site Teachers of the Year. These individuals are great examples of exemplary service to their students, peers, and the families with whom they work. These teachers will all proceed to be considered for the overall district Teacher of the Year. Congratulations, thank you, and good luck on the next round of considerations to each of every one of them!

    • Highland Park - Courtney Parks - Library Media Specialist

    • Richmond - Zach Boydston - PE

    • Sangre Ridge - Hannah Day - Kindergarten

    • Skyline - Annie Ortiz - Enrichment

    • Westwood - Caleb Davis - 5th Grade

    • Will Rogers - Karen Holman - 3rd Grade

    • SMS - Rebecca Jimenez - ELL

    • SJHS - Madeline El Ouarraqe - Special Education

    • SHS - Michael Porter - Mathematics

    • Virtual Academy - Carmen Ryan - Special Education

    • Lincoln Academy- Scott Peterman - Social Studies

     

     

    Coming Up - Stillwaterschools.com/calendar

    • Monday, Jan 20

      • Inauguration Day

      • No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

      • JH - Basketball 9th vs. Ponca City (9th G 5:30 / 9th B 6:45)

    • Tues, Jan 21

      • HS - Basketball vs. Putnam City West (JVG 3:30 / JVB 4:45 / Varsity Girls 6:00 / Varsity Boys 7:30)

      • MS/JH - Basketball at Piedmont (7th G 4:30 / 7th B 5:30 / 8th G 6:30 / 8th B 7:30)

      • HS - Swim vs. Piedmont/Casady

    • Wed, Jan 22

      • Richmond - Restaurant DAY (ALL DAY)- Panda Express

    • Thurs, Jan 23

      • HS - Basketball Boys Varsity at Newcastle Tournament (Day 1/3)

      • HS - Basketball Girls Varsity at Deer Creek Tournament (Day 1/3)

      • HS/JH - Wrestling District Duals Quad

      • MS/JH - Basketball vs. Mustang Central (7th G 4:30 / 7th B 5:30 / 8th G 6:30 / 8th B 7:30)

    • Fri, Jan 24

      • HS - Basketball Boys Varsity at Newcastle Tournament (Day 2/3)

      • HS - Basketball Girls Varsity at Deer Creek Tournament (Day 2/3)

      • HS - Wrestling Girls at McLoud Dual Tournament (Day 1/2)

      • HS - Wrestling Varsity Boys at Yukon or Owasso Tournament (Day 1/2)

     

     

    Stillwater S

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Administrative Assistant

PR & Communications Coordinator

  • Barry Fuxa

    Barry Fuxa
    bfuxa@stillwaterschools.com
    405-707-5025

    Barry is responsible for SPS's News, Website, Communications, and Brand Management.