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Rosa Parks Profile

Mission

It is the mission of Rosa Park Elementary School to create a positive school culture that is conducive to learning; set high standards and accountability for learning; facilitate and implement an instructional program that maximizes student learning;
and comprehensively engage parents and community in support of the school’s goals.

History

Rosa Parks is the 12th elementary school in Union and opened in August of 2006.  The school serves more than 600 ethnically diverse students and includes children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Our mascot is the Trailblazer!

Namesake

We are very proud of our name, Rosa Parks Elementary School.  The name was selected by a committee of patrons, educators and students and approved by the Board of Education in the spring of 2006. 

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (Feb. 4, 1913 – Oct. 24, 2005) was an African American seamstress and civil rights activist whom the U.S. Congress dubbed the "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement". 

Her role in American history earned her an iconic status in American culture, and her actions have left an enduring legacy for civil rights movements around the world.

“To this day I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom." -- Rosa Parks

At Rosa Parks, we are interested in students, teachers and families developing long-term relationships to better meet the needs of individual learners.  We will be participating in multi-year relationships by having many teachers stay with the same students for two years. 

For example, if a child is in kindergarten, he or she will stay with the kindergarten and first grade teaching team for two years. Teams of teachers will also loop from second to third and fourth to fifth.  We know that the relationship of teachers to student, to the parents, to other teachers, and to the curriculum, is critical throughout a child’s education.

A young girl in a red shirt looks up with a pencil in her hand in the foreground, while a teacher stands in the background of a classroom.

Welcome to Rosa Parks Elementary!

Heather Ross
Rosa Parks Elementary Teacher of the Year

Philosophy

We believe that all children can learn and are entitled to quality instruction in an environment which is both safe and nurturing. We believe that educating our students is the responsibility of the family, school and community. 

Vision

We envision a school community which provides each student with the necessary skills to confidently meet a diverse and ever-changing world. We envision a school community where each student has a positive sense of self and respect for others. We envision a school community which encourages each student to believe they can positively impact
and contribute to the world around them.

Principals

Principal

Heather Federline

Heather Federline

Heather Federline was named principal of Rosa Parks Elementary in the summer of 2020. 

Federline’s teaching career began in 1997 as a second grade teacher in Noel, Mo.  She joined Union in 1999 at Boevers Elementary teaching kindergarten and first grade. During her time at Boevers, she served on various committees and in many leadership roles.  She was named their Teacher of the Year in 2002-2003.  Federline was named administrative intern for Roy Clark Elementary School in the summer of 2012 and became assistant principal in the summer of 2014. She moved to Jarman as assistant principal in 2017 before returning to Roy Clark in 2019.

Federline earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Northeastern State University in 1997.  She earned a master’s degree in early childhood education in 2004 and elementary principal certification in 2012, both from Northeastern State University.

Federline is married to a Union alumni and has two daughters who attend Union Public Schools.  In her spare time, she enjoys singing, watching old movies, spending time with friends and being creative.  

Assistant Principal

Taya Oelze

Taya-Oelze

Taya Oelze was named assistant principal at Rosa Parks Elementary in June 2025. She previously served as assistant principal at Ellen Ochoa Elementary sincw 2022. She was named District Teacher of the Year for the 2018-2019 school year.

Oelze has been teaching kindergarten at Ellen Ochoa since it opened in 2017, and also has been serving as Hope Collective leader and coordinator for Union Public Schools since last September. She has been with Union since 2013, initially serving as a kindergarten and first grade looping teaching at McAuliffe Elementary. She also served as a Pledgetalk curriculum pilot director at Ellen Ochoa and kindergarten team lead.

Oelze has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a concentration in early child education from Oral Roberts University, a master’s degree in school administration from Oklahoma State University and was a full scholarship recipient in the Trauma Responsive Fellowship Program with Dr. Barbara Sorrels. 

Rosa Parks At a Glance

A young child in the foreground holds up a blue clay sculpture while a woman stands behind them in a classroom with a stop sign on the wall.
A group of young children in purple shirts sit on the pavement in the foreground, while two adults stand and observe them, with a school building and parking lot visible in the background.
Children in the foreground playfully spar with pool noodles on a grassy field, while adults and other children are visible in the blurred background under a canopy of trees.
Two young girls give a thumbs up in the foreground, while other students work at desks in a classroom with colorful decorations in the background.
Two boys in red shirts play a ball-tossing game with a large bin in the foreground, while other children and a building are visible in the grassy background.
A young girl squeezes a wet sponge into a bucket on a grassy field while a group of children plays in the background.
A group of children in martial arts uniforms stand on a blue and red mat in the foreground, while two adults in black belts and punching bags are visible in the background of a dojo.
Five young boys in pink shirts stand on a soccer field with a scoreboard in the background.
A group of children in a dojo with their arms raised, while a man in a white uniform stands behind them.
Children play soccer on a bright green artificial turf field with a building and trees in the background.
A group of people stand on a soccer field in front of bleachers under a cloudy sky.
Six children in pink shirts stand on a soccer field with a soccer ball in the foreground, while other children and adults are visible in the background near a scoreboard.
A smiling boy in the foreground holds two wooden boards, while two girls and an adult stand behind him in a dojo with red mats.
A young girl stands in the foreground next to a wagon, while a group of children and an adult sit under a tree in the background.
Two women stand in a hallway between two doorways, one labeled %22MRS FEDERLINE%22 and the other %22MS OELZE,%22 with offices visible in the background.
A smiling woman and two children stand in a classroom, with a desk covered in colorful containers in the foreground and a wall adorned with photos and decorations in the background.
A woman and a young girl smile at the camera while sitting at a table with a tray of beads in front of them, with blue lockers in the background.
Students work at a table divided by green cardboard dividers, with a classroom visible in the background.
A young girl with glasses and a red headband smiles while holding a hammer with a pink handle, with a wooden structure on a table in front of her and a classroom in the background.
Children hold hands in a circle on a grassy field in front of a brick school building.
A young girl peeks over a green and tan playground structure against a bright blue sky.
A group of people in the foreground pose with their hands raised in a %22L%22 shape, while a black curtain and a balloon arch form the background.
A young girl in a Hello Kitty sweatshirt waves from atop a playground structure against a bright blue sky.
A young girl in a pink shirt and sparkly jeans swings on a playground hoop, with a sandy ground and trees in the background.
A group of diverse children are seated in a line on the floor in the foreground, with a colorful wall and classroom setting in the background.
Six children walk together on a sandy playground in the foreground, with a school building and fence in the background.
Two young boys smile and hug in the foreground, with a grassy field and fence in the background.