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.
Welcome to Rosa Parks Elementary!
Principal Heather Federline goes "full turkey" to engage students..
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 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 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
