Impactful Women of the 918: Ashley Wise

Currently in her 32nd year as an Oklahoma educator, Ashley Wise’s experience as a special education teacher and coordinator prepared her well for her role with Tulsa Boys’ Home, a residential treatment center for boys ages 13-18.

“I was well versed in the idea that all children, despite their background or educational level, deserve the right to a free and appropriate education,” says Wise, who views her work as “a calling.”

“When others see a boy who is difficult to be around because that boy can be loud, aggressive or manipulative, I see a boy who is dysregulated because life has not been kind to them,” she continues. “That boy will one day be an adult and will need people to guide them into adulthood that show them that despite their obstacles, they are loved and can achieve all of their dreams.”

Wise has also served as a coach/sponsor for Special Olympics Oklahoma, taught Sunday School along with her husband (who also works at Tulsa Boys’ Home), served as a sponsor at Falls Creek and raised three children.

She encourages others to simply be kind.

“What greater impact can we have on our city than to invest in making the lives of our fellow Tulsans a little easier?” Wise asks. “Kindness goes such a long way!”

Q&A with Ashley Wise

Please tell us about your background, and how you came to work for Tulsa Boys’ Home.

I am beginning my 5th year as TBH coordinator for Sand Springs Public Schools. Prior to moving to this position within the district, I was the special education coordinator for the middle school and the high school; and before that, I taught special education in the district. As a whole, I am beginning my 32nd year as an educator in the state of Oklahoma.

Tulsa Boys’ Home is Oklahoma’s oldest and largest residential treatment center for boys aged 13-18, providing care for emotional trauma, behavioral issues and substance abuse through a holistic model that includes counseling, education and life skills training. It serves youth placed by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and those privately admitted for substance use disorder treatment, offering a structured environment and therapeutic programs like equine therapy.

How did your work as a public school teacher/Special Education teacher help prepare you for this current position?

My transition to TBH came very naturally for me. Because my husband has worked at TBH for many years, I was already aware of how TBH operated and the programs that they offered. Also, having served in the field of special education for all of my professional career, I was well versed in the idea that all children, despite their background or educational level, deserve the right to a free and appropriate education.

I have always felt that my work in the special education arena was/is a calling. It is just how I am wired. My work at TBH is no different. I get to come to work every day and work with the best educational team, and together we build a framework that will assist our boys as they work towards their goals, both educationally and personally. We tailor instruction to the individual educational needs of each boy who enters our door.

If you’d like to share a little about your personal life, please do.

I have been married for 33 years to my husband, Mike. Together we have raised three children. Our son, Pake, and our daughters, Tatum and Kendall, have kept us busy throughout the years and richly blessed our lives. We have two amazing son-in-laws, Austin and Aaron, and a beautiful granddaughter, Margot, who keeps us young at heart. After COVID, we spread our wings and moved to our little slice of heaven out by Keystone Lake that includes 10 acres. Along with a pool that is rarely empty during the summer months, we enjoy our goats and chickens and do our best at keeping a small garden alive and thriving.

You were nominated because others felt you have an impact on the community in some way. How do you feel that your position impacts the community? Why is that important to you?

Because I feel deeply that God has built each of us in His image to reflect His character, I also feel that He has given each of us the unique ability to serve our community and fellow man in a manner that allows us to love and connect with others. I said earlier that I am just wired to love children that sometimes are misunderstood. Our boys at TBH are those children and deserve not only an appropriate education, but someone that they can count on to be in their corner when life gets tough. When others see a boy who is difficult to be around because that boy can be loud, aggressive or manipulative, I see a boy who is dysregulated because life has not been kind to him. That boy will one day be an adult and will need people to guide him into adulthood that will show him that despite his obstacles, he is loved and can achieve all of his dreams.

Can you share a specific story about how your work has impacted a local child/family?

The beauty of teaching/working in the same city that I live in is that I sometimes get to see my students become successful adults and have families of their own. A few months ago, I was approached by a former student while I was at church. This person had been a student of mine many years before. He wanted to tell me how much he appreciated my teaching style and that he had learned to be comfortable with himself in my classroom and that through my approach he had learned to read. He went on to say that he has told his own children that teachers care about their students and how hard they work for them and said that he knew that because he had witnessed that from me.

What a special moment that was for me and confirmation that I was designed to be the teacher that I am. I have also been blessed to hear from parents of former students that have said that they knew that I always loved their child, in spite of difficult behavior, and that always brought them peace. Teaching is such a blessing and a wonderful way to impact our community for the good.

What other activities/volunteer work do you do, and why is that important to you?

Throughout my teaching career, I have volunteered as a coach/sponsor at Special Olympics Oklahoma.  Oh, the stories I could tell. I have laughed, cried and everything in between at the State games. With my husband, I have volunteered as a Sunday School teacher for many years and attended Falls Creek as a sponsor for most of those years. I have also coached softball when my daughters were younger.

What strengths do you see in Tulsa, and what area(s) do you think need to be improved?

Living in the Tulsa area is a choice. I have lived here my whole life and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Tulsa offers everything that I need. We have great restaurants, thriving parks and recreation facilities, beautiful landscape and architecture, a rich history and a diverse culture. I enjoy season tickets to the Oklahoma Aquarium, the Tulsa Zoo, and Philbrook Museum. I delight in tickets to shows at the TPAC. I love shopping trips to local boutiques and vintage stores.

But the reason that I choose to live in this area is the people. I have seen the “Oklahoma Spirit” in action. I have witnessed people helping others through financial donations and the gift of time through volunteer work. I have been the recipient of kind smiles from strangers through small interactions. People make a place “home.”

What are some ways you would encourage others to make an impact on the city?

I would like to encourage people to always be kind to others. That encompasses a lot! But honestly, can you imagine a world where everyone was kind? There would be less crime, less discrimination, less homelessness, less hunger, less loneliness, and less sadness. What greater impact can we have on our city than to invest in making the lives of our fellow Tulsans a little easier? Kindness goes such a long way!

Do you have a fun fact about yourself you’d like to share?

I was actually born in the car in front of the Pepsi plant in Tulsa. My dad was driving my mom to the hospital as she was in active labor. My mom was in the back seat with her mom, my grandmother, when my grandma instructed my dad to pull over because “this baby is coming now.” My grandma delivered me in that car and then my dad proceeded on to the hospital. It was after midnight when we arrived at the hospital, so my birth certificate states that I was born on the 19th, but we have always celebrated my birthday on the 18th because that is when I was actually born.