Perry Public Schools is pleased to announce Dr. Andrea Rains as the Executive Director of State and Federal Programs.
Perry native and career educator, Rains has been serving the past five years as the principal at Perry Junior High School. At the conclusion of this school year, she will start a new endeavor as she shifts from principal to a director role for the school district.
This transition coincides with the retirement of the current PPS Director of Child Nutrition, Ranay Roth. With Rains as the Executive Director of State and Federal Programs, her responsibilities will include child nutrition, staff professional development, and all state and federal programs, which includes extensive knowledge in Title I, Title II, Title X, ESSER funding, and other opportunities through the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Upon acceptance of her new position, Rains commented, “I am very excited about this role as I will be able to have a wider and greater impact on the students, families, teachers, and staff of Perry Public Schools. I look forward to continuing my professional career in the district that is my alma mater, and for which I am very passionate.”
She grew up in Perry and is a 1983 graduate of Perry High School. Her parents are Ernest Dolezal of Perry and Sherry Kitchen of Ponca City, and her grandmother is 100-year-old Violet Reed of Ponca City. She comes from a family of Maroons, as her brother Brad Dolezal also works at PPS, while her sister, Alice Dwyer, just retired from PPS last spring after teaching for 31 years.
Rains received her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from Oklahoma State University. She has also completed certification with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
In her 35 years of experience in education as a teacher and administrator, she has been awarded the Oklahoma Medal of Excellence in Administration, Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year, Skyline Elementary (Stillwater) Teacher of the Year, and Cimarron Career Tech Teacher of the Year.
Rains and her husband, Shan, have been married for 36 years and have two daughters, two son-in-laws, and two grandsons.
“Dr. Rains is a great fit for this position. Her skills and expertise will continue to support students and benefit the district,” commented Dr. Terry McCarty, superintendent.