Jo Anna Dossett is a parent, a public educator, and a born Oklahoman. The daughter of two retired Oklahoma public educators, Dossett holds a Bachelor degree from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri; and a Masters degree from Oklahoma State University. Although college and a two-year tour of service in the United States Peace Corps took her from Oklahoma for a time, returning to establish a career, home, and family in the Tulsa area was always her greatest desire.

She certainly achieved it: as an Oklahoma public educator, Dossett has devoted her 15-year career to the education of English Learners throughout the Tulsa area. Whether teaching youngsters by day, or adults in the evening, Dossett’s passion for equipping students with the language tools they need for personal success has become her trademark. During those 15 years, Dossett has been named a school district teacher of the year, while also maintaining high levels of engagement and leadership positions in her local education foundation, and in her local and state teacher associations. 

Whether serving on a local school bond committee, mentoring early career teachers, or lobbying legislators on behalf of her students and colleagues, Dossett’s energy toward the betterment of public education in the State of Oklahoma is seemingly limitless.

Dossett lives in the heart of Senate District 35 with her husband of thirteen years, Chris Barber, who is also a career public educator, and a doctoral candidate at the University of Oklahoma. They are the doting parents of two children: Dora and Hugh. The family is active at St. John’s Episcopal Church. When Dossett is not nurturing her young family, she can be found pounding the pavement in support of Tulsa-area political candidates who share her vision of a just, healthy, future-ready, and prosperous Oklahoma.