Great Expectations

The Great Expectations® Foundation was founded in 1991 by Charlie Hollar, a retired insurance executive from Ponca City. The Foundation dedicated itself to developing a teacher training model and disseminating this information to teachers throughout Oklahoma. To sum up the Great Expectations® philosophy about children, education reform, and the program itself, the Foundation adopted a slogan: "Transforming Lives Through Education".

Purpose

Great Expectations® (GE) is a professional development program that provides teachers and administrators with the skills needed to create harmony and excitement within the school atmosphere, elements that are basic for inspiring students to pursue academic excellence. With a focus on the human quality of teaching and learning, GE provides renewal and inspiration for teachers who may have lost their way and forgotten why they became teachers in the beginning.

GE is an answer for all schools, regardless of size, geographic location, student demographics, or economic base. GE creates an infrastructure that promotes improved student self-esteem, attendance, discipline, and parent participation - all of which result in improved academic achievement. Drawing from many learning theories, professional development is grounded in the belief that all students can learn, no matter what labels have been placed on them.