Juan Renteria

Juan Renteria, Jr. serves as an Instructor in the Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum Department, Director of Teach to Transform, Coordinator for First-Generation Initiatives, and Elementary Field Supervisor in the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education at the University of Oklahoma. He earned both his Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (2015) and Master of Education in Educational Administration, Curriculum and Supervision (2018) from the University of Oklahoma.

Prior to joining the college full-time, Juan spent more than a decade as a public school educator while simultaneously serving as an adjunct instructor at OU for four years. His work bridges K–12 and higher education through teacher preparation, educational leadership, and the development of future educators. As an elementary field supervisor, he partners with teacher candidates to support their successful transition into the profession.

Juan's scholarship and professional interests center on educator development, first-generation student success, literacy, and strengthening pathways into the teaching profession. He is committed to fostering collaborative partnerships that empower educators and improve outcomes for students.

His leadership and service include participation in Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms, Leadership Oklahoma LOYAL Alumni, and the Teach Plus National Policy Advisory Board. He is also an active member of Antioch Community Church in Norman, Oklahoma. Juan has been recognized as Norman Public Schools' inaugural Rookie Teacher of the Year (2015), District Teacher of the Year (2021), and one of twelve finalists for the 2022 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year. He was an Oklahoma NextGen Under 30 Honoree (2021), received the JRCoE's Inspiring Excellence in Education (2021), and was recognized as an Oklahoma Latino 20 Under 40 (2024). 

A first-generation college graduate from Hennessey, Oklahoma, Juan is passionate about equipping, empowering, and inspiring the next generation of educators.