HS Social Studies Email Karl McCarty began his tenure at Oakfield High School in early 2006, when he was student teaching through the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He observed Mary Thompson-Fingerhut’s U.S. History class at OHS, and the next year he was on the Oakfield staff.
Mr. McCarty began his career teaching U.S. History for juniors, but his part-time position morphed into full-time as he created new curriculum previously not offered at our high school. These new additions included the creation of a general psychology program, as well as the Advanced Placement (college level) Psychology. In addition, Advanced Placement U.S. History (APUSH) was added.
Furthermore, new electives like Current Political Leaders were created so students could meet current politicians and analyze the status of state, local and national government. We have even had visits to Iowa to meet presidential candidates, including going to a 2012 presidential debate at Drake University in Des Moines. In addition, Mr. McCarty was one of the youngest elected politicians in the state of Wisconsin when he won a school board race for Campbellsport in 2004, after which he served two terms and became the board’s vice president. His experiences are often shared in class.
More recently, the See America First has been added to the curriculum for upper classmen to explore our country’s geography and traveling hot spots. In that class, he shares his experiences traveling in many of our nation’s national parks: from Dry Tortugas National Park to Mammoth Cave to Isle Royale in Lake Superior. And don't forget Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa (members of the class of 2017 pictured above) .
Lastly, Philosophy has been added to challenge seniors with open questions.
Biographically, Mr. McCarty was raised in St. Kilian, just north of the Washington County-Fond du Lac County line. He graduated from Campbellsport High School in 2001, and five years later from the College of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a social science major and history minor. He earned his Master’s Degree from Marian University in 2012, and three years later earned his Ph.D. in leadership, which culminated in a 320-page dissertation on Wisconsin politics and philosophy.
As a hobby, he enjoys writing. Besides his book-long dissertation, he has published many books on politics. Completed in 2007, The Last One Standing, is a historical documentation of the 34 presidential candidates for the 2008 election. It served as a strong index for the 2008 candidates covered in his second book, Dancing Around Iraq: Presidential Wannabes Dodging Bombs (2008), which illustrates the struggling leadership among ambitious politicians in the run up to, during and after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The books are independent and fact driven. After finishing the books, he ran for state assembly in the fall of 2008. The experience has been great to share with his students in political and psychology classes. McCarty then released Intentional Fog in 2011. It covers the 13 Republican presidential candidates in the 2012 presidential campaign.
Now he writes local history stories that are published in multiple news outlets, including the Campbellsport News, Kewaskum Statesmen and Dodge County Pioneer. There is a strong passion for covering old stories from the way of life in mid-1900s Wisconsin. He has interviewed dozens on the old days in St. Kilian, Eden, Campbellsport, Oakfield and Theresa.
If Mr. McCarty is not teaching or writing, he is working on his mom and dad’s dairy farm outside of St. Kilian. If he is not milking cows, he’s planting and tending to his trees or out in the woods.