I am committed to helping BVSD remain a strong school district and to advancing work on student equity and well-being. I have worked on a variety of progressive causes to help children in my personal and professional life. My track record demonstrates my commitment to bringing people together to develop a shared understanding of the challenges we face, and to collaborating on common-sense solutions.
I moved to Colorado in 1992. My wife, Lisa, and I raised two kids (now 21 and 22) who attended Community Montessori, Southern Hills, and Fairview. We have been active with their schools and the district. We volunteered at each of the kids’ schools (e.g., PTA, SAC, DAC, high school band), and enjoyed being involved. Lisa served on th executive team for the BVSD DAC for several years, and I have advised the district and the DAC on its charter school oversight and reviews of charter schools.
My career has focused on leading national and Colorado-based non-profit and governmental entities and serving on boards and commissions addressing children’s issues. I got my start in policy working in DC working on legislation that transitioned Rocky Flats from the production of nuclear weapons to clean-up. Interested in supporting children’s issues, I’ve worked on education issues ever since.
My state and national work has focused on supporting school innovation and quality and equity in the pursuit of social justice. I have led efforts to improve quality, promote equity, and support responsible stewardship of charter schools. More broadly, I have worked to improve access, services, and outcomes for students with disabilities and strived to address childhood poverty, child health and well-being, early childhood education, P-20 coordination, high school graduation, and oversight of virtual schools.
Examples of my professional work that illustrate my commitment to kids include:
Highlighting the need to address Colorado’s increasing numbers of children in poverty;
Collaborating on the design of the Denver Preschool Program;
Leading a state effort to adopt accurate measures of high school graduation rates in Colorado;
Disseminating best practices in school safety nationally;
Organizing technical assistance to reduce exclusionary discipline and the disproportionate punishment of students of color;
Advocating for rigorous oversight of charter schools and virtual schools in Colorado and nationally; and
Advocating for students with disabilities’ equal access to charter schools and other forms of public school choice.
I grew up in Oregon, where I attended public schools. I earned a B.A. in Politics from U.C. Santa Cruz and a Master’s and Ph.D. in Political Science from CU Boulder, where I focused on policy and American politics. In my free time I enjoy playing music with friends and being in the mountains.
In Colorado, I worked for the Education Commission of the States and the Colorado’s Children’s Campaign, and I founded and led the Colorado Association of Charter School Authorizers, which is a membership association made up of school districts that helps district staff and leaders better manage charter schools. BVSD is a CACSA member. Nationally, I have worked for Physicians for Social Responsibility, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, and Safal Partners, where I led the U.S. Department of Education’s support center for charter schools. I currently lead a federal grant that helps districts across the country collaborate to strengthen their charter school oversight.
My board service includes chairing the board of the Center for Learner Equity, which is focused on improving access, services, and outcomes for students with disabilities. I also served on a state commission that made recommendations for strengthened oversight of virtual schools and co-chaired a Colorado task force develooping higher standards for charter school ethics and authorizer practices.