Where are you working now?

The Boulder Valley School District Education Center on Arapahoe Road in Boulder.

What is your new position?

I am the Executive Director of the Southwest Network of schools for BVSD. I officially supervise, support, and engage with 22 schools within Boulder Valley, which cover the feeder programs for Monarch, Fairview, Arapahoe Ridge, Boulder High, Boulder Universal, and a few other schools.

What is a feeder?

For example, the Monarch High School feeder pattern is Eldorado K-8, Monarch K-8, and Louisville Middle School, and the feeder pattern for those schools are Superior, Louisville, Fireside, and Coal Creek Elementary.

How is being an executive district director different from being the principal at Monarch?

Now that I work with elementary, middle, and high schools, I have experience at different levels of intensity at all three of those levels, which is really beneficial, but it is so much larger than I am used to. In my work with principals at each level, we think through, strategize, and problem-solve challenges from a political, teaching, and learning standpoint, then make the best decision together to solve the challenges they may face, or to identify opportunities that exist.

What factors contributed to your decision to take your current position?

One of the main reasons was the fact that I could still work and be present in schools. I really loved the engagement when I was a principal, and even just being a teacher or a coach. I just love that in this new role, I get to be in schools, doing good work with principals and students to make sure they are succeeding and growing.

What is something you would like the student body to know about the job change?

I want the student body to know that the job change wasn’t without incredible thought and processing. I love this school. I love what we do together in this school academically, socially, athletically, musically, and artistically. I’m super proud of all the programs that we have for students. It wasn’t something that I rushed to, and I’m not running away from anything, it was an opportunity to go and support other schools, champion other students, and make our school district even more successful.

What do you miss most about being the principal at Monarch?

The interactions with students and the intensity and closeness of work. That’s what I love about being a school principal. It’s near and dear to me. I took great pride in the work I did here at
Monarch. I love seeing students thrive and succeed.