Leadership Laps

In this special Season 3 finale of Leadership Laps, Superintendent Michael Giles, Jr. returns to close out where he began - as our very first guest in Episode 1 and now our 30th guest. When we last spoke a year and a half ago in 'The Starting Line,' Mr. Giles was 18 months into the superintendency. Now, wrapping up year three and having just received a five-year contract extension from t...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Hannah Lecount, Principal of Vassar Elementary, in her first year as a school leader. After 20 years in education - from classroom teacher to instructional coach to assistant principal - Hannah made the leap to the principalship this year. When asked midyear how she was feeling, her response was remarkable: 'feeling fantastic' and &apo...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Jaelyn Coates, Executive Director of Culture, Equity, and Engagement Departments (CEED), wrapping up her third year with Aurora Public Schools. As a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Advocate, Jaelyn shares her journey to equity work and how CEED's wide-ranging portfolio connects family engagement, student engagement, and sta...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Anabel Rafoul, founding principal of Escuela Bilingüe Betty Benavidez, Aurora Public Schools' first dual language school opening this fall. Currently in 'year zero' which is a planning year before welcoming students, Anabel shares her experience building a school from the ground up, from curriculum adoption to the naming process h...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Christie Imholt, Executive Director of Policy and Strategy, in her eighth year with Aurora Public Schools. Christie shares her remarkable journey from classroom teacher in Boston, Washington DC, and Arlington to federal education policy work with the Department of Education, the White House, the House of Representatives, and the American Enterpr...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Karla Fought, Principal of Lansing Elementary in her fourth year as principal and 27th year with Aurora Public Schools. Last semester brought historic news: Lansing achieved Performance rating for the first time in 10 years! For Karla, after nearly three decades in APS, it's the first time in her entire career that she's worked in a Pe...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we welcome Sara Gips Goodall, APS's new Director of Literacy in her first year with the district. Sara shares her journey from her New England roots to successful turnaround school leadership in Denver and back to the East Coast, where she became known for transformative work with the science of reading. Now returned to Colorado, Sara discusses what drew he...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Garrett Rosa, APS's most tenured Instructional Director, who has been supporting principals since 2018. Before stepping into this role, Garrett was the founding principal of Vista Peak Prep, leading it to Performance rating. With APS running deep in his family spanning employees, alumni, and current students, Garrett shares his  story of ho...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Kurtis Quig, Principal of Aurora Central High School, to celebrate a historic milestone - for the first time in more than 15 years, Aurora Central has achieved Improvement status on the Colorado School Performance Framework. In his fourth year as principal, Kurtis shares his journey to educational leadership, what he found when he arrived at Cen...

Meet Kevin and Ella, two student leaders from Vista Peak Prep who participated in the Colorado Association of School Boards student leadership academy. They share their journeys in Aurora Public Schools, what they're passionate about and involved in at Vista Peak, and what leadership means to them as young people shaping their schools today. Kevin and Ella offer authentic perspectives on what...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Kevin Childs, Director of Safety and Security for Aurora Public Schools and a true servant leader. As an APS alumnus who attended elementary, middle, and high school in the district, Kevin has returned to serve the very community that shaped him. He shares his journey from military service to school safety leadership, explaining his powerful bel...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Janelle Kirkley, Principal of Dartmouth Elementary, who brings a unique perspective as a proud APS alumna. In her 21st year with APS and third year as principal, Janelle leads Dartmouth through a remarkable year of dual celebrations: the school's 50th anniversary and achieving Performance rating once again. She shares her journey through tw...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Dr. Sue-Lin Toussaint, Executive Director of Secondary Schools for Aurora Public Schools. With over 25 years in education, Sue-Lin shares her journey from classroom teacher to school principal to now supervising APS secondary principals. She discusses her recent promotion to executive director, how her commitment to educational equity informs he...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Bryan Gasior, Principal of Aurora Frontier P-8, one of APS's highest performing schools fresh off their strongest year yet. In his seventh year as principal, Bryan shares his unique journey from secondary education to elementary leadership. What makes this conversation special is Bryan's deep passion for music; his office features part...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Lacy Jolly, Principal of Jewell Elementary School in her seventh year at Jewell and twentieth year with Aurora Public Schools. Lacy shares how she's built a Performance-rated school where students don't just learn, they become active participants in writing their own stories. Guided by Jewell's powerful purpose statement: As Jewel...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Patti Moon, Chief Communications Officer for Aurora Public Schools since 2017. Patti shares her journey from television journalist working in major markets including Chicago and Washington D.C. to becoming the voice and storyteller for one of Colorado's largest and most diverse school districts. She discusses the evolution of APS's bra...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Amy Kolquist, Principal of Vista Peak Exploratory, who has led her school to ten consecutive years of Performance rating. In her eighth year as principal, Amy shares insights into what it takes not just to achieve high performance, but to sustain it year after year. She discusses her journey into education and school leadership, the evolution of...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Dr. Erik Cohen, Principal of Harmony Ridge P8 in his third year. Erik shares his unique journey through 20 years in education, multiple states, and military service all while searching for a place to call home. From growing up in LA's many neighborhoods to settling in Denver, Erik's story of movement and transition deeply informs how h...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we introduce Dr. Joy Ross, Aurora Public Schools' new Chief People Officer, who brings 36 years of educational experience across nine school districts to her role. Just two months into her APS tenure, Joy shares her diverse journey from working with newcomer students to serving in administration, human resources, family engagement, and higher education as b...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Josh Cooley, Principal of Aurora Highlands P-8, who brings a unique perspective to educational leadership as someone who opened a brand new school from scratch. Josh has extensive leadership experience from within APS as well as outside the district. He shares his journey from high school administration to guiding students from preschool through...

In this episode of Leadership Laps, we sit down with Jessica Abel-Pype, Principal of Dalton Elementary, who has led one of the most remarkable school transformations in Aurora Public Schools. In her 17th year with APS and 8th year at Dalton, Jessica shares how she guided her school from Priority Improvement status to four consecutive years of Performance ratings, including moving from Priority Imp...

Join Jesús for a very special episode as he welcomes Aurora Public Schools' brand new Chief Academic Officer, Jen Troy (JT) – on just her third day on the job! Hear JT's first impressions of APS, including starting her tenure by attending graduations. We dive into her impressive journey: from her Colorado roots to starting her career in NYC's "Classroom 504," returning to...

What does it truly mean to be "All In For Aurora"? This week on Leadership Laps, Jesús sits down with Craig Lyle, a 25-year veteran of Aurora Public Schools and an Aurora native, who is just completing his first year as Chief of School Leadership and Support. From his beginnings as a teacher in APS to roles as dean, assistant principal, principal, operations director, and Chief Operation...

Join host Jesús Rodríguez on Leadership Laps as he sits down with Drew Hoelscher, Principal of Kenton Elementary School. In his seven years leading the Kenton Roadrunners, Drew has navigated the school through significant transformation, achieving "performance" ratings on the School Performance Framework for the past two years—a first in at least a decade! Discover the story behind Kento...