Leadership Laps

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...

In this special edition of Leadership Laps, host Jesús Rodríguez shares insights from an unrecorded conversation with Dr. Kelsey Haddock, Principal of Aurora Quest K-8. Despite technical difficulties preventing the planned interview, Jesús reflects on the valuable leadership lessons learned from their discussion. For eight years, Dr. Haddock has led Aurora Quest to become the most diverse, highest...