Leadership Model

Denver Green School has a partnership leadership model. We have three lead partners who share responsibility for leading as opposed to a more traditional principal and assistant principal. In addition, we have a “partnership” where teachers meet to discuss and take action for the school.

Lead Partners

JESSICA KRICHBAUM, LEAD PARTNER

I started my career as special educator at Rishel Middle School in southwest Denver. From there I went on to become an instructional coach, assistant principal, and most recently co-lead the DPS Peer Observer Team as part of the our teacher growth and evaluation system. Personally, I am a Denver native raising two wonderful kids with a very patient husband. I love the Colorado outdoors and am proud to join a community that shares my enthusiasm for stewardship and sustainability.  Some of my other passions include cooking, running, CrossFit, gardening, and comedy. I have been cheering on the DGS team since the school was in the planning phase and am beyond excited to finally become a part of this extraordinary community. I very much am looking forward to getting to know your students and each of you on our journey together. 

Contact Prudence at prudence_daniels@denvergreenschool.org

JOSE PIZA, LEAD PARTNER

I am a Cuban-Mexican educator with a passionate interest in what education means for the 21st-century learner. As a Cuban-Mexican, I share a love of diversity and have a deep respect for the challenge of learning a language. Spanish is my native language. Through my coursework, as I attained a Masters Degree in Classical studies, I have also studied Latin and Ancient Greek. It is clear to me that language and diversity both involve getting close and personal to effectively translate those concepts into good learning. I worked in the non-profit sector helping families through various education programs. Eventually, I returned to school. I earned a license to teach and began working as a middle school teacher. I greatly enjoyed my 12 years in the class with middle school students. The age group for me demonstrates an amazing talent for curiosity as they explore the world through a unique blend of youthful play and adult-like intellectual maturity. It is a privilege to work with this age group and a source of constant joy. It is also a privilege to enter my new role at DGS. As a teacher-leader since the school's inception, I have always been deeply committed to the mission, vision, and values of our amazing school. The new role brings many challenges and opportunities to help maintain the level of excellence established over the course of the last ten years. Thus, I am both humbled by the prospect of being a Lead Partner and constantly driven to consider how to keep the legacy of our wonderful school and community thriving.

Contact Jose at jose_piza@denvergreenschool.org

Partners

Robert Sutro, Kindergarten Teacher, Partner

I am an equity-driven early childhood teacher who places love at the heart of my repertoire of strategies to meet my students’ needs. I endeavor to understand my students’ cultures, histories, languages and social-emotional needs in order to see them for all that they are and can be. In addition to being a renewed NBCT, I hold a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Social Science and – prior to becoming a credentialed teacher – taught English to children in Taiwan and in Turkey and did peace building work with children in both Bosnia and Kosovo.

ALEAHA HARKINS, Dean of Instructions + Music, PARTNER

Hi! I'm Aleaha Harkins and I have been teaching music at DGS since 2013. I am originally from York, Pennsylvania, but have lived in Colorado for the past 20 years. I absolutely love Colorado and all it has to offer. I went to school at Colorado State University where I received my Bachelor's degree in Music Education and a Master's of Music with Kodály Emphasis. I recently graduated with my Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies through the University of Northern Colorado. I have two incredible, wild, young boys that make every day a new adventure, and we are expecting our baby girl in March. When I'm not at school, I enjoy hiking our local trails with my family and spending time on the water at Chatfield reservoir. I am looking forward to being back at DGS with everyone and can't wait for an awesome school year!

LIZ pattison, ELA S RESOURCE TEACHER, PARTNER

I am delighted to be an English Language Development teacher and Partner at the Denver Green School. I was born and raised in Littleton, Colorado and received my B.S. in Psychology from the University of Denver. During my time there, I participated in service-learning projects both locally in Denver as well as internationally. After graduation I spent three years in Guatemala as a Peace Corps Volunteer, where I worked as an environmental impact specialist and taught English and environmental awareness in elementary classrooms. Among the many amazing take-aways from that experience, I learned that I had a passion for teaching. It was my time in Guatemala that set me on my path as an educator, which led me to pursue a Master's Degree in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education and an ELD position here at DGS. When I am not in the classroom I enjoy travel, time outdoors, exercise, and gardening.

Bailey Wagner, 7th Grade Math, Partner

Hi! I’ve been teaching at DGS since 2015. I absolutely love teaching middle schoolers and in particular 7th grade math. I love helping students explore and ask questions and guide them towards a feeling of accomplishment. I was born and raised in Massachusetts but moved out to Colorado in 2008. I have a masters degree in environmental engineering and worked as a few years as a consultant but ultimately decided to follow my dream of becoming a teacher. I have 2 young children at home, Violet and Henry. I love to spend time in the outdoors. I really love working at DGS because of the shared leadership and the agency that teachers have to be creative and successful. I hope as a partner I will continue to push DGS to be a successful and positive place to go be a student, be a parent, and work here.

Dwayne Brown, Dean of Culture, Partner

Hey DGS Community. I was born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in Aurora, Colorado, I have had the privilege of experiencing the rich blend of cultures that define this community. After spending several years navigating the unique landscape of both Jamaica and Aurora, I developed a deep appreciation for the diversity and strength that come with a multicultural upbringing.

For the past seven years, I have had the honor of working here at DGS in a variety of roles, with a particular focus on creating an inclusive environment where every student feels valued and empowered. In my current role as the Dean of Culture, I strive to foster a school culture where respect, equity, and belonging are at the forefront of everything we do.

Serving students from this community is personally important to me, as I am committed to providing them with the tools and support needed to succeed, both academically and socially. I believe that by embracing our differences, we can build a stronger, more unified school environment that prepares all of our students for success in an increasingly diverse world.

It is my privilege to work alongside a dedicated team of educators and staff to make sure every student feels seen, heard, and supported throughout their educational journey.

Matt Meyer, 4th Grade Math, Partner

I grew up in Texas and I started my teaching career at a middle school in Granada, Spain. From there, I had the opportunity to teach in Oakland, California for six years. Don’t worry Broncos fans, although I love The Town and I occasionally miss living somewhere that doesn’t require snow shoveling, I never cheered for the Raiders. In 2016, I moved to Denver and found my home at Denver Green School - Southeast. I teach fourth grade math and education for sustainability. I have a Master of Arts in Education from Stanford University and an Ed.S in Educational Leadership (Principal License) from the University of Colorado - Denver. When I’m not teaching, you can find me riding bikes with my stepdaughter, trying to get bread to rise, or watching football.

Anna Arnold, School Psychologist, Partner

I have a Masters (MS) in childhood psychology and my Educational Specialist (Ed.S) in educational psychology from Oklahoma State University. I love serving as the school psychologist at DGS because I get to work with everyone in the building and no day is the same. I’ve always known that I wanted to work with children and families and feel called to my work. I grew up in the south, moved to Colorado in 2014 and started working at Denver Green School! I can’t imagine working anywhere else. Denver Green School has that special something- maybe its the shared leadership, or the empowered teachers. Maybe it’s watching our diverse student population learning and working together. I am passionate about working with children of all ability levels and helping families through tough times. When I am not working you can find pursuing my newest adventure, being a mom to my beautiful & amazing baby Sonny Hart.

DENVER GREEN SCHOOL, 6700 E VIRGINIA AVE, DENVER, CO 80224, UNITED STATES(720) 424-7480 DENVERGREENSCHOOL@GMAIL.COM