The Founding Partners of DGS
Mimi Diaz, Lead Partner
What led me to this "dream come true"? As a high school student in the 70's, I attended one of the first "Innovation" schools in the country, The Center for Self Directed Learning at New Trier East High School in Winnetka, Illinois. This experience is what has driven not only my career in education, but a lifelong love of learning and leading. As a special educator for 15 years I decided to take my expertise to the typical classroom and completed my masters in literacy. I spent 4 years teaching second grade and 4 years in kindergarten and loved every minute of it. My passion, creativity and leadership skills have led me to know that together, with a community that shares the same vision and mission, we can instill and succeed in developing that same passion and creativity in all students. As a school leader and teacher, it is the hands-on, brains-on experiences that I can't wait to see every student engaged in, excited about, reflecting on and excelling at.
Craig Harrer, Lead Partner
I am a Denver native, who attended Samuels Elementary, Cole Middle School and Thomas Jefferson High School. (Go Spartans!) All of which are DPS schools. I am a father of 3 wonderful boys ages 4, 7 and 8. I have a beautiful wife of 10 years who will edit this work and make it much better than I ever could have. I play ice hockey every weekend. I am learning the guitar and I have a tendency to take on projects that lead to very expensive lessons. I taught for 16 years in Denver Public Schools in a variety of positions including Principal, Assistant Principal, Paraprofessional, AN Center teacher, and Technology teacher. I am excited to be a Technology teacher and lead partner for the Denver Green School. I think we have an opportunity to break down barriers and create something that brings a wide variety of people together with a sense of belonging. I fully expect our community to become a national beacon for 21st century learning, sustainable living and renewable energy.
Frank Coyne, Lead Partner
I have been in education for 12 years. As Associate Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning, at DU I oversaw the dynamic partnerships between DU and Denver Public Schools. I attained my B.A. in Human Development and Race Relations from Pennsylvania State University. I also completed a secondary teacher's Certification and M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction in the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver. At the heart of my educational philosophy is the strong belief that students will learn best by "doing"—but not merely doing for the sake of experience, rather I believe that students have a hunger to learn while working to solve problems-problems that matter to them. I believe DGS will provide such relevancy and engagement, and students will be more connected and have huge stake in education and world in which we live. I believe that it is vital to engage teachers and students in the relevant learning that works to solve community problems. Call it service-learning, call it civic engagement, I call it my life's work. I firmly believe we are creating a model that will have positive impacts on a national scale.
Allen Potter, 6th Grade
I am a secondary level social studies teacher and a founding partner of DGS. I graduated from Cherry Creek high school in 1986 and went on to study history at the University of Kansas. I gained a global perspective (as well as competency in both French and Spanish) by spending three years living in Strasbourg, France and Barcelona. In addition to my work with DGS, I am also completing a Master's degree in Global Affairs from the University of Denver. I've been a teacher in Denver for fifteen years, all of them at Rishel middle school. I'm proud of my accomplishments as a teacher, student advisor and coach, as well as the connections and relationships I've built by living right in the Rishel community. I am committed to putting students at the center of their own learning; I believe that this approach (known as Place-Based education) is the key to fostering relevancy in students' learning. When students see the connections between their education and their own lives, they are far more enthusiastic learners. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to create and work in this spirited learning environment.
Kartal Jaquette, 3rd Grade
My second year at DGS will be my sixth year as a teacher. In these six years, I have taught elementary in Boulder, Denver and Uganda. This past year, I taught 7th grade history at Skinner Middle School in Denver. In addition to these varied teaching jobs, I had some diverse child development experiences as a youth. In fact, it was as a 15 year old working at a summer camp in New Hampshire that I realized I wanted to become a teacher. I would describe my educational style as being creative and enthusiastic. Additionally, I have a real passion for history and math instruction. I am drawn to DGS because my experience in the outdoors has made me a lover of nature. In a larger sense, I see DGS as being my chance to help save the planet that I love. I have two dreams for DGS. The first is that we will create students who are prepared to live successful and sustainable lives. Second, I have already realized that the effort I put into this school comes back to me in the form of serious pride and satisfaction, so I am eager to continue to pour my heart and soul into something that feels so rewarding.
Jose Piza, 7th Grade
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. As an educator, I am new to my field. 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. 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. As someone concerned with learning in the 21st century, I sense a dramatic change in the world around us. It is evident to most that a digital age filled with new attitudes about the world has emerged. Tomorrow's leaders will require a tool set for success that relies on critical thinking skills, an ability to connect their local world to the global landscape and a love for constant learning as the world around them changes. I can't think of anything more exciting than joining students as they tackle this work or a more perfect location for the work. Go DGS!
Jeff Buck, 7th Grade
I have worked for DPS since 1999 and taught in the math department at East High School until last year. I am a founding member of the Denver Green School Partnership. I've had an interest in solar energy since I was young. By the time my daughter was born in 2005, I recognized that we on Earth face major challenges that require us to remember some important things. While on special assignment in central administration, I started looking for ways to create an institutional response to the need for more awareness and a rekindling of the skills of stewardship. Some of us interested in sustainability and education started to find each other and in a natural convergence of projects, became the Denver Green School Partnership. I'm very excited that my daughter will join our first kindergarten class in August 2010 because I know at DGS she will grow up with experiences that will best prepare her to be part of the solution.
Chris Blach, Founding Partner and Early Education Consultant
Founding Partner and Early Education Consultant - I graduated from a small liberal arts college in Minnesota with a degree in English Literature and a minor in French. I obtained my teaching degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder and then went on to gain a Masters Degree in Reading and Writing from the University of Colorado, Denver. I also have National Board Certification for Early Education and have supervised numerous pre-service teachers. I have been an Elementary Educator for 29 years. Most of my experience has been in Kindergarten with a few years teaching 1st and 2nd Grade and a year of working with Early Education teachers as a coach, mentor and staff developer. I am committed to providing developmentally appropriate experiences for our youngest learners that is integrated and builds on a child's present knowledge and understandings with a strong focus on oral language development. I want our students to have daily opportunities for outdoor play and experiences with nature that builds on their natural sense of curiosity and "sense of wonder" about the world and how it works. A thread running throughout the curriculum will be to encourage a sense of stewardship toward their environment and community and begin to cultivate in our little ones a desire to serve as active and committed citizens.
Ana Soler, Lead Partner
I have served as an outreach worker with runaway/homeless youth, a case manager with homeless families, a case manager with juvenile offenders, and as an English as a Second Language instructor at Rishel Middle School. Before working for FrontRange Earth Force, I was the Director of Victim Services 2000, a national model program through the Office for Victims of Crime, administered through the Denver District Attorney's Office, which improved services to victims on a network level in Denver. I hold a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Colorado-Denver. I have been a trainer both locally and nationally on service learning, inclusivity and instruction and on collaboration. I enjoy gardening, photography and spending time with my family.