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Profile: ROB ANDERSON

When Rob Anderson became superintendent of Colorado鈥檚 Boulder Valley School District in 2018, he quickly recognized the district鈥檚 strong overall performance was hiding achievement gaps, particularly among Latinx students. What鈥檚 more, the systems meant to engage the community were leaving those students鈥� parents out of the conversation.

So one of Anderson鈥檚 first steps as superintendent was launching a Latinx Parent Advisory Council. By providing that forum, the district, with 27,000 students in 56 schools, began identifying needs and implementing changes 鈥� from upgrading translation services to expanding access to academic opportunities.

鈥淟eaders are at their best when they can authentically listen, bring stakeholders to the table and work to co-create solutions that work for everyone, and I think that that鈥檚 been a real key here in Boulder Valley in our successes,鈥� Anderson says.

Listening and collaboration mark Anderson鈥檚 leadership style. Real change happens, he says, when leaders partner and make decisions informed by data and research.

Involving more people in problem solving also deepens their understanding of district issues and can even turn them into advocates for public education, he says. 鈥淐elebrating public education and telling the good stories, it just can鈥檛 be the superintendent. It鈥檚 got to be an entire community sharing with each other.鈥�

Kathy Gebhardt, a Colorado state board of education member, was on Boulder Valley鈥檚 board when Anderson was hired. She spotted his collaborative style in action 鈥� whether he was bringing lunch to teachers or working with board members.

鈥淥ne of the more fraught areas that boards have to deal with is agenda setting, and Rob is masterful at that,鈥� she says. After each board meeting, members were invited to suggest agenda items, which were tracked and later reviewed in a group session where the board collectively decided which topics to prioritize.

鈥淓very school board member feels honored because Rob finds a way to include their ideas,鈥� she says.

Anderson鈥檚 appreciation for schools and teachers started when he was a child growing up in poverty. 鈥淭hey gave me chances and opportunities in ways that my family, who loved me, wouldn鈥檛 have been able to,鈥� he says. That lived experience keeps this question top of mind, he says: 鈥淲hat do I need to do as a superintendent to help everybody in the system create the conditions to support kids?鈥�

At Boulder Valley, conditions are increasingly favorable for all students because of Anderson鈥檚 ability to listen and engage, Gebhardt says.

Under Anderson鈥檚 leadership, Boulder Valley has reduced disciplinary actions involving Latinx students. He also led a more than 400 percent surge in their enrollment in college-level courses, part of a framework he established to strengthen postsecondary readiness for all students.

During his tenure, Boulder Valley also has implemented a weighted model. As Anderson describes, the district created a fund within its budget, which drives resources to schools with the highest needs. For the targeted schools, those efforts have improved test scores, reduced behavior referrals and raised their standings in Colorado鈥檚 accountability system.

For Anderson, any win, however, comes because of collaboration. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 view 鈥� any of the successes of our district has been anything more than bringing people together, creating the right conditions,鈥� he says. 鈥淪ome of our best ideas have come from folks who, a lot of times, wouldn鈥檛 have had a seat at the table.鈥�

is a freelance writer in Raleigh, N.C.