Keith Owen, superintendent of Fountain Fort Carson School District 8, has a simple philosophy when it comes to education: Kids come first.

“I really do try, in every decision I make, to put the needs of kids first,” Owen said.

“And I’ve tried very hard to empower our leaders to make decisions that are in the best interests of the kids they serve.”

Owen’s dedication to students, and the tangible results of that commitment, has not gone unnoticed.

The Colorado Association of School Executives recently named him the Colorado superintendent of the year for 2021.

Lois Skaggs, Rochelle Williams, William Dallas and Michelle Canon have also garnered leadership awards from the state over the past two years.

“Our leaders are a group of like-minded individuals focused on a common goal,” Owen said. “I really believe that’s why we’ve got principals receiving many of these awards.”

Owen has been in public education for more than 20 years. Before joining Fountain-Fort Carson in 2015, he served superintendent for the Durango School District and as deputy commissioner of education for the Colorado Department of Education. He said he is a strong believer in the role of public schools as a cornerstone of American education.

“Public education is a very special place,” he said.  “It creates a unique group of people who share a common experience.”

Owen said his stint as the state’s commissioner for the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission helped prepare him for the role in which he currently serves — about 70% of the district’s 8,500 students are military-affiliated.

“We educate many families of service members, who are here to protect our country,” Owen said. “A lot of our families are constantly moving — that’s life in the Army. But we’ve learned to adapt to that, to embrace it, and to help kids excel for the time that they’re with us.”

The superintendent said he has been careful to hire individuals who share his passion for putting students in the best position to succeed.

“I really believe we have some of the most incredible teachers and employees in this district,” he said. “That’s a direct result of having the best leaders in all our buildings. It’s truly gratifying to see our principals being recognized like this.”

Lois Skaggs, Abrams Elementary School

When Lois Skaggs took over as Abrams Elementary School’s principal in 2014, she inherited the worst-performing school in the district. It was a place with strained student-staff relationships and minimal parental involvement, and it was on the verge of becoming a “turnaround priority” school — a designation given to the state’s lowest achieving schools.

Four years later, Abrams Elementary had earned a National Distinguished School award for exceptional student performance and academic growth.

“Our belief at Abrams Elementary School is that our students are all highly capable, and when we set the bar high, and provide the necessary supports, no goal is too big,” said Skaggs, Colorado’s 2021 National Distinguished Principal of the Year.

A veteran principal who began her academic career as a special education teacher, Skaggs believes that solid relationships between staff, students and families serve as the foundation of a positive learning environment.

“I have always believed that the most important part of education lies in the relationships that we build with our communities, our students and among staff members,” she said. “When we unite with a common purpose and belief, we can do the hard work necessary and our students benefit.”

Rochelle Williams, Abrams Elementary School

Rochelle Williams, the state’s National Assistant Principal of the Year for 2020, is an Army veteran and mother of five. She said both experiences have served her well in her role as assistant principal at Abrams Elementary School.

Williams’ military experience has taught her that the mission comes first, she said. As an educator, that mission is the learning and growth of her students.

“My veteran experience also drives me to empathize with my military families,” said Williams, herself a military spouse. “Sometimes duty calls for the parent, or for their spouse. I have been on both sides of this and know the impact in a very personal way.”

Being mom to five kids has taught Williams that children learn in different ways and respond to different stimuli and incentives, she said.

Two of her five children — daughter Abigail and son Josiah — have been students at Abrams Elementary during her tenure as assistant principal. She said they enjoyed having their mom walk the halls of their school.

“Abigail said all her friends thought I was cool and fun,” Williams said. “Josiah stated that he loved that I was able to help students.”

William Dallas, Fountain Middle School

William Dallas is a firm believer in servant leadership — the idea that a leader’s primary function is to serve others.

“It is why I went into education to begin with — to serve others and help the next generation of students develop into contributing members of society,” said Dallas, who was named the 2020 Colorado middle level principal of the year.

When Dallas took the reins at Fountain Middle School in 2016, he saw a place beset by declining academic performance, growing behavioral problems and daunting student attrition rates. He immediately set about reworking the overall culture at the school, and his work has paid tangible dividends: Fountain Middle School was one of two Colorado middle schools named as a 2021 Trailblazer “school to watch.”

During his tenure at the middle school, Dallas has instituted several academic programs, including an initiative offering all middle-schoolers access to a personal laptop for in-school use and a high school readiness program for 8^th graders.

“Educational leaders are here to facilitate a process and usher in continued educational improvement,” Dallas said. “This award is really recognition of the hard work that our students, staff, and entire community as put into transforming our school.”

Michelle Canon, Patriot Elementary School

Michelle Canon, principal at Patriot Elementary School, was recognized as the 2020 Colorado Rookie of the Year for Elementary Schools. To hear her tell it, she didn’t get there on her own.

“The first word that came to my mind when I found out was gratitude,” Canon said. “I sort of had a flashback to all of the people that supported and encouraged me to become an administrator and principal. The support from my family and extended family really allowed this to happen.”

Success, according to Canon, begins at the top, so she has made an effort to bolster the professional development of her employees from instituting a mentorship program to expanding staff learning opportunities. The result has been a leadership team with a singular focus on setting students up for success.

Flexibility has been critical for Canon and her team during her second year at Patriot, an academic period that has been turned upside-down by the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of the virus on the everyday lives of students, families and staff have been stressful, but Canon said the school year has also been a valuable learning experience.

“It certainly reaffirmed just how much I need good people around me,” she said. “It has also taught me, perhaps more than anything else, just how amazing and vital the staff around me is to the success of this school.”