Jason Glass takes Colorado innovation to Iowa
The new year brings a fresh opportunity to share a key example of Colorado education reform innovation spreading its wings and landing on a high perch beyond our borders. Former CDE consultant and Eagle County human resources director Jason E. Glass was recently named by Iowa’s incoming Gov. Terry Branstad to head up the state’s education department.
I first met and interacted with Jason in his role at Eagle County. There he played an instrumental role as an innovator. The district not only had adopted the Teacher Advancement Program but also had taken a clean break from the old, unworkable salary schedule. Along the way, Eagle County encountered a number of problems based on how the program was implemented. He helped move the district into its second generation of performance pay, retaining its innovative quality while building broader support.
The local Colorado transformation gave Jason somewhat of a national platform to share lessons learned, and apparently that proved to be quite a stepping stone up. After a few months in a senior position at Battelle for Kids, a group dedicated to “transformation in education…through focusing on human capital development” as well as value added data and formative instructional practices, he got a surprising invitation from Branstad’s staff to interview.
“I was of course honored but thought little of my chances! I went to Des Moines and spoke with the Governor and his staff for a couple of hours and we really found we shared a very similar vision or education,” Jason wrote in an email. “It was a fantastic experience for me. I was really surprised when they called a few days later after checking my references to make the offer!”
Unlike in Colorado, the head of Iowa’s education department is appointed by the governor rather than the state board. But the legacy of Colorado’s recently departed commissioner sure looks to have an influence in the Hawkeye State. “I had a great role model in watching Commissioner Jones. I have tremendous respect for him and what he did for Colorado,” Jason said.
A lot of what he gleaned during his time in Colorado figures to play out in Iowa, a state with different institutions and demographics. “The rest of the country should look to Colorado and think ‘innovation.’ This spirit of innovation and trying different approaches is something I hope to take from my time in Colorado and share. Iowa has tremendous educators and a great tradition of quality public schools. My role will be to serve those educators in making a really good state even better.”
On a personal note, Jason acknowledged his new position is a “big leap” but added: “I was as surprised by the selection as anyone else and this is a tremendous opportunity for me. However, I’ve lived my whole life beating the odds, taking calculated risks, and facing things others feared. The most powerful professional skill I’ve learned is putting my fear in check. It’s always there, but it doesn’t have to rule us.”
No pressure, either. A couple days after officially being named to the position, he headed up the Christian Science Monitor‘s list of “eight school chiefs to watch in 2011″ in the area of education reform.
While Jason and I certainly don’t agree on all things related to education reform, he brings some great ideas and leadership qualities to the table. For the sake of Iowa’s students, here’s wishing him well in his new job. And let’s hope that Colorado innovation earns at least a footnote of acclaim for any success he achieves.
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