Project Description
Sabrina Bates, Fellow
Teller Elementary School
Denver, CO
Sabrina Bates has 15 years experience in public education, all in which she has proudly served in Denver Public Schools. She started her education career as a one-on-one paraprofessional at Park Hill Elementary School. From there, Sabrina became a 3rd grade teacher in an ICOMM (Intensive Communication) classroom where she team taught with a Speech-Language Pathologist for eight years. During her time in the classroom, Sabrina also provided school-wide support as a Teacher Leader. In 2017, Sabrina was named principal of Teller Elementary School. Under her leadership, Teller experienced tremendous academic growth. The school went from "Yellow" (Approaching) to "Blue" (Distinguished) on the School Performance Framework (SPF) in just two short years. This growth was recognized by the Colorado Department of Education when Teller earned the Governor's Distinguished Improvement Award in 2018 and 2019, and the school was recognized by Denver Public Schools as a Top Mover. Today, Sabrina continues to serve in her role as principal of Teller. She attributes her success as a building leader to her highly effective staff, amazing students, and supportive community.
Jason Smartt, Ally
Dean of Culture
Teller Elementary School
Denver, CO
Jason Smartt has served as the Dean of Culture since July 2021 at Teller Elementary School in Denver, Colorado. He has been a champion of restorative justice since 2015 and has led district wide professional development on how to bring restorative practices into elementary schools. Jason has served as a community liaison in both Denver Public Schools and Aurora Public schools where he has utilized community partnerships and outreach to help support families. Jason is a second year Master of Social Work Student at the Metropolitan State University of Denver and hopes to use his degree to be able to provide more advanced social and emotional learning opportunities to students, families, and communities. Under Jason’s leadership, Teller Elementary has transformed their discipline model to one of restorative justice- which provides an opportunity for students to assess the harm they caused and how they are able to fix it. This model has been helpful in the positive behavior systems that Teller has in place and has helped lead to a more empathetic atmosphere. As part of the equity and inclusion team, Jason leads monthly professional development opportunities on our Black Excellence Plan, restorative practices, self-care, school culture, and de-escalation. He hopes to continue learning from leaders across the country and around the world to hopefully become a building leader one day.