We are seasoned professionals who are committed to make the lives of boards and board members more fulfilling by helping them serve their owners beyond expectations and contributing to their organizations with integrity, civility, focus and faithful execution of their unique role.
We have dedicated our careers to coaching board members to govern well while concurrently coaching staff for role clarity and accountability.
We believe that:
- Boards exist to serve their owners’ needs and interests. Boards have a role distinct from the role of staff;
- The use of a governance operating system increases exponentially the chance that the board can add value to the organization it serves;
- Boards should govern, not manage. But leading from the policy level requires identification of shared values written into policy and implemented with discipline and integrity;
- There is a very direct and significant relationship between what happens in the boardroom and what happens throughout the organization.
We position the board to lead by creating systemic accountability extending from the board itself throughout the entire organization, all focused on defined outcomes.
Our approach: Coherent Governance®, our own governance design, built to position the board to lead the organization from the policy level through clear direction to the CEO with equally clear accountability for organizational performance.
John Steach Ed. D, CEO - Aspen Group Intl, LLC
John’s diverse career in education spans over 23 years in leadership, currently as CEO for the Center for Educational Effectiveness based in Seattle, WA, as well as serving as a district Board Member, Board Chair, Superintendent, HR Director, Principal Supervisor as well as leading district communications and support services.
Experience
- Implementing a Coherent Governance® system with measurements for student results for academic, citizenship and social & emotional growth.
- Using expertise in data collection, analysis and predictions to determine individual, disaggregated and collective student growth against Results over time.
- Re-aligning district staff and curriculum to achieve Board defined outcomes.
- Supporting Board realignment to become a CG board.
- Developing alternative educational programs to meet student needs.
- Supporting and mentoring fellow superintendents as they transition into the practice of Coherent Governance®.
- Leading district technology transformation:
- Moving the district from antiquated technology to 1:1 student Chromebooks and teacher mobile devices with digital curriculum in 4 years
- Developing a district Personalized Learning Instructional Framework
- Defining and implementing digital content adoption and renewal cycle
- Developing long range facility plans and passing construction bonds and levies.
- Developing and implementing a criteria-based hiring process for administrators and a collaborative teacher hiring process.
Skills
- Developing and leading high performing teams
- Identifying and addressing blocks to organizational improvement
- Developing and gathering support for successful legislation
- Leading negotiations and labor relations
- Analyzing and implementing cutting edge processes to address impediments to districts leadership and operational performance
David Tutor
David brings over two decades of experience in public education, with a deep commitment to systemic improvement, instructional equity, and strategic implementation. With a background that spans classroom instruction, district and state-level leadership, and executive roles in the private sector, David specializes in helping educational leaders design and implement systems that support student outcomes and sustainable improvement.
Experience
- Partners with superintendents and executive leaders to design and lead systems change efforts focused on leadership coherence, instructional equity, and improved student outcomes.
- Supports the translation of district strategic plans into actionable frameworks that shape leadership behavior, guide resource allocation, and monitor progress.
- Builds leadership capacity through job-embedded coaching, focusing on accountability, effective implementation, and alignment to organizational goals.
- Leads strategic planning initiatives that incorporate stakeholder voice, identify systemic barriers, and create implementation pathways rooted in research and practice.
- Formerly directed Washington State’s Response to Intervention (RTI) initiative to scale statewide instructional and intervention systems.
- Guided product strategy and service delivery for organizations focused on school climate, MTSS, social-emotional behavioral screening, and data-informed decision-making, aligning tools to district needs and strategic priorities.
Skills
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Experienced in board-district alignment and governance structures, with knowledge of Coherent Governance principles including Ends monitoring and role clarity.
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Facilitates leadership team development focused on implementation and improvement science, instructional leadership, and aligned accountability systems.
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Designs professional learning experiences that support district and building leaders in achieving strategic and instructional goals.
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Applies data strategically to guide leadership actions, inform decisions, and measure progress toward organizational goals.
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Coaches executive leaders to strengthen internal systems, align initiatives, and sustain progress over time.
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Drives agile school improvement practices that allow districts to adapt quickly, iterate on implementation, and sustain momentum toward strategic goals.
Dr. Randy Quinn, Co-founder of AGI, Retired
Randy served as Executive Director of the Colorado Association of School Boards for 11 years. Prior to accepting that position, he held a similar position for 19 years with the Alabama Association of School Boards. During that 30-year career serving school boards, Randy developed keen insight into the behaviors and attitudes that contribute to effective boards—and those that do not. More and more of his association focus turned to helping boards develop the skills and attitudes that contribute to their performance. For him, a broader national stage made sense, which led to his co-founding AGI Aspen Group International LLC in 1993. Randy also was trained by Dr. John Carver in his Policy Governance® model, and later with Linda, built Coherent Governance®, their adaptation of it.
Linda J. Dawson, Co-founder of AGI, Retired
Linda co-founded AGI Aspen Group International LLC in 1993. Prior to establishing the company, Linda had built a solid national reputation as a speaker, trainer, coach and facilitator. She launched AGI following a 10-year executive-level stint with the Colorado Association of School Boards, where she directed all board training and development as well as developing custom services. Her work in that capacity became known and respected throughout the country, which led to her increasing demand for work in other states and internationally. Establishing her own company became the clear next step in her career path. Linda was selected and trained by Dr. John Carver in his Policy Governance® (PG) model, and used that model with clients for a number of years before creating AGI’s own necessary adaptation of it, Coherent Governance®.