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Commission on No Child Left Behind

Senator Mike Johnston

 

Colorado State Senator
Senior Policy Advisor, New Leaders for New Schools
Former high school principal

Mike Johnston is a nationally recognized principal, author, and education entrepreneur. Elected to his seat on the promise of bringing opportunity and inclusion to the constituents of his district, Mike draws from a long track record of working toward education reform and shared prosperity:

  • Served as one of President Obama’s top three education advisors during the presidential campaign and served on his transition team and as an early advisor to the U.S. Department of Education.
  • Worked as a policy advisor and volunteer for some of the most influential candidates and elected officials in Colorado, including Tom Strickland, Bill Ritter, Michael Bennet, Will Shafroth, Terrance Carroll, and Peter Groff.
  • Co-founder of New Leaders for New Schools, recognized nationally as one of the foremost education reform organizations of the last 15 years.
  • Opened and led Mapleton Expeditionary School of Arts, a public high school in Mapleton funded by the Gates Foundation. In May 2008, MESA became the first district public high school in Colorado to get all 100 percent of its seniors admitted to four-year colleges.

Mike believes the best way to serve the people is to work with them, and he has opened a community office in the heart of North Park Hill, across from the old Holly Shopping Center. His office will be used as a community center focused heavily on community participation, accessibility, and programs for children.

Mike grew up on the Western Slope of Colorado and attended Yale as a National Merit Scholar with a scholarship from the Climax/Amax Mine. At Yale, he played varsity soccer and spent most of his time volunteering in public housing projects. A Spanish speaker, Mike taught high school English in the Mississippi Delta after leaving college.

Mike lives in Denver with his wife Courtney, a former teacher and social worker who now serves as a Deputy District Attorney. They have 18-month-old twin sons, Emmet and Seamus.