PROFILE

Ari Gerzon-Kessler is a sought-after speaker, trainer, and coach working with schools and districts committed to forging stronger school-family partnerships. He is the author of On The Same Team: Bringing Educators & Underrepresented Families Together, which won the Gold Medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards for best education book of 2024. Ari also leads the Family Partnerships Department for the Boulder Valley School District (CO).

Ari has been an educator since 2000, having served as a principal and bilingual teacher. In 2006, Ari was a recipient of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund. As principal, his school received the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award in 2013. His leadership efforts to strengthen partnerships with underrepresented families and dismantle unjust practices were featured in Education Week in 2015.

Ari regularly presents at national and international conferences on Families and Educators Together (FET) teams and other innovative family partnership best practices. His writings have been featured in a variety of educational publications, including Educational Leadership, Principal Magazine, and Edutopia.

Ari received his bachelor’s in African American studies from Wesleyan University and a master’s in instruction and curriculum from the University of Colorado. Ari is a certified Integral Facilitator and enjoys leading highly engaging professional learning and training sessions, as well as coaching individuals and teams.