Rich Barrett

The news that Rich Barrett resigned last week from KIPP Denver Collegiate High School has hit Denver educators and advocates hard. Rich is impossible to dislike. He’s cut from KIPP cloth, with his shaved head, his at times overwhelming passion for the mission, his indefatigable work habits. Here’s hoping he’s back working with kids soon; preferably in Denver, but if not here, somewhere.

I met Rich when he first came to town earlier this decade to launch KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy and I was a program officer at The Piton Foundation. I had visit the KIPP school in Houston, where Rich taught, and after one lunch at Bayou Bob’s I knew Piton needed to support the launch of Denver’s first KIPP school.

What I’ll remember best about Rich as a school leader was that when Sunshine Peak finally got its permanent home in west Denver, he couldn’t bear the thought of having an office with a door. So he moved his desk out to the intersection of the school’s two hallways, and that’s where he conducted his business. The kids saw him there, and knew they had a fierce advocate in their midst.

I’ve collected some thoughts from people who know and admire Rich. Here they are:

Rich Barrett has to be considered a true pioneer in the challenging field of establishing high performance schools. My two vivid memories of working with him took place at his first school location in an undersized, leaky building off of Federal Boulevard. I had met there earlier when the Florence Crittendon School was desperate to leave the building and get their own facility. It was Rich’s first year. It took a real leap of faith to think that Rich would pull off the creation of KIPP Sunshine Peak in that facility. While on the site visit, I was invited to Rich’s math class. I was stunned by the discipline. When anyone took their eyes off the teacher, they heard about it, including me. Of course, I could not answer Rich’s elementary question. His success there, the construction of a new school, and finally the establishment of a high school are accomplishments that deserve our applause.

–Tom Kaesemeyer, Executive Director, Gates Family Foundation

Rich has been a trailblazer for charter schools in Denver.  Since I met Rich 5 ½ years ago when I came to Denver, I have always appreciated his passion and incredible commitment to serve students from low-income families.  He made a difference in so many kids’ lives – he should be very proud of that.

–Bill Kurtz, Head of Schools, Denver School of Science and Technology

Bill is a rabid environmentalist. So much so that he refuses to take paper or plastic cups in restaurants.  He carries the same plastic coffee mug he got at a bagel shop several years ago (something like 7 years) and always uses it when he buys drinks.  The fact that he hasn’t lost it says something about focus and organization skills, and maybe a little about fetishism.

He’s a passionate and direct communicator.  He says what’s on his mind and is totally unafraid of kids (and probably of adults).

–Rob Stein, Principal, Manual High School

The passionate, visionary founder commits heart and soul to the grueling work of finding investors, hiring a capable and energetic start-up team willing to work for a pittance, and establishing an innovative, breakthrough technology.  Then, once the new product is successful, the investors decide that it’s time to bring in a CEO that will create stability and predictable growth.  The start-up CEO and the stability CEO rarely share a common vision and never share the same strengths.

Rich not only opened the doors of the first KIPP school in Denver, but Rich also opened our eyes to a whole new paradigm in education, forcing the many constructivist reformers in our midst to re-examine our biases and to re-evaluate our convictions about high-performing schools.  The success that KIPP Sunshine Peak achieved under Rich’s leadership gave the rest of us the courage to build on this high-support/high-accountability platform to create a cadre of the highest performing schools in Denver.  Thanks, Rich, for introducing us to a school design in which all students really do learn and really can reach the highest levels of academic performance.

I look forward to learning more from you as you tackle more of these disruptive innovations.

–Mariah Dickson, Director of Curriculum/Instruction, DSST

With Rich Barrett there was never any doubt: his kids and their academic success were the first priority. And though many give lipservice to this, at the end of his time at KIPP Denver Rich has an unimpeachable track record that shows how well he walked the walk. From the distance of two timezones and a vantage here in Washington that permits a broader survey of capable school leaders, I can say with some sadness that Rich Barrett is way too scarce a  resource. I hope he’s back in the action in Denver pronto.

–Brad Jupp, former DPS teacher and administrator, currently on loan to U.S. Department of Education

I cannot imagine anyone harder-working, more committed, and passionate about schooling. Rich has left a lasting legacy in Denver and we owe him our gratitude.

–Phil Gonring, Senior Program Officer, Rose Community Foundation

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