Candidate Drew Adams emphasizes hands‑on leadership, teacher recruitment and late‑start secondary schedule

Drew Adams told the Steamboat Springs School District board he is attracted to a smaller, mountain district where leaders can know staff and students by name and embed themselves in the community. He said he would commit to a five‑ to seven‑year tenure if hired.

Adams described practical approaches to improving student outcomes: actively recruiting teachers (including helping find housing and setting up host‑teacher stipends for international hires), intensive onboarding and one‑on‑one follow‑through, and coaching principals through building walkthroughs and PLC (professional learning community) cycles. He detailed a case in which close coaching of a music teacher and principal interventions led to restored team functioning and improved classroom outcomes.

On personnel and ethics, Adams recounted an incident where a teacher covertly assisted a minor to travel internationally. He said the district and him coordinated with counselors and law enforcement, contacted child protective services, arranged the student's safe return and built a wraparound support plan to get the student back on track academically.

Adams also advocated for evidence‑based instructional work, starting with pilot programs and modeling, and for communication systems that support two‑way translation (he referenced Alma and TalkingPoints). He emphasized policies to standardize monitored staff‑to‑family communications and multilingual messaging to limit accidental disclosure of staff‑only information.

Adams said he regularly visits campuses, meets principals for extended coaching sessions and prioritizes staff supports to reduce turnover. He noted he has used later secondary start times in previous districts and argued they boost student engagement and learning.