MEET SCOTT

Lifelong devotion to students

Scott started working with children in high school as a summer camp counselor on Mt. Evans. This experience sparked a life dedicated to kids and education. As an educator for over 20 years, Esserman has worked from ECE to High School and has facilitated adult training with the Anti-Defamation League. Throughout Scott's career, he has gone beyond the classroom, including coaching soccer, basketball, and field hockey. The speech and debate program that Scott founded while at Kent Denver is now nationally recognized. He went on to coach dozens of state champions over the 12 years he was at Cherry Creek High School. Scott played an instrumental role in the founding of Northfield High School both writing the innovation plan and serving on the founding faculty.

Scott has centered relationships, teamwork, and fundamental skill-building in all of his work. Recognized for honoring students’ lived experience, he prioritized culturally relevant curricula everywhere he taught - public and private school. One of his favorite experiences was teaching preschool for a year early in his career.

Scott received his BS in History from the University of Missouri, emphasizing African American Studies, and a Certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University. He moved to Colorado in January of '92 and met his wife here a year later. They are the proud parents of two DPS children. Their daughter is a graduate from

Manual High School and their son is a student at DSST Montview Middle School.

COMMUNITY ADVOCATE

Scott is well known throughout Denver's education community and beyond for showing up to support others. Scott's advocacy is rooted in the community to ensure that we are lifting the voices of those we too often ignore. As a devoted champion for all students, Scott has joined the community to preserve Manual, worked on the 2016 Montclair Bond Expansion, has served on several district task forces, and has been a loyal ally to communities of color for racial equity.

Scott has served on varying boards ranging from the newly formed Tattered Cover Advisory Board, the regional board for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and is the current chair of the DPS District Accountability Committee. These boards have allowed Scott to work with a wide breadth of community and create coalitions across Denver.

Scott has committed to ensuring students and families with varying needs are able to navigate DPS and the Individual Education Plan process through his volunteered time. He is able to use his experiences as an educator to empower families as they work to get all available resources for their children. Through his mentorship students have been admitted to a wide range of colleges as a result of listening to their dreams, editing their essays, and preparing them for interviews.