Ari Gerzon-Kessler is a sought after trainer, speaker, and coach working with school districts committed to forging stronger school-family partnerships and increasing student engagement and well-being. Ari is author of the On The Same Team: Bringing Educators and Underrepresented Families Together (Solution Tree, 2024), which won the IPPY (Independent Publishers Book Awards) Gold Medal for the best education book of 2024. Ari also leads the Family Partnerships department for the Boulder Valley School District.Ari has been an educator since 2000, having served as a principal and bilingual teacher. His educational experiences range from working in predominantly low-income minority schools to working in more affluent and high-performing schools. Ari is a certified Integral Facilitator and has led several courses at the intersection of family partnerships, SEL, and cultural responsiveness.In 2006, Ari was a recipient of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund. During his work 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 was featured in Education Week in 2015. Ari regularly presents at national and international conferences on Families and Educators Together teams and other innovative family partnership best practices.Ari is the author of Money Fit: Six Steps to Financial Well Being (Amazon, 2019) and coauthor of Have No Career Fear (Natavi Guides, 2005). He was a contributing writer to The Five Dimensions of Engaged Teaching (Solution Tree Press, 2013). His writings have been featured in a variety of educational publications, including Educational Leadership and Principal Magazine.Ari received a bachelor’s degree in African American studies from Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in instruction and curriculum from the University of Colorado.Ari is the author of two books, "Have No Career Fear" and "Words to Lead By," and wrote the foreword to "The Five Dimensions of Engaged Teaching." His writings on education have been featured in a variety of publications, including ASCD Express and Principal magazine.