Ari Gerzon-Kessler

Ari Gerzon-Kessler

Ari Gerzon-Kessler is a sought-after speaker and professional learning provider. 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 outstanding education book of 2024. He is a speaker, trainer, and coach working with schools and districts committed to forging stronger school-family partnerships. Ari also leads the Family Partnerships department for the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado.

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 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. His writings have been featured in a variety of educational publications, including Educational Leadership and Principal Magazine.

Ari received his bachelor’s degree in African American studies from Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in instruction and curriculum from the University of Colorado.

Presentations by Ari Gerzon-Kessler

Do you or your school want to be more effective at building strong teams, reducing chronic absenteeism, closing opportunity and achievement gaps, reducing student anxiety, and engaging disconnected families?

Ari is a seasoned educational coach, experienced facilitator of professional learning, and a dynamic keynote speaker. He coaches individuals, schools and districts to:

• Leverage high-impact strategies that help educators develop stronger communication and relationships with families and propel student learning
• Launch and sustain highly effective Families and Educators Together (FET) school-based teams or similar collaborative structures that bring together educators and underrepresented families
• Harness family engagement practices and technology tools that significantly improve two-way communication, increase attendance, and reduce chronic absenteeism rates
• Unlock the keys to building strong teams, both with fellow educators and in partnership with students and families, and learn everyday strategies that will propel you and your team to greater heights and can immediately be put into practice
• Discover the latest insights on the major causes to rising rates of student anxiety and a host of strategies to help students feel more confident, secure, and a stronger sense of belonging
• Utilize relationship-centered and culturally responsive home visits and other high impact school-family partnership practices
• Learn how to make parent-teacher conferences more relationship centered and meaningful for all stakeholders, and explore strategies for improving relationships with all families

Ari has helped dozens of schools design a family-centered approach to creating a more inclusive and cohesive school community. By partnering with him, you will harness cost-effective strategies and untapped resources to successfully address the most important challenges you’re facing. In the process, you will make your work as an educator more meaningful and rewarding.

Here is what participants have said about Ari’s trainings:

• “The presentation was so engaging and really helpful—I am so excited to begin my communication with parents this year—I feel empowered with so many new ideas!”
• “Ari was awesome! Loved his book and I got so much out of this professional development.”
• “Very informative. I am excited to implement some of these ideas into our school community.”
• “This is an incredible way to create inclusivity for all.”
• “Unlike many PD sessions, Ari’s was practical, inspiring, and one we will attempt to implement.”
• “I think this is a pivotal aspect for strengthening our educational system.”
• “What a great professional development . . . Forming new ideas to engage parents and assist them in forming trusting partnerships with their child’s teacher and the wider school community is essential. So excited to implement these ideas.”