Santiago Grado

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND TEACHER

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Language & Education Training Center (1990-2002), Principal of Elementary and Secondary Schools, as well as Director and Board Member for Charter Schools. Vice Chair for the Colorado Association of Latino(a) Administrators and Superintendents, and Educational Leadership Mentor for Principals and Assistant Principals and aspiring teachers that want to become leaders.

Santiago R. Grado is an enthusiastic, motivated and powerful advocate whose entrepreneurial instincts and clarity of vision have carried multiple projects through rapid and continuous growth.

Santiago started his first business, a school for at-risk, dropout, expelled and migrant students, and has been an unstoppable advocate for children and parents ever since. From being an Executive Director for Hollingsead International, an Aerospace company, Santiago transitioned into the Educational arena starting as a teacher for A+/Network + certification and Economics for the Arizona Alliance of Business. He quickly moved into creating a computer-aided software program teaching English as a Second Language, which led him in establishing, The Language & Education Training Center where he succeeded in providing ESL, CTE and GED instruction for 12 years before moving to Morrison, Colorado.

Santiago is distinguished by his passion for ethical business practices, his focus on collaborative team-building, and his commitment to meeting higher student achievement and student/teacher buy-in. His contagious enthusiasm instills him and his team members with extraordinary energy and dedication in an environment where creativity and innovation are encouraged. Santiago does not just set out ambitious goals, he motivates people to deliver. 

Santiago has achieved outstanding personal and team results. He finds his greatest motivation in coaching others to perform above and beyond expectations.  His success formula for Excellence in Execution is | 10% Strategy (Improvise - planning it) | 40% Consistency (Adapt - sticking to it) | 50% Execution (Overcome - getting it done)

A Motivational & Dynamic Transformational Leader, Santiago enjoys mentoring students, parents, teachers and administrators. He transmits key concepts in Business Innovation supported by smart adoption of technology (Blended Learning) with emphasis on increasing student achievement, gaining student, parent, teacher buy-in and ownership, and helping those individuals who have dropped out of school regain their opportunity for a second chance.  

Loriann Grado

TEACHER AND NURSE

Loriann Grado is the co-owner, a CDA certified early childhood teacher and nurse at Aspen Park Montessori. She has been a woman’s health nurse for close to 30 years, working specifically in Labor and Delivery over the past 26 years.  Working in such a dynamic atmosphere, she has learned many important and invaluable lessons.  Working in a fast paced and demanding environment, multi-tasking and critical thinking are a few of the vital skills required to safeguard the patients’ health and safety.  Loriann would have to, on a daily basis, evaluate various scenarios and act quickly in emergency situations.  Ultimately, she is responsible for two lives, the mom and baby.
 
Loriann has taught and oriented many new-experienced nurses over the years.  She is certified to teach fetal monitoring and has taken lead roles as relief charge nurse and unit-based counsel coordinator. Teaching is truly a passion of hers, and one that she wishes to nourish.
 
Loriann knows that communication is key to any successful endeavor and makes this a core component at Aspen Park Montessori.  Forging healthy relationships with fellow team members, parents, and children is vital to establishing trust and confidence.  Once these qualities are established, anything is possible, and the sky is the limit.
 
Since 2019 when the school opened, Loriann has had the opportunity to work in the classroom as well as help run the school.  Working with other teachers has given her the opportunity to learn about early childhood teaching methodology and practice.  As she aided and helped in the classroom, she found a passion in working with young children.  She finds it rewarding to see the enthusiasm and joy each child demonstrates as concepts and new materials are understood and learning moves to the next level.  She considers it an honor to be a part of your child’s education.   As a result, Loriann went back to online school to become a certified early childhood teacher.  Loriann recently was awarded her certification as a CDA (Childhood Developmental Associate).  Loriann is now certified to teach early childhood.  She is now working toward her Director’s license.