Aurora Public Schools

Marquetta Thomas
Executive Director of School Performance:
Early Childhood Education (ECE), Elementary & P-8

Tabetha Ross
Assistant to the Executive Director of
School Performance: ECE, Elementary & P-8
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Dr. Sue Lin Toussaint
Executive Director of School Performance:
Middle & High Schools

Krista Hill
Assistant to the Executive Director of
School Performance: Middle & High Schools
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School Performance Directors

School Performance in the Division of School Leadership & Support includes several School Performance Directors. Each School Performance Director supports either Instruction or Operations for specific grade-level groups from preschool through post secondary . 

School Performance Departments

In addition to the APS School Performance groups, School Performance also supports Centralized Admissions and the District Registrar, Student Behavior Systems Support, and Athletics and Activities.

• View the School Performance Organization Chart - Coming soon!

Meet the School Performance Team

Marquetta Thomas
Executive Director of School Performance:
Early Childhood Education (ECE), Elementary & P-8

Executive Director of School Performance Marquetta Thomas comes into this position with more than 3 decades of experience in education. Mrs. Thomas began her educational career in Flint, Michigan as a kindergarten and elementary science teacher. Over her career, she has had the opportunity to teach various elementary and middle school students in Cincinnati Public Schools, Kalamazoo Schools, Columbus Public Schools and Cherry Creek Schools. Most recently, she served as an administrator in Cherry Creek Schools and the central region instructional superintendent in Denver Public Schools.

As a mother of three adult children, who enjoys spending time with family in Virginia and on the beaches of Florida, Marquetta knows the value of public education and is committed to ensuring that all students have the opportunity to walk into their destiny because of the educational opportunities they experience in APS.

Dr. Sue Lin Toussaint
Executive Director of School Performance:
Middle & High Schools

Dr. Sue-Lin Toussaint is passionate about student achievement and success for all students. She has spent twenty-six years in education serving students who live in underserved communities throughout the Denver metro area. Across three school districts, she has served as a high school teacher, principal and district administrator, serving at different levels and positions within K-12 education.

Sue-Lin received her doctoral degree from University of Colorado Denver and her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Brown University.

Cynthia Cobb
Director, Early Childhood Education

Cynthia Cobb is the Director of Early Childhood Education for Aurora Public Schools. She has been in Aurora Public Schools for two years. Prior to joining APS, she served various roles from teaching to building leadership in school districts in Saint Louis, MO. She brings a wealth of experience in urban schools, has a strong background in early learning, Head Start and with the practices of Reggio Emilia.

Ms. Cobb is an advocate for early learning and child development. She believes in the power of a strong preschool experience to start students and families on a solid foundation for learning.

Dr. Karen Powell
Director, Instructional
Elementary / P-8 

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships!" - Michael Jordan

Dr. Karen Powell is a Director of School Performance Director for Instructional Elementary / P-8 schools in Aurora Public Schools. She has been with Aurora Public Schools for three years. Dr. Powell previously served as Regional Assistant Instructional Superintendent for Denver Public Schools. While at DPS, Dr. Powell was the principal of Montbello Career and Technical High School and Collegiate Prep Academy.

Dr. Powell brings a wealth of experience in urban education, which she uses to empower leaders as they lead their school teams in transforming their schools toward academic excellence. Throughout Aurora Public Schools, she believes that everyone has a role to play in Power Your Potential.

Garrett Rosa
Director, Instructional
Elementary / P-8

Garrett Rosa has served as the School Peformance Director in Aurora Public Schools for the past six years. Before serving in his current capacity, Mr. Rosa opened the Vista PEAK P-20 campus as the school principal, served as Assistant Principal at South Middle school, and taught English at Aurora Central High School. Mr. Rosa brings a deep dedication to the Aurora Community and strives to make APS the destination district for all families in Colorado.

His biggest motivation is his family and he gets up every day to ensure every Aurora Public Schools student has the plan, skills, and credentials to power their true potential.

Heather Stewart
Director, Instructional
Elementary / P-8

Heather Stewart is humbled to serve as a School Performance Instructional Director for Elementary / P-8 schools in Aurora Public Schools. She has been an educator for 24 years serving in roles such as teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal and principal. Her bachelor's degree is in English with an emphasis in reading, and her master's degree is in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.

Heather is a data-driven leader who relentlessly pursues excellence for each and every Aurora Public Schools student.

Mario Giardiello
Director, Operations
Elementary / P-8

Mario Giardiello has been with Aurora Public Schools for six years and in that time has served as the Director of the ACTION Zone, Principal at Paris Elementary School and is currently a School Performance Director for Elementary / P-8 Operations. Previously, he was the Executive Director of School Support at Denver Public Schools and directed the Teacher Effectiveness Coaches, as well.

Mario has led at various schools including Manual High School, Denver Center for International Studies and West High School in DPS. He has been a consultant as a School and Principal coach for the Colorado Small Schools Initiative, the Public Education and Business Coalition, and The Institute for Educational Equity.

He is the proud father of three girls who teach him every day how to be a good father and a good person. I’m still learning.

Kelly Forrest
Director, Operations
Elementary / P-8

Kelly Forrest joins the School Performance Team with over a decade of experience under her belt. Kelly has gained a well-rounded perspective on education through her roles as elementary teacher, assistant principal, assessment coordinator and P-8 principal.

Currently, Kelly is in the final stages of her EdD in Educational Leadership, with a focus on principal burnout. This area of interest is driven by her belief that the principalship is one of the most important and challenging positions in education. Kelly understands the immense responsibility that principals carry and the impact they have on their schools and the communities they serve.

Kelly's beliefs and passion for supporting leaders and advocating for positive change are the driving forces behind her dedication to her work. She believes that effective leadership is the key to creating a positive and thriving learning environment. By fostering strong relationships and collaboration among leaders, Kelly aims to create a culture of continuous improvement and academic success.

Dr. Sue-Lin Toussaint
In transition
Director, Instructional
Middle School

Dr. Sue-Lin Toussaint is passionate about student achievement and success for all students. She has spent twenty-six years in education serving students who live in underserved communities throughout the Denver metro area. Across three school districts, she has served as a high school teacher, principal and district administrator, serving at different levels and positions within K-12 education.

Sue-Lin received her doctoral degree from University of Colorado Denver and her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Brown University.

Dr. Shawn Graziani
Director, Instructional
High School

Prior to serving as a Director of School Performance, Dr. Shawn Graziani had the privilege to serve as the principal of Charles Burrell Arts K-8 and Lyn Knoll Elementary in Aurora Public Schools. In addition to principal, he has been an assistant principal, instructional coach, and teacher.

Dr. Graziani has a bachelor’s of arts in elementary education from Point Park University, a master’s degree in school administration from Johns Hopkins University, and a doctorate degree from the University of Denver in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.

Marisa Vasquez
Director, Operations
Middle School

Bio coming soon!

Jason Maclin
Director, Operations
High School

Tabetha Ross
Assistant to the Executive Director of School Performance
ECE, Elementary & P-8

Tabetha Ross is the Assistant to the Executive Director of School Performance. She is a proud Colorado Native who loves exploring all that nature has to offer.

Tabetha graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Metropolitan State College of Denver. Prior to joining the Aurora Public Schools team, Tabetha spent 13 years with Denver Public Schools at Marrama Elementary, Hill Middle School and Westerly Creek. The past 9 years she served as the Dean of Operations at Isabella Bird Community School.

Tabetha is committed to finding ways to provide students with experiences and opportunities that foster their love of learning and bring them joy.

In her free time, Tabetha enjoys spending time with her husband and children adventuring, traveling, camping and going to concerts.

Krista Hill
Assistant to the Executive Director of School Performance
Middle & High Schools

Krista Hill is the Assistant to the Executive Director of School Performance for Middle and High Schools. As a Colorado native and a huge sports fan, she has a deep love for this state. Krista graduated from both Colorado State University and the University of Colorado at Boulder with BAs in Communications and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.

This marks her 18th year working in APS. Over the years, Krista has had the pleasure of serving the APS community in various roles. She started as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant for 5 years, then moved on to become an elementary office clerk for 9 years. For the last 3 years she was the Communications Coordinator at the Charles Burrell Visual and Performing Arts K-12 Magnet School. Krista says each role has provided her with valuable experience, skills, and a deeper appreciation for our district and community.

Krista is excited to be continuing her career in this community. She values all the friendships that she has gained over the years, and looks forward to expanding those connections in this role.

Outside of work, she enjoys watching basketball and football, attending concerts, and spending time with friends and family.

Jessica Loren
Assistant to the Director of Early Childhood Education

Jessica Loren is the Assistant to the Director of Early Childhood Education for Aurora Public Schools. She is a native of Colorado and a graduate from Aurora Public Schools.

She realized early on she has the passion for making a difference in the community and children’s lives. She has spent fifteen years in Early Childhood and five years in the classroom. She treasures the relationships she has been able to develop with directors, school leaders and community-based leaders.

Her biggest drive is in the joy of making an impact in the lives of our youngest learners that will benefit from experiences to create the skills to reach their full potential for future success.