Community Highlights: Meet Barb Taylor of Catalyst Education Design Consultants

Today we’d like to introduce you to Barb Taylor.

Hi Barb, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started contracting with Spectra Centers, Inc. about twelve years ago. At that time, they only had one student and were encouraged by school districts to become a Colorado Department of Education (CDE) approved facility school.

Each facility school requires a special education director so they contacted me. Since that time, I have steadily worked with Spectra through their various transformations and moves. We have grown from that one student to 47 students and about 60 staff. We have added more positions and have attempted different models of oversight.

We have kept the school consistent, met all of the facility school requirements, and added new curriculum resources and a social-emotional learning platform. It has been great to see the staff grow as new opportunities present themselves. Staff have embraced the added resources and continue to look for ways to make our students’ lives better.

As far as my involvement with Spectra, I have the privilege of training new education staff and participating in their weekly Leadership Meetings. We continue to grow the school and refine daily processes. The teachers and related service providers are vital for our continued growth so Spectra pours lots of resources into them. Our journey has landed us to where we are today – one of the larger facility schools with many successes.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road since we work with children, families, regulatory agencies, and people. It has taken Spectra Leadership a while to realize that we cannot please everyone all of the time. Now, as we hire new staff into leadership roles, we have to teach them this same lesson.

Sometimes, what people want (external to us) contradicts what someone else wants/demands. Growth, in general, is hard. We have to give up some of our preconceptions and trust that something bigger and better will happen. We have to hold the reins tight but also give some flexibility to allow positive change to occur.

We also have to occasionally perform housekeeping duties to keep things flowing. We need fresh and new perspectives to keep the company moving forward. This is not an easy task and sometimes, we do not realize all of the negativity we are holding onto until it is too late and then, when things do change, we breathe a big sigh.

Other obstacles/challenges are for Spectra Leadership to stay on the same page and send out consistent messages. Communication with staff and stakeholders is key to building trust and resiliency. This is a continual work in progress. One thing Spectra does well is celebrate triumphs of any kind.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Catalyst Education Design Consultants?
Catalyst Education Design Consultant’s main focus is on improving educational outcomes for all students, especially those in small independent schools. We coach educators who are supporting struggling students. We mentor new teachers and administrators to build their foundation. Our advocacy work helps families navigate better educational plans for their children.

We are passionate about helping all stakeholders thrive. We also dedicate our time and energy to helping small non-profit/for-profit organizations recognize their potential to make positive change. We assist small educational entities in areas of leadership and help identify barriers that prevent equitable educational gains. We collaborate and aim to improve student access to quality education, especially for those with disabilities.

Currently, Catalyst contracts with six Colorado Department of Education (CDE) approved facility schools. We do everything from helping to start a new school, providing staffing pattern possibilities, auditing existing programs, providing special education expertise, conducting training for staff/families/students, providing advocacy work, or training and coaching staff.

We continue to grow our areas of expertise and are always willing to try new and different things. Our work is our testimony.

Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Risk-taking needs to be very calculated and communicated with others who may feel the impact. When I met with my financial planner, I was surprised to realize that I was a bigger risk-taker than I anticipated. I think that to embrace bigger and better things, some risk-taking needs to happen.

In the beginning, I had to take huge financial risks within my company to force things to move forward. I also needed to make sure that I could live within the bare bones of income if the risk proved not to be successfully implemented.

There was a mild success so I did not have to risk as much as I thought but I was prepared to risk more if it was warranted. Since that time, I have taken smaller risks but I have more confidence that they will be successful. I have also tried to be a resource for others going through similar trials.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.catalystedc.com/