Middle School Dean of Student Life
303-440-7520
jeffrey.steele@watershedschool.org
Jeff was born and raised on the shores of the Puget Sound near Seattle, WA. He earned a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a master's degree in education from Goddard College in Vermont where he wrote his thesis on “Schools as Ecological Living Systems.” Jeff has spent the last ten years working at Hyla Middle School, Bainbridge Island, where he served multiple roles including science and math teacher, Exploration Week wilderness trip leader and, most recently, the director of an innovative makerspace called HyLab. Additionally, Jeff taught science at the Madison Metropolitan School District, Wisconsin (gifted and talented program) and Physics at Ballard High School, Kentucky. Jeff has also led multiple wilderness trips and mentored other environmental educators for the YMCA, and later served as the Teen Wilderness Expedition Director for the YMCA Camp Orkila in Washington.
Jeff's deep understanding of middle school students comes from a lifetime of learning and ten years of experience with this age group. At the heart of Jeff's educational philosophy lies the belief that schools are at their best when they are igniting audacious adventures, nurturing boundless curiosity, and instilling an unwavering spirit of inquiry into the world and our place in it. The opportunity to align himself with the fundamental mission and values of a Watershed education fills him with immense enthusiasm.
Jeff is also a father of three amazing children. Rowan, his eldest, will be attending Watershed this fall. Remy, his middle child, will be attending 2nd grade in Lafayette along with his youngest child, Mari, who is still in preschool. Jeff’s wife, Alyssa Knickerbocker is a ghost writer for Idea Architects in San Francisco. This wild bunch is looking forward to finding a new home here in Boulder.
