A new chapter for The STEAD School. I’m Alex Magaña, and I am honored, and genuinely excited, to serve as your Executive Principal as we open the doors to STEAD’s next chapter in August 2026.
A message from Alex
For more than 25 years, I’ve led in Colorado public schools because I believe every student deserves a school that is **rigorous, relational, and real**. The STEAD School isn’t just aligned with that belief, it lives it. From day one, STEAD students don’t just work toward a diploma. They graduate **future-ready**: with industry credentials in hand, digital badges that prove what they can do, college credits on their transcript, and real work experience on their résumé.
That’s why I’m here. STEAD is the school I’ve spent my career trying to build.
A little about me: I started out in accounting and finance at Florida State University before the pull of public education brought me back to the classroom. I taught math in Florida, then moved to Denver, where I earned my master’s at the University of Denver and grew from math teacher to math coach, assistant principal, principal, and eventually Executive Director of the Beacon Network in Denver Public Schools. Over 18 years at Grant Beacon Middle School, our team transformed an underperforming school into one of the highest-growth middle schools in DPS, and we replicated that model at Kepner Beacon, proving the approach travels across communities. The work has been recognized by Colorado Succeeds, the Progressive Policy Institute, Harvard University, and the Colorado Department of Education. Outside of work, I’m a proud dad, a lifelong learner, and a believer that the strongest schools are the ones educators, families, and students build together.
Why STEAD is different
A diploma + so much more
A diploma + so much more
Every STEAD graduate leaves with a high school diploma, stackable industry credentials, and digital badges that signal real, verified skills to employers and colleges.
100% internship expectation
100% internship expectation
Not a few. Not the top of the class. Every student. STEAD is one of the only schools in the country that expects 100% of students to complete real-world internships.
College credit while in high school
College credit while in high school
Students earn meaningful college credits along the way, making postsecondary education more accessible, more affordable, and more achievable.
Real relationships, real mentors
Real relationships, real mentors
Through advisory (“Hives”), industry partners, and a tight-knit staff, every student is known, and every student is pushed.
What I believe
All students will succeed, and all students will be truly future-ready.
That isn’t a slogan. It’s a promise that shapes every decision we make at STEAD:
- We design the school day so that rigor and relevance sit side by side.
- We measure success not just by test scores, but by credentials earned, internships completed, and pathways launched.
- We expect every student, regardless of background, zip code, or starting point, to walk across the graduation stage with options.
- We treat families and community partners as co-architects of the experience, not an audience for it.
What I bring to STEAD
- 25+ years in Colorado public education, including school leadership in Denver Public Schools.
- Deep experience designing and scaling project-based learning, CTE pathways, and equity-centered, Title I-strong school models.
- A track record of building whole-child, relationally driven schools where adults know every student by name, need, and dream.
- A network of industry, postsecondary, and civic partners across the Front Range ready to plug into STEAD’s pathways.
- A leadership style grounded in listening first, to staff, to families, to students, and then acting decisively.
My commitments to the STEAD community
- Listen first. A staff, family, and student listening tour before changing what’s working.
- Protect the model. STEAD’s pathways, internships, and credentialing are the heart of the school. They stay the heart.
- Communicate clearly. Weekly Friday Family Notes, in English and Spanish, so no family is ever guessing.
- Build the bench. Invest in teacher leadership, pathway leads, and the next generation of STEAD educators.
- Tell the STEAD story. To families, to partners, to Brighton 27J, and to the state, because this model deserves to be seen.
