Who We Are ?

Schools Cubed is an educational consulting group that takes under-performing schools and works with district and school leaders to create self-sustaining, high achieving school systems. We focus on the three S’s: Systems, Structures and the Science of Reading.

Strong systems help ensure that teachers/district personnel collaborate effectively and are backed by the data they need to measure progress and performance. Successful schools and districts are built on efficient structures that, whether at the school level or district level, are designed toward maximizing learning, instructional time and enhanced use of human resources.  Finally, high-performing schools know and use instructional strategies in the Science of Reading to achieve exceptionally high outcomes for students.  

Years of experience has taught us that these are the key ingredients we find in all highly-performing schools. There are no magic bullets in school improvement. It takes hard work to establish these effective systems, structures and strategies.

Over the past 6 years, Schools Cubed has grown from collaborating with individual schools to districts and state departments of education.  At each level, the success rate has been outstanding and sustainable.   

Our Approach

Schools Cubed is a small, yet accomplished Colorado-based company with a strong, successful track record in transforming school performance. There are many consulting organizations available for this work, but we strongly believe we separate ourselves from typical, generic, one size-fits-all companies. Our experience indicates that the work must fit with the client, not that the client must fit with the company.

Schools Cubed relies on a proven track record as well as effective schools research to empower districts to transform their schools. Schools Cubed believes that it is the Systems, Structures and instructional Strategies rooted in the Science of Reading that make a difference for schools. Stand-alone programs that merely target a particular instructional area certainly have their place, but have limited impact. Schools must transform what they are doing by creating systems that empower all members of the learning community. Schools Cubed knows the research regarding effective schools, and guides districts/schools to implement the research in order to build school leadership capacity.

Schools Cubed works with districts and school leaders to create focused systems of learning by empowering school leaders to organize around 5 areas of highly effective schools: collaborationinstructional focus, data analysis, time, and a safe and orderly environment. When principals have the capacity to develop each of these areas in their schools, structures are created that support instruction and learning. It is these school leaders who will have the highest impact on student outcomes.

Our Team

Pati Montgomery

Founder, Schools Cubed

Sherry Kyle

Education Consultant, Schools Cubed

Alan Dillon

Education Consultant, Schools Cubed

Jill Hafey

Education Consultant, Schools Cubed

Janell

Intervention Consultant, Schools Cubed

Education Consultant, Schools Cubed

Polly Lutz

Education Consultant, Schools Cubed

Taylor Lutz

Executive Assistant, Schools Cubed

Our Mission, Vision, and Values

Our mission is to transform low- or under-performing schools into high-achieving, self-sustaining educational systems of excellence.

Our vision is steeped in the belief that ALL students can attain high achievement. To attain such, administrators and educators must use research that ensures they are using proven and evidence-based practices that will increase school effectiveness.

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Contact Info

Pati Montgomery

Founder

Ms. Montgomery has a vast background in education which includes being a teacher and administrator with underserved populations, special education administrator, author, national educational consultant specializing in principal and school leadership development, collaborator with State Departments of Education as well as teacher effectiveness and union-management collaboration teams. Previously, she was the Executive Director of Literacy for the Colorado Department of Education where she was responsible for the implementation of the READ Act. Pati has worked with school principals and superintendents across the country on effective school practices. Her work is steeped in the belief that ALL students can attain high achievement and focuses on school populations comprised of highly diverse learners. To attain such, administrators must use educational research to ensure they are using proven and evidence-based practices that will increase school effectiveness. Pati Montgomery is the lead author of the book entitled, The Principal’s Primer for Raising Reading Achievement. The book is a guide for principals and school leaders that highlights efficient systems and structures necessary for school-wide improvement in performance.

Sherry Kyle

Schools Cubed

Sherry Kyle’s career encompasses 26 years in education. She is an experienced educator and leader, who has served as a Teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, Coordinator of Student Achievement, and Feeder Administrator overseeing curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Sherry’s perspective in education is diverse as she has served at all levels of the K-12 continuum. She attended Baylor University and the University of Northern Colorado, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education. After teaching for several years, she went on to earn a Master’s Degree in School Administration and Supervision from the University of Phoenix. Sherry’s experiences have led her to her passion of supporting reading and literacy from the elementary into the secondary level. She has lead the way for districts, schools, and teachers to begin looking at how to address the literacy needs in middle and high school classrooms; including creating a curriculum that is used to teach secondary special education and English teachers about the foundational skills needed for reading. Sherry is also passionate about supporting the principal ship. She has a strong desire to develop building-level leaders as they continue to grow into instructional leaders. “So goes the principal, so goes the building” is an adage that she believes to be true. The need for strong leaders who possess vision, passion, and the desire to create a positive school culture are more important now than ever. It is her belief that principals and building leaders need a strong foundation of support in place as they do the heavy lifting of creating school systems and structures that lead to increased student achievement and overall school effectiveness.

Alan Dillon

Schools Cubed

Alan Dillon has been an elementary teacher, academic coach, educational consultant, elementary principal, superintendent of a rural school district on the western slope of Colorado and most recently served as an Associate Commissioner of Education for the Colorado Department or Education. As an educational consultant, Alan assisted schools with turnaround strategies, supporting effective instructional practices when implementing early literacy programs kindergarten through third grade.

Alan previously worked for the Colorado Department of Education, under the federal Reading First grant. During this time, he worked closely with school administrators, academic coaches and classroom teachers, as a literacy content specialist.

Alan has served on several state and national advisory boards relating to assessment practices and rural school issues. In his 20 plus year career as an educator, school quality and support for teachers and administrators has been a consistent focus of his work.

Alan earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Fort Lewis College, an Elementary Teaching Certification from Mesa State College and a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Regis University.

Jill Hafey

Schools Cubed

Jill Hafey has a passion for student achievement and leading teachers to the next level. She is a 20 year veteran in the profession of education, currently leading, inspiring, and coaching at Sunset Elementary as the building Principal. Jill has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Teaching from Mesa State University and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Walden University. She is a strong believer in servant leadership, all students can learn, and building growth mindsets among her staff, students, and families. Jill does not shy away from hard work and loves challenges. She does not allow for excuses to cloud reality, seeks first to understand, and builds a team to tackle the task at hand. She has designed and implemented systems that move teachers and students to the next level of learning. Jill Hafey has led her staff in earning the Colorado Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award and continues to work with her staff and district to maintain student growth. She has been named the 2018 Outstanding Administrative Leadership in Reading Award from CCIRA. Jill is a life-long learner, an avid reader, and an active member on district committees (Strategic Planning, Technology…). During her free time, Mrs. Hafey enjoys riding her horse to mountain lakes, running, and taking care of her family of 7.

Janell

Schools Cubed

Loren Huwa

Schools Cubed

Loren Huwa has worked in education for over 30 years with experience in grades K-12. For the past 9 years he has been the principal at South Lakewood Elementary in Lakewood Colorado. While Mr. Huwa has been the principal at South Lakewood, this school has been recognized for the work they have done with diverse populations by the National PTA with the Jan Harp Domene Award for Diversity and Inclusion which is presented to one elementary school in the nation every year. Jefferson County Public Schools awarded South Lakewood the Wayne Carle Diversity award in 2017 for their continued work with students with diverse backgrounds. In 2016 the Colorado Department of Education recognized SLE as a High Achieving school because of the success of the students in all areas. Particularly those students who have been identified and placed on an IEP, minority students, students who are on free and reduced programs and students who are designated as English Language Learners. Mr. Huwa has also expanded his and training in the area of safety and security. This includes FEMA trainings, CPI, FASTER training for school staff and leadership, and has received recognition for having safety protocols in place at his schools that are used by several other schools in the district.

Polly Ortiz-Lutz

Schools Cubed

Dr. Polly Ortiz-Lutz is a seasoned educational leader, whose career has spanned 30 years. Previously, she was the Director of Special Education/504 Compliance Officer for more than two decades for Jefferson County Public Schools. JEFFCO has 85,000 students and 9,000 students with IEP’s. Polly has held administrative positions in public schools, universities, hospitals/clinics and federal government settings. Dr. Lutz’ is also a trained mediator through the Colorado Bar Association. Teams report that Dr. Ortiz Lutz is strength based and child focused. Her calm professional style and experience as a licensed school psychologist is helpful in facilitating challenging meetings. She takes the mystery out of the IDEA and the 504 process, services and implementation. Her trainings are engaging and ignite conversations between schools and parents. She has also provided professional development to educators in the area of 504 Compliance and IDEA processes and meeting facilitation. Polly is an expert in using Restorative Practices (RP) to address human relationships, ensure equity and mediate more positive collaboration in the future. Dr. Ortiz Lutz has proven to be a creative problem solver improving outcomes for all children and youth. Polly has a particular area of specialization with high-risk youth as well as crisis response and trauma.

Taylor Lutz

Schools Cubed

Successful young learners always thrilled Taylor Lutz and she knew early

on that teaching young children was her dream. She spent her teenage

years involved in childcare, nanny positions and youth sports. Taylor

graduated with a BS degree in Human Development and Family Studies

from Colorado State University and then completed graduate work at the

University of Colorado/Denver towards licensure as an elementary teacher.

This set her up for a rewarding career teaching K-3. Taylor has a strong

theoretical foundation in child development, intervention strategies and

inclusive classrooms. Her strengths include relationships with students,

families and other staff as well as a background in literacy. Her patience

and dedication are obvious. Reading and quality literacy instruction has

become her passion. Taylor and her husband live in rural Colorado with

their two sons and her favorite part of the day is reading to each other at

bedtime.