Committed to Every Student’s Success
We created SES SmartScore™ because we're passionate about making learning transparent, explicit, and accessible to all students!
Created by educators. Driven by teachers.
Katherine Holden (founder) taught high school for ten years and middle school for three years before becoming the Associate Principal at Ashland Middle School. In her role as AP for seven years she spearheaded a variety of change efforts and provided trainings and support to staff in the areas of grading reform and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Throughout this time Katherine was part of a collaborative coalition of teachers and administrators who planned, developed, and implemented schoolwide change transitioning her site to a standards-based grading and reporting system based on a framework of Essential Learning Rubrics. In recognition of this work, Katherine was named the 2022 National Assistant Principal of the Year.
Katherine has been sharing this work at conferences across the country in Maine, Texas, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Florida, Missouri, and Tennessee and has led professional development for over 1000 educators. She has presented for the Association for Middle Level Education, Learning Forward, the University of Southern Maine, the University of Southern Oregon, the Oregon School Board Association, and the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators, as well as others. She has led ongoing professional development focused on writing clear and explicit rubrics across all content areas and student habits at Ashland Middle School, Rogue River Elementary School, and Talent Middle School. Through this work she has created many tools including a “Rubric for Rubrics,” the “Rubrics Dos and Don’ts,” and the “Rubrics Facilitator’s Checklist.”
Katherine has also served on the Board of Directors for Madrone Trail Charter School, the John Muir Magnet School, and the Oregon Middle Level Association and was the principal of Talent Middle School. She is currently the Administrator at The Siskiyou School.
Steve Retzlaff (founder) began his education career as a Teach For America corps member in the South Bronx. Having struggled as a student himself, Steve developed a deep commitment to engaging, connecting, and inspiring students through clear communication and high expectations. Early in his career, he realized that when students understood what was expected of them, their engagement and investment in learning soared.
With decades of experience in education, Steve has served in numerous roles, including Special Education teacher, Language Arts and Social Studies teacher, counselor, Dean, Assistant Principal, Superintendent, and Principal. His passion for middle school education has shaped his leadership at schools across three states and four unique communities.
As Principal of Ashland Middle School, Steve spearheaded a transformative cultural shift, replacing ambiguity and compliance with clarity and purpose. Under his leadership, the AMS community embraced standards-based Essential Learnings, developed effective rubrics, and implemented Standards-Based Grading and Reporting, transforming the way students engage with learning.
Steve’s impact extends far beyond his own school community. A sought-after professional development leader, he has shared his expertise with educators across the nation. He has presented at conferences organized by leading institutions such as the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), the University of Southern Oregon, the Oregon School Boards Association, and the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators, influencing educators in states like Maine, Texas, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Florida.
Through his work with SmartEd Systems, Steve remains dedicated to creating equitable practices, fostering meaningful learning experiences, and empowering educators to help every student succeed.
Jim Westrick (founder and CEO) has been an educator for more than 31 years. He first started teaching in the Peace Corps in Kenya, East Africa. While primarily a high school science teacher, Jim has taught classes in every grade level, K-12, and served as a high school administrator. His work through a previous company, Collaborative Learning, Inc. sent him across the country to support dozens of schools and districts as they worked to map their curriculum and align to standards.
Most recently, Jim served for nine years on the Board of Education for the Ashland School District in Ashland, OR. He holds both teaching and administrative licenses in Oregon and earned a masters degree in education administration. In 2021, he was appointed by the governor to serve on the Fair Dismissals Appeal Board for the state of Oregon. Jim and his wife have three grown children and live in Ashland.
