About Bob Barrows
Special Education Transition Consultant
With over three decades of dedication to special education leadership, Bob Barrows has been a transformative force in improving educational opportunities for students with disabilities across Colorado. Since 1987, he has championed inclusive practices, fostered strong interagency collaborations, and led high-performing special education programs at both the school and district levels.
A Career of Leadership & Advocacy
Bob's journey in special education began in 1987 as a long-term substitute teacher in a Significant Support Needs (SSN) classroom, quickly evolving into a leader in adaptive physical education. His passion for empowering students with disabilities set the stage for a distinguished career in educational leadership:
- 1993 – Became a high school administrator, overseeing special education teams and providing essential supervision, guidance, and advocacy for students, families, and educators.
- 2001 – Appointed as high school principal, where his leadership earned the school the Governor’s Award for Distinguished Improvement in his first year.
- 2006 – Elevated to Special Education Director for Jefferson County, CO, where his groundbreaking work was recognized by the Autism Society of Colorado, naming him Outstanding Professional of the Year in 2014.
- Led the Fletcher Miller School, a specialized program for students with profound intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Collaborated with renowned researcher Karen Erickson (UNC-Chapel Hill) and the Colorado Department of Education to enhance instructional strategies for emergent learners.
- Served as Executive Director of Special Education in Academy School District 20 (Colorado Springs), one of the state’s top-performing school districts, providing visionary leadership to hundreds of special educators.
- 2021 – Honored as Child Advocate of the Year by the Arc of Mesa County after just one year as High School Coordinator of Special Education for Mesa County School District 51.
- Facilitated state grant initiatives through the Colorado Department of Education, helping Mesa County become a leader in transition strategies and school-community agency partnerships.
Current Work & Consulting
Bob continues to shape the future of special education through strategic consulting, bringing his expertise to school districts and state agencies:
- Consulting with the Colorado Department of Education on transition and interagency collaboration, helping students with disabilities successfully navigate their path from school to adulthood.
- Advising Mesa County School District 51 on strengthening interagency collaboration, ensuring students and families have seamless access to critical services and community supports.
A Legacy of Leadership & Innovation
Bob Barrows is more than an educator—he is an advocate, leader, and innovator committed to ensuring that students with disabilities receive the high-quality education and opportunities they deserve. His lifelong dedication to improving special education programs, fostering inclusive school climates, and supporting families continues to make a lasting impact on students, families, and educators across Colorado.
Bob Barrows with his dog, Norman,
at the Glen Eyrie Conference Center and Hotel.
Bob officially retired in 2019 and raised his yellow lab to be a therapy dog for his consulting business. He began special education consulting after one year of retirement.
A personal message from Bob
"Throughout my adult life I have been blessed by a multitude of families who had children with disabilities of all varieties. I am most honored to have been alongside the most inspiring children with disabilities of all ages and types. Without a doubt, I have learned more from these young people than they have learned from me. I am so thankful that I have been able to continue supporting our young people and families with disabilities.
"As my career has progressed, my mind has been opened up to what it really takes to ensure that all of our young people with disabilities will have a highly successful adult life. For so much of my administrative career as a high school administrator and then as a special education director, you are responsible for so many things and responding to so many crises, that you can miss the intentionality required to focus on this path to successful adulthood for our students with IDD.
"The roadmaps and blueprints are out there for what we need to do to ensure success for all of our students with disabilities. In some places, special education is very high performing with the majority of staff utilizing best practices. In other places special education is oblivious to best practices of Transition for a variety of reasons. So, we have huge gaps across our nation when it comes to serving our children with disabilities.
"My mission is to fill these gaps for those who want to ensure a symbiotic path to adult success. I do this by celebrating where we are high performing and to plan for improvement where we need to grow. My events are not sit and get. Be ready to have interactive dialogue with multiple colleagues and to be moving around several times a session both indoors and outdoors. My event programs fill gaps to benefit our children, young adults and parents with disabilities!"
