The Story...
Christopher Watson was born in raised in Southern California. He has been in a school setting, either as a student, coach, teacher, administrator, professor or trainer since the age of 4. After high school, he spent 4 years at Cal State Northridge "figuring life out" and getting a BA in History. With an undergraduate degree under his belt, he realized that teaching was his calling. He immediately enrolled at Loyola Marymount and two years later received a Master's Degree in Education and his Elementary Teaching Credential. Seeing his path more clearly now, he then enrolled back at Cal State Northridge and got his second Master's Degree, this time in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. He also finished his Administrative Services Credential.
Chris began his career as a PE coach. While working at Sport Chalet, his former elementary school principal came into the store to buy a baseball glove for her grandchild. Upon the reunion in the store, she asked if he wanted to teach PE for the coming year. About 6 minutes later, Chris gave his 2 weeks notice to Sport Chalet, and a career in teaching was born! After coaching PE and being an Athletic Director for a few years, Chris moved into the classroom and began his work as a 3rd grade teacher under the supervision of another amazing mentor and principal. Over the years, Chris grew and developed as an educator, working with middle schoolers and lower elementary as well. He worked closely with his mentor who was preparing him for a future in school leadership.
When the time came, his principal referred him for a principal position and was quickly assigned his first school leadership role. Over his years as a school administrator, he has worked in low income neighborhoods and middle to upper SES areas. His ability to successfully lead culturally, economically, socially, and racially diverse schools has been a testament to his mentors, fellow teachers, and professors who have invested hundreds of hours and volumes of knowledge with him along the way. Now, Chris has a desire to pass on what he has learned in his amazing tenure in education. Watson Education is combination of his and his teams lifetime of training, knowledge and experiences that has come together to leave schools a better place and to make them safe, fun, and engaging centers of education.
Chris is currently the principal of Visitation School in Westchester, California. He also is a professor of Education at Loyola Marymount University. There, he teaches Elementary Methods for ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies as well as Curriculum and Instructional Leadership courses. In his free time, Chris has a desire to give back in other ways, but still always connected to education. He has participated in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Green Team Committees, providing on-going recommendations, support and resources to schools, as needed, in the areas of curriculum, marketing, finance and development. He also has participated as a team member in the Crisis Assessment and Intervention Project funded by the Weingart Foundation. He has been asked to serve as an Advisory Board member of a local pre-school and high school.
He is a member of the LAX/Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce, The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), The American Association of School Administrators (AASA), The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA), The California Mathematics Council (CMC), Computer-Using Educators (CUE), and The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). He also has spent some time learning and developing as a student (even though we know teachers make the worst students!). He has received special training at the The Principals’ Institute: Creating Inclusive Schools by the Frostig Institute. He has attended training by renown educator, Carol Ann Tomlinson, titled, Differentiated Instruction to Maximize Student Learning and Close Achievement Gaps. Lastly, he has taken a critical focus during his educational career in Educational Leadership: Building Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).
In his REAL free time, Chris is a very lucky husband to his amazing wife, Dr. Karla Colorado (whose own bio easily eclipses that of the one you just read!). Karla received her doctorate degree in Education from USC, but since she did her undergrad at UCLA, she will always be a Bruin at heart! Her areas of interest and passion lie in literacy development and intervention. Together, they are the proudest and exhausted parents of 11 year old boy/girl twins! They enjoy walks along The Strand, going to the movies, playing Rummikub, Yahtzee and Clue with the kids and going to all of the games and activities that the kids have. Being by the coast has it's perks...Chris loves to spend time paddle boarding, especially now that his son, Nolan, has picked it up and is already way better than he is! His daughter, Ella, loves to go to, but likes to relax on dad's board and make him do all the work! In the winter time, they enjoy skiing in Big Bear and throughout the year they love to travel to all different places and create new experiences and memories together.
Chris began his career as a PE coach. While working at Sport Chalet, his former elementary school principal came into the store to buy a baseball glove for her grandchild. Upon the reunion in the store, she asked if he wanted to teach PE for the coming year. About 6 minutes later, Chris gave his 2 weeks notice to Sport Chalet, and a career in teaching was born! After coaching PE and being an Athletic Director for a few years, Chris moved into the classroom and began his work as a 3rd grade teacher under the supervision of another amazing mentor and principal. Over the years, Chris grew and developed as an educator, working with middle schoolers and lower elementary as well. He worked closely with his mentor who was preparing him for a future in school leadership.
When the time came, his principal referred him for a principal position and was quickly assigned his first school leadership role. Over his years as a school administrator, he has worked in low income neighborhoods and middle to upper SES areas. His ability to successfully lead culturally, economically, socially, and racially diverse schools has been a testament to his mentors, fellow teachers, and professors who have invested hundreds of hours and volumes of knowledge with him along the way. Now, Chris has a desire to pass on what he has learned in his amazing tenure in education. Watson Education is combination of his and his teams lifetime of training, knowledge and experiences that has come together to leave schools a better place and to make them safe, fun, and engaging centers of education.
Chris is currently the principal of Visitation School in Westchester, California. He also is a professor of Education at Loyola Marymount University. There, he teaches Elementary Methods for ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies as well as Curriculum and Instructional Leadership courses. In his free time, Chris has a desire to give back in other ways, but still always connected to education. He has participated in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Green Team Committees, providing on-going recommendations, support and resources to schools, as needed, in the areas of curriculum, marketing, finance and development. He also has participated as a team member in the Crisis Assessment and Intervention Project funded by the Weingart Foundation. He has been asked to serve as an Advisory Board member of a local pre-school and high school.
He is a member of the LAX/Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce, The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), The American Association of School Administrators (AASA), The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA), The California Mathematics Council (CMC), Computer-Using Educators (CUE), and The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). He also has spent some time learning and developing as a student (even though we know teachers make the worst students!). He has received special training at the The Principals’ Institute: Creating Inclusive Schools by the Frostig Institute. He has attended training by renown educator, Carol Ann Tomlinson, titled, Differentiated Instruction to Maximize Student Learning and Close Achievement Gaps. Lastly, he has taken a critical focus during his educational career in Educational Leadership: Building Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).
In his REAL free time, Chris is a very lucky husband to his amazing wife, Dr. Karla Colorado (whose own bio easily eclipses that of the one you just read!). Karla received her doctorate degree in Education from USC, but since she did her undergrad at UCLA, she will always be a Bruin at heart! Her areas of interest and passion lie in literacy development and intervention. Together, they are the proudest and exhausted parents of 11 year old boy/girl twins! They enjoy walks along The Strand, going to the movies, playing Rummikub, Yahtzee and Clue with the kids and going to all of the games and activities that the kids have. Being by the coast has it's perks...Chris loves to spend time paddle boarding, especially now that his son, Nolan, has picked it up and is already way better than he is! His daughter, Ella, loves to go to, but likes to relax on dad's board and make him do all the work! In the winter time, they enjoy skiing in Big Bear and throughout the year they love to travel to all different places and create new experiences and memories together.
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