John Pandolfo is a leader who brings both depth of experience and a relentless commitment to excellence. Since 2020, he has served as Superintendent of the Telluride School District in Colorado, where he has led with vision, intentionality, and an unwavering focus on “each and every student.”
Before moving west, John spent nearly two decades shaping education in Vermont—first as a high school mathematics teacher and department chair, then as Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, and ultimately as Superintendent of the Barre Unified Union School District. His leadership there earned him the Frederick H. Tuttle Award as Vermont’s Superintendent of the Year in 2019.
John’s path to education is as unique as it is inspiring. Trained as a chemical engineer, he began his career at United Technologies working on fuel cell power plants before finding his true calling in the classroom. Over nineteen years of teaching AP Calculus and Statistics across San Francisco, Berkeley, and Vermont, John became known not only for his rigor but also for his ability to open doors of opportunity for students.
Today, whether guiding rural innovation in Telluride, championing equity and belonging, or navigating the future of AI in education, John Pandolfo embodies the leadership themes he holds most dear: inclusion, integrity, and excellence.
