Steven Bartholomew, Executive Director
sbartholomew@newlegacycharter.net
Steven joined New Legacy Charter School in the summer of 2018, bringing with him 23 years of distinguished experience in education. His career began in Rapid City, South Dakota, as a speech and debate coach, where he guided students to national competitions each year. After moving to Rhode Island, Steven spent 4 years as an advisor and teacher at The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (part of Big Picture Learning) before serving 11 years as principal. During this time, he found a passion for teaching teachers and mentoring new principals.
At New Legacy, Steven has led the school towards multiple recognitions, including:
- 2025 A-Game Award awarded to the High School by Momentum
- 2025 Impact Grant Award to the Early Learning Center by Impact100
- 2025 FamilyU Seal awarded by Generation Hope
- 2024 Response, Innovation, & Student Equity (RISE) Spotlight as awarded by Colorado Governor Jared Polis
- 2024 Medal of Excellence semi-finalist recognized by the Daniels Fund
Steven’s leadership has also earned him individual honors such as the Ted Sizer Award for Innovative Leadership, the Colorado League of Charter Schools’ Advocate of the year for 2025, and a Governor appointment to the Colorado Funding Formula Task Force. He is also a proud recipient of the Presidential Scholar Distinguished Teacher Award.
A respected voice in the field, Steven has facilitated national workshops on personalized, interest-based education and has been featured in Education Reimagined as well as on podcasts for Charter School Connection and CharterFolk.
