Stand for Children announces changes in top leadership in Colorado

Stand for Children on Wednesday announced changes in its local leadership.

The education advocacy group said in a news release that Krista Spurgin had replaced Jeani Frickey Saito as executive director of its Colorado affiliate, Stand for Children Colorado.

Saito’s last day was Friday, the organization said. She held the position for two and a half years.

“Her future plans are to enjoy the holidays with her family and then make some decisions in January about what’s next,” Kate Dando Doran, a spokeswoman for Stand, said in an email. She added that Frickey Saito has been working with West High School parents and “plans to continue to stay engaged in supporting parent leadership and engagement efforts there.”

Spurgin previously worked as government affairs director for Stand Colorado and as vice president of national campaigns for Stand for Children. In the latter role, she supported the electoral work of all 11 local Stand affiliates across the country, the news release said. She has worked for Stand for Children since 2013.

Before joining Stand, Spurgin taught high school students civics education and later worked on various state legislative campaigns, according to the news release.

“I am excited to be stepping into this role at a time when Stand Colorado has intensified the focus of our work on improving early literacy rates,” Spurgin said in a statement. “I believe strong literacy skills can be the first step to opening up a lifetime of opportunities. I look forward to being part of the movement to give our students, parents, and teachers the support they need to get every child reading on grade-level.”

Stand for Children organizes parents and community members to help them get involved in local education discussions. The group also plays a large role organizing school board and political campaigns supporting candidates who favor charter schools and other reform efforts.