Andrew J. Gutierrez

Gateway Elementary School
Creighton School District
Phoenix, Arizona
[email protected]

Andrew Gutierrez was only five years into his career as principal when his district tapped him to turn around an underperforming school. Thanks to Gutierrez’s collaborative and holistic approach to leadership, Gateway Elementary School has gone from performing at a D level to now earning a B for several years. Even after recently dipping to a C letter grade, the school has continued to see year-over-year growth across subject areas. No longer stymied by persistent low achievement and a negative and unsafe school culture, Gateway now retains teachers and attracts families with its robust services and programming addressing the needs of the whole child, anchored by strong community partnerships. Guitierrez bolsters family success by hosting monthly “cafecito” meetings with parents and offers a range of services, including financial literacy education, access to vision care, and nutritional grants that improve student health outcomes. Community partnerships at Gateway also give students access to enrichment through out-of-state travel and engagement with a variety of guest speakers. Gutierrez is fundamentally team-oriented, always working to make sure that he has the “right people on the bus but also in the right seats.” By building a positive culture and playing to the strengths of his colleagues, Gateway consistently boasts among the lowest turnover rate in the district. Gutierrez holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northern Arizona University (NAU) and is currently in the doctoral program at NAU.