Ron Hertel

Ron Hertel retired in 2019 as Program Supervisor for Social/Emotional Learning in Student Support at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), Washington’s State Education Agency. In 1975, he began teaching in a secure inpatient psychiatric facility for adolescents and part time in a public middle school in Minnesota prior to beginning a 10 year career as a social worker for Boulder County Dept. of Social Services in Boulder, Colorado.

In 1989, Ron moved to Washington State and has supervised a county child welfare office, managed the statewide residential care program for adolescents, and served as program administrator of Children’s Mental Health Services for the Department of Social and Health Services for Washington State. In 2000 he moved his career to OSPI to bring together careers both as teacher and social worker.

As Program Supervisor, he led the development of the Compassionate School Initiative in Washington State which began in 2008. He was a co-author of a book published in 2009 entitled, ""The Heart of Learning and Teaching; Compassion, Resiliency, and Academic Success."" He also coauthored, ""Supporting and Educating Traumatized Students: A Guide for School-Based Professionals"", originally published by Oxford University Press (2012), and ""Optimizing Learning Outcomes: Proven Brain-Centric, Trauma Sensitive Practices"", published in the fall of 2016 by Routledge (Taylor and Francis Books) and completed an updated second edition of ""Supporting and Educating Traumatized Students: A Guide for School-Based Professionals"" released in February 2020.