A normal day in leadership. photo by Ellie Huntsman
The TJ community wouldn’t be the same without the dynamic duo of Erin Thompson and Jon Poole
As individuals, Erin Thompson and Jon Poole have each made their mark at Thomas Jefferson High School. Before Poole became an assistant principal, he spent years building an unexpected career. He had originally planned to attend law school, but after moving to California, he put those plans on hold. It was his wife who encouraged him to take the Graduate Records Examination (GRE), which he coincidentally completed at Thomas Jefferson Community College in San Diego. That decision ultimately redirected him toward education. With a degree in History and English, and a minor in economics, Poole stepped into teaching as a student teacher, working with both senior and freshman English classes.
Over the next several years, Poole’s role at TJ expanded. He coached soccer for fourteen years (boys consistently until the 2018 season, and girls intermittently), served as a dean, and worked on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), helping evaluate and manage academic departments, and he still oversees the math and english department to this day. After filling many positions within the school, Principal Mike Christoff approached Poole about becoming an assistant principal, and since then, he has held the role after completing the Ritchie program at DU in 2018.
Thompson’s path to TJ looks different, yet it led her to the same place. She has been a counselor at TJ for 17 years, but she was drawn to working with students long before she stepped on campus. With an undergraduate degree in exercise and sport science, she realized early on that health clubs were not her calling unless she was working with kids. After working at the University of Phoenix, an admissions counselor told her she was meant to be a school counselor, a suggestion she embraced and took to heart.
Thompson and Poole first crossed paths during the 2009-2010 school year while Poole was still a social studies teacher and Thompson was new to TJ, counseling and running the student council. Originally, the student council met once a week at lunch to plan all school events. Then, during the 2011-2012 school year, a separate group of seniors approached Poole about creating a leadership class so they could plan their own events. It quickly became clear that the two programs had common interests, and both Thompson and Poole agreed that the student council had become too much of a popularity contest, which was something neither of them wanted. This led them to combine their efforts and create the leadership structure that TJ still uses today.
Leadership now operates as the school’s student council, but is run as a class and represents the entire student body. It gives students who genuinely want to contribute the opportunity to participate and make a difference. Poole often jokes about his role in the program, saying he is “just the credit card,” undermining his support of the class from behind the scenes while Thompson stems ideas and energy.
Their partnership works because of their contrasting personalities. Thompson is front-facing, creative, enthusiastic, and unafraid to take charge. Poole, in contrast, is calm, methodical, sarcastic, and keeps things running behind the scenes. As Poole himself puts it, “Thompson has all the incredible ideas and plans, I just help them come to life.” Thompson added, “I’m crazy, he’s calm.” Anyone who has seen them work together would laugh and immediately understand the dynamic.
What unites them is their shared hope for all students. Poole talks about watching kids come in hesitant and gradually find success on their own. For Poole, this is the most rewarding part. “I want them to have to figure it out on their own,” he said. “When they do, it’s really rewarding because you know they earned it.” From Thompson’s perspective, the best part is “seeing the passion students put into their projects” and the excitement that comes when their ideas become real.
Together, Thompson and Poole have created something rare, a leadership program where participation is an honor, not just about popularity. Their personalities, humor, and dedication are what make their community so special. Leadership is more than just a class, it reflects the kind of teachers they are and the kind of students that they help to shape. What makes them stand out isn’t their titles or the work they do, but how they take time out of their life to show up for the people around them. They’re the kind of adults students can go to when they need advice, support, or someone to listen. The pair’s impact goes beyond the program, shaping TJ in ways that students will remember forever.
