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Founded in 2017, The Juniper School quickly ran into difficulties including, high staff turnover, low student retention, and a lack of a high quality curriculum, resulting in being given a ‘priority improvement’ designation by the state of Colorado.
Philip Werline is the principal of Juniper School and has spent nearly two decades in education, beginning his career as a volunteer soccer coach. Over the years, he has served as a science and technology teacher, athletic coach, club sponsor, and school leader in the Denver area, bringing a broad, hands-on perspective to educational leadership.
Philip studied physics at the University of Missouri and history and communication at William Jewell College, where he also played soccer and managed the college radio station. He earned two master’s degrees from the University of South Florida in Exceptional Student Education and Educational Leadership, followed by a doctorate from the University of Colorado in Leadership for Educational Equity, completing his dissertation on STEM instruction. He was honored as a finalist for Colorado Principal of the Year in 2022–23 and currently serves as president of the Powerhouse Board of Directors.
Outside of his professional work, Philip enjoys skiing, soccer, computer games, and imagining the day he finishes his science fiction novel. He is also known for enthusiastically quoting lines from the same five movies whenever the opportunity arises.