Principal Mr. Alex Marquez:
Alex Marquez has been in the education field since 1990 and has worked as Principal at JICHS since the summer of 2008. In addition to administration, Mr. Marquez teaches Character & Ethics, a required course for all JICHS students. He received an Associate of Arts degree from Miami-Dade Community College in 1987, a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Florida State University in 1990, and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in 2003. Mr. Marquez holds Colorado professional licenses in education for K-12 music and school administration. Prior to his role as Principal at James Irwin Charter High School, Mr. Marquez’s career included one year as an elementary music teacher, seven years as a middle and high school Director of Bands, and seven and a half years as a school principal. His career also includes stints as a county manager for crisis counselors in Project HOPE, a bank trainer, and editor of a small newspaper.
Mr. Marquez met his wife, Ruthie, in 1985 and they have been happily married since 1990. They have four boys ranging in age from 13 to 19, and stay busy managing a small urban farm in their own city backyard complete with a garden, chickens and goats. Their two oldest sons graduated from JICHS in 2018 and 2019. While in Florida, Mr. Marquez was involved in several community theater productions and a brass quintet. He co-wrote two plays and several television scripts with his long-time writing partner and friend, who is a principal in North Dakota. In 2004, one of their sitcom pilots placed in the semi-finals of a script competition. Their next endeavors include a motion picture script, a self-published novel series and several short video projects for a local production company. Mr. Marquez hopes one day to be able to contribute scripts and books that are family-friendly, yet meaningful and inspiring. During the spring of 2016, Mr. Marquez returned to the stage after a 15-year hiatus to play George Banks in the Forestgate Community Theatre’s production of Mary Poppins. Currently, Mr. Marquez is the Dean and a professor for Outlier University, an education ministry of the church he attends. Mr. Marquez immensely enjoys teaching an Outlier University class he created called Breakthrough to Better Relationships. He is a certified trainer and consultant for Strata Leadership, a company that provides character education and seminars for schools, businesses and civic organizations across the United States and abroad.
While enjoying his role as Principal of JICHS, Mr. Marquez also loves dating his wife, spending time with his sons, writing, playing piano, singing, traveling, playing board and video games, and serving as a Bible teacher and counselor. After living in Florida his entire life, Mr. Marquez and his family moved to Colorado Springs in the summer of 2006. He states, “We absolutely love Colorado! James Irwin Charter High School is an incredible place where the staff and parents team up to do what’s best for the students. The mission of JICHS, to develop students’ character and academic potential, is lived out each day in a real way with amazing teachers who truly care. I’m so excited to be part of one of the top schools in Colorado and feel incredibly blessed to serve alongside the best and finest faculty and staff anywhere.”
| First Name | Last Name | Title/Position | Category |
| Sam | Ashmore | Government and Economics | Faculty |
| Joy | Bears | English | Faculty |
| Grace | Brueggemann | English | Faculty |
| Margie | Burnett | Character & Ethics | Faculty |
| Ron | Burnside | Mathematics | Faculty |
| Nathan | Cho | Science | Faculty |
| Marne | Collins | Choir | Faculty |
| Barry | Davis | Band | Faculty |
| Aaron | Deck | English | Faculty |
| Jim | Downing | History | Faculty |
| Pamela | duMaine | Mathematics | Faculty |
| Dotti | Frisinger | English | Faculty |
| Joe | Garcia | Mathematics | Faculty |
| John | Greene | History | Faculty |
| David | Hillman | History and Photojournalism | Faculty |
| Beth | Johnson | Science | Faculty |
| Shannon | Jordan | English | Faculty |
| Katie | Kern | Mathematics | Faculty |
| Rachel | Kurtzer | Science | Faculty |
| Alex | Marquez | Character & Ethics | Faculty |
| Suzan | Mitchell | Art | Faculty |
| Lilian | Mouzaoir Kere | Foreign Language – French | Faculty |
| Omar | Ocasio-Rodriguez | Foreign Language – Spanish | Faculty |
| Felice | Ponferrada | Science | Faculty |
| Brandon | Prewitt | Foreign Language – Spanish | Faculty |
| Linda | Riden | History | Faculty |
| Phillip | Scudder | Mathematics | Faculty |
| Mike | Tomlinson | Computer Science | Faculty |
| Jenna | Tustin | Science and Physical Education | Faculty |
| Dawn | Batteiger | Assistant Principal | Staff |
| Margie | Burnett | College and Career Counselor | Staff |
| Anne | Fish | Attendance Secretary and Volunteer Coordinator | Staff |
| Alex | Marquez | Principal | Staff |
| Heidi | O’Connell | Assistant Librarian | Staff |
| Tina | Pope | Administrative Assistant | Staff |
| Mike | Prusinowski | Athletic Director | Staff |
| Linda | Ramsey | Receptionist | Staff |
| Jan | Rohde | Asstistant Athletic Director | Staff |
| Nikki | Tafoya | Dean of Students | Staff |
| Rob | Wagner | College and Career Counselor | Staff |
| Leonard | Winters | Librarian | Staff |