Ted Zehr
About Ted
With over 12 years of experience as a high school principal in schools ranging from 1,000 to 1,800 students, coupled with two years as the Executive Director of Secondary Schools in the Hillsboro School District, Ted Zehr brings a wealth of leadership expertise to the education sector. Following retirement, he continued his dedication to education by serving as an interim middle school principal and assisting a small district in establishing an online school to meet the needs of students and families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, Ted supported Oregon’s largest school district as an interim senior area director, further demonstrating his commitment to fostering academic excellence at all levels. Throughout his career, Ted has been deeply involved in teacher training and development, serving as an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark College and as an AVID Staff Developer and District Director for the Hillsboro School District.
Based in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, Ted has dedicated himself to enhancing student achievement through distributive leadership and a focus on school identity and readiness. His hope for the community is to empower school leaders to recognize and leverage their impact on student success, making the challenging work of education both meaningful and rewarding.
Ted’s Story
Ted Zehr was raised in a family where education was not just a value—it was a way of life. With parents who served as teachers, a counselor, and an administrator in both elementary and alternative education, he grew up understanding the importance of learning and the responsibility of creating equitable outcomes, regardless of background or circumstance. This foundation shaped both his worldview and his career path.
After high school, Ted pursued his passion for baseball, playing in college and for one year professionally. He then began a new chapter as a math and science teacher. Over the next 11 years, he taught both subjects while also coaching baseball. During this time, colleagues recognized his leadership potential. Nine weeks into his 12th year, he was invited to step into the role of assistant principal—a position he embraced wholeheartedly. He served in that capacity for six years at a school that grew from 1,300 to 2,200 students.
Ted went on to become a principal, leading schools for a total of 12 years—two years in a rural community and ten in a thriving suburban district. Each experience deepened his commitment to collaborative and shared leadership, reinforcing his belief in the power of strong relationships and systems to support student success.
Eventually, he was asked to serve as the Executive Director of Secondary Schools in the Hillsboro School District, the fourth-largest district in Oregon at the time. Each transition in his career came as a result of others recognizing the positive impact of his leadership style—one centered on collaboration, systems thinking, and a relentless focus on improving outcomes for students and educators alike.
Today, Ted continues to support educational communities while watching his three sons pursue their own dreams in college—an ongoing reminder of why the work of education matters so deeply.