James Holzapfel is a teaching and learning consultant with the Educational Service Center (ESC) of Northeast Ohio. People call him by the name "Ike". During Ike's 21-year career in education, his experience includes grades PK-12. Prior to joining the ESC, Ike worked in both public (17 years) and private (3 years) schools. He spent ten years as a high school mathematics teacher at Tallmadge High School, two years as an assistant principal at Bolich Middle School in Cuyahoga Falls, five years as the building principal at Roberts Middle School in Cuyahoga Falls, and three years as the building principal at St. Joseph School - Randolph. 

Ike has a diverse background in both public and private schools. While serving in public schools, his areas of focus included leveraging student data sources for continuous improvement, professional learning communities (PLCs), student empowerment via goal setting, development of common assessments, and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), to name a few. While serving private schools, Ike added experience to include working with the nonpublic data system (NPDS), EdChoice Grants, Title 1 programs, and individualized learning plans. 

Ike has worked with both member and non-member ESC districts on systems for data analysis, coaching teacher PLC teams, coaching building and central office level administrators, project-based learning (PBL), curriculum mapping, instructional coaching, and mathematics content design and delivery. Ike looks forward to increasing his level of support for districts while leading the ESC's Instructional Coaching PLC, the AP network, and becoming an ODE Mathematical Modeling and Reasoning (MMR) trainer. 

Ike and his wife reside in Kent with their four children and certified therapy dog. The family enjoys spending time outdoors with a special focus on National Parks visiting 16 parks, so far.