A resident of Lake Stevens, Washington, Dr. Zachary “Zac” Robbins began his career in education as high school English teacher in 1996. For 18 years, Dr. Zachary “Zac” Robbins was not only a classroom teacher, but also worked in administration. He eventually served as superintendent of Marysville School District 25 through 2024.
During his time as superintendent, Dr. Robbins implemented an alternative to suspending students, which culminated in a 15 percent decrease in out-of-school suspensions and behavioral referrals to the dean’s office. Under his purview, the school district introduced competency-based learning in high school, which expanded career-based experiences for students.
Dr. Robbins was also integral to improving student attendance, increasing the attendance rate by 7 percent for students who attended school 90 percent of the time. His work also culminated in increasing the 4-year graduation rate from 81 percent to 83.2 percent. Furthermore, he increased the percentage of students participating in advanced placement courses.
During his career, Dr. Robbins authored three books on education. The first was Restoratuve Justrice Tribunal. He followed that with Becoming a Social Justice Educator. His most recent book is The Teacher Black Students Need. He has also had articles featured in publications such as Edutopia, covering subjects such as implicit bias in grading, staffing shortages, navigating conflicting demands during the academic year, alleviating stress, and restorative justice.
Dr. Robbins has also participated in several professional organizations, such as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Additionally, he attended National Equity Project conferences and participated in leadership institutes on sustaining education leadership and restorative practices.