Former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer spent his entire career shaking up the education system. He helped create what is now Metropolitan State University of Denver to serve non-traditional students. In 1995 he and then-Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt came up with what was then a revolutionary idea: an online university, again geared towards working people. When Romer left the governor's office he became the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Romer's passion for education reform hasn't changed, but now he has two more generations of his family in his corner. Granddaughter Rachel Romer Carlson owns a firm that helps companies provide college educations and mentoring to their employees. Among the people on Carlson's payroll is her father -- and Roy Romer's son -- former state Sen. Chris Romer.
The Romers recently met with Chronicle of Higher Education senior writer Goldie Blumenstyk to talk about the professional ties that bind them. Blumenstyk spoke with Colorado Matters host Nathan Heffel about her story, "When Education Innovation Is the Family Business: a Dinner With the Romers."
