Where are they Now?: Mr Snyder

Jason Snyder was the DJDS upper division principal for a total of eight years, from 2016 to 2024. He succeeded the outgoing principal, Mr. Hay, who had decided to step down from his role. 

Snyder first joined DJDS in 2007 as a history teacher and had served as the upper division dean of students and faculty affairs since 2010. He earned a B.A. from the University of Delaware and an M.A. in conflict resolution from the University of Denver.

However, in 2024, Snyder notified Mr. Halzel that it would be his last year as Principal of the upper division. “There are many reasons for this decision [to resign], but none of them involve you, the students,” said Snyder in his resignation announcement to the school. 

Currently, Snyder is the principal of a conflict resolution/mediation organization called 18th Camel Conflict Resolution. The organization is dedicated to training and coaching people through tough situations that end with a peaceful resolution and do not lead to litigation.

Snyder has over three decades of experience in this field, as he was a volunteer mediator in Jefferson County, a City of Denver volunteer community circle facilitator, and a court-appointed special advocate (CASA). 

He is particularly adept at working with families to solve interpersonal conflict, using skills he picked up while he worked at DJDS, however, he has the ability to coach and facilitate people through any type of conflict. Snyder is also a mediator for the Mediation Association of Colorado (MAC), working out

of Englewood. 

His practice for MAC specializes in domestic relations/civil unions, education/school-related conflicts, and family-related conflicts. 

This year, he is also coaching a select group of high school students in mediation to implement a mediation program at our school that would work closely with the deans. This program is planning to take effect late in this school year or at the beginning of next school year. The goal is to come to compromises and solutions that seem fair to the students while solving the problem without severe actions taken by the deans. He also teaches eighth-grade civics every Wednesday during period three. 

“For twenty-six years, the best part of every day has been interacting with students. This is still true,” Snyder continued in his announcement. “I thank you all for letting me be a part of your lives.”