Helping K-12 and nonprofit leaders foster unity, build trust, and achieve student success.
Choose Common Ground
Leadership That Inspires, And Unites.
We help education leaders navigate complexity, build shared purpose, and create the conditions for lasting impact. With clarity, strategy, and courage, you can unite your community around shared values and common goals.
Great leaders turn diverse perspectives into unified action.
Today’s school and nonprofit education leaders stand at a pivotal moment:
- The chance to transform diverse perspectives into collective strength
- The opportunity to lead conversations that bring shared values to life
- The ability to channel that passion into trust and stronger outcomes
With the right approach, leaders can build alignment, inspire courage, and choose common ground — creating a future where every voice has a place in the work and every learner has an opportunity to achieve their potential.
Unite Perspectives
Lead Conversations
Build Momentum
The Mission
Founded by former school district superintendent nonprofit CEO and corporate executive Dr. Joshua P. Starr, Common Ground Solutions was purpose-built to help today’s K-12 leaders lead with integrity and bring people together.
At Common Ground Solutions, we partner with school and nonprofit leaders to:
- Define the challenge in human, strategic, and practical terms
- Align the work to your core purpose so it’s rooted in shared values and learner outcomes
- Design and implement a strategy that reflects your unique reality — and engages your community
- Communicate with clarity and courage to build trust and move people forward
- Embed systems for alignment and accountability so progress lasts, even through transitions and inevitable leadership changes
Whether you’re building consensus, navigating change, or preparing your team for what’s next — we help you find common ground, and lead from it.
The Solutions
We design and facilitate practical, people-centered solutions for leaders and their teams to help find common ground in their communities.
Why Common Ground
3 driving principles
#1
Shared values are the foundation of strong leadership.
When communities reconnect to what matters most, they can move forward together.
#2
Every voice has value.
Real change happens when people feel seen, heard, and included in the process.
#3
Common ground is a choice.
It’s not about surrendering your values — it’s about building bridges without backing down.
What educators are saying
“Josh Starr is an exceptional facilitator who engages every voice, elevates thinking, and delivers transformative plans.”
Dr. Sara Johnson
Superintendent
High Desert, ESD
“Josh Starr led our best PD ever—exceptional knowledge, skilled facilitation, and inspiring tools for leaders’ success.”
Dr. Scott Menzel
Superintendent
Scottsdale USD
“Josh Starr’s bold leadership and advocacy shaped my career and continues to inspire education leaders.”
Dr. Carol Kelley
Superintendent
Salem City School District
Finding
Common Ground
Joshua P. Starr is a former superintendent, nonprofit CEO, and longtime advocate for public schools. With three decades of experience leading at the local, state, and national level, he has dedicated his career to helping innovative K-12 systems navigate complexity with confidence — and lead with purpose. His writing has appeared in several national publications, including Education Week and Kappan. His latest book is Equity-Based Leadership: Leveraging Complexity to Transform School Systems, published by Harvard University Press in 2022.
Choose Common Ground
At every level, from boardrooms to classrooms, there’s a path to unity and shared purpose.
Together, we can find it.