The Colorado Senate lost a big education advocate when Peter Groff, that chamber’s president, left for a new job with the U.S. Department of Education.

But never fear, ed reformers.

Taking Groff’s seat (but not his leadership role) in the State Senate is Michael Johnston, an education adviser to then-candidate Barack Obama. Johnston is the principal of a Denver-area charter school that got a much-publicized visit from Obama (when he was still a candidate.) UPDATE: Thanks to the commenter below, who pointed out that while Mapleton is a choice school within the school district, it’s not a charter school.