Merri Kae Vanderploeg

Experience

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  Alaska Pacific University

  Jan 1999 - Jan 2010

  Adjunct Instructor

  •Developed and taught twenty graduate level courses to teachers, counselors, para-educators, and administrators in the areas of diverse populations, poverty in education, differentiated instruction, gender learning differences and methods, gifted, twice exceptional students, school improvement, and policy.

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  Anchorage School District

  Jan 1999 - Jan 2010

  Supervisor of Gifted Education

  •Central Office Administrator of a school district’s gifted program. Responsible for all aspects of program management, fiscal duties, analysis of student assessments, and community relations.•Responsible for the instructional programming and curriculum development of a self-contained highly gifted elementary, middle and high school which served approximately 600 students.•Instructional leader of a Gifted Enrichment Program which served 2,500 students in grades 2-6.•Managed gifted courses that were offered to gifted students in grades 6-8 in ten comprehensive middle schools.•Developed and administrated a program budget of over $6 million.•Supervised and evaluated 59 certificated and non-certificated employees.•Managed a program that served 4,500 students in grades K-12.•Responsible for staff recruitment, teacher orientation, training and licensure compliance for the program.•Developed of school district Alaska State Gifted Plan of Service•Increased the diversity population by 8% during my tenure as Supervisor Show less

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  The Commonwealth Governor's School

  Jan 2010 - now

  Director

  •Director of a high school accelerated learning program with 582 students in grades 9-12 with a 98% Virginia Standards of Learning pass rate.•Responsible for the operations, curriculum, and instructional delivery of the four core subject areas.•Supervises and evaluates 43 certificated staff members and two support employees.•Responsible for a $900,000 instructional budget and purchase approval of curriculum, instructional technology, and contracted services.•Oversees a Governing Board consisting of four school board members and superintendents from four county school divisions.•Develops academic policies relating to programming and student services.•Leads professional development in-services to faculty in the Governor’s School and to general education high school teachers in the four participating school divisions.•Collaborates with four county gifted coordinators on the student admissions process, division curriculum requirements, and student accommodations such as IEPs and Section 504s.•Collaborates with Governor’s School Parent/Teacher Organization on student events•Facilitates Governor’s School Parent/Student Advisory Committee•Collaborates with high school principals and central office administration on school related issues such as high school graduation requirements, scheduling, teacher evaluation guidelines, transportation issues, and parent concerns. Show less

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  Caroline County Public Schools (Virginia)

  Aug 2013 - Jun 2014

  Superintendent Intern

  Interned with Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Instruction.

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  Marana High School

  Jul 2018 - now

  College and career Counselor
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  LaunchAK

  Jul 2021 - now

  • Owner

    Jul 2021 - now

  • Business Owner

    Jul 2021 - now
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  Launch AK, LLC

  Aug 2021 - now

  Founder