Jonathan G. Vander Els

Jonathan serves as Director of Collaborative Learning for the New Hampshire Learning Initiative, overseeing and participating in the personalized and competency-based work throughout the State of NH. Formerly, Jonathan was principal of Memorial Elementary School in Sanborn Regional School District in New Hampshire. Under his leadership, Memorial School became a nationally recognized model PLC and competency-based learning elementary environment.

Jonathan specializes in supporting teachers and administrators in schools and districts across the country in developing, sustaining, and enhancing structures to support all learners, and is co-author of Breaking With Tradition: The Shift to Competency-Based Learning in PLCs at Work with Brian Stack. As a practitioner, Jonathan blends his experience and expertise to meet educators where they are and assist them in developing practical next steps to ensure high levels of learning for students in their school.

Jonathan has consulted, coached, and presented at conferences and Institutes throughout the United States on building highly effective PLCs, implementing competency-based and personalized learning, and developing balanced and rigorous assessment systems. Jonathan was involved in the New Hampshire Performance Assessment of Competency Education (PACE) initiative as a member of the PACE Leadership Team and facilitated the state’s initial effort to integrate skills and dispositions into curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Jonathan has an education specialist degree from the University of New Hampshire in educational administration and supervision, a master’s in elementary education, and a bachelor’s in history. Jonathan is currently enrolled at the University of New Hampshire in their Ph.D. Educational Leadership and Policy strand, with a focus on competency-based learning. Jonathan lives with his wife and three children on the New Hampshire Seacoast. You can follow Jon via Twitter @jvanderels.