Jonathan G. Vander Els, Ed.S.

Jonathan G. Vander Els, Ed.S., is an author and Associate for Solution Tree, a partner and lead associate at V & S School Solutions, and a speaker and professional development provider for schools and districts across the country.

Jonathan is the former Executive Director and Director of Collaborative Learning for the New Hampshire Learning Initiative (NHLI), where he supported innovation in education and was involved in New Hampshire’s Performance Assessment of Competency Education (PACE) initiative (2015–2016). He has presented at numerous local, state, and national conferences on professional learning communities (PLCs), competency-based education, teacher leadership, and assessment.

A former principal of Memorial Elementary School in the Sanborn Regional School District in New Hampshire, Jonathan helped establish the school as a nationally recognized model professional learning community. Throughout his career, he has served as a teacher, special education coordinator, assistant principal, and principal, drawing on these experiences to coach and support teachers and administrators at the building and district levels.

Jonathan earned a bachelor’s degree in history, a master’s degree in elementary education, and a specialist degree in educational administration and supervision from the University of New Hampshire. He holds elementary education, principal, and superintendent certification in New Hampshire and lives with his family on the New Hampshire Seacoast.