Hidden Sparks Appoints New Director of Education – Helping Struggling Children and Strengthening Educators in their Continuous Growth
New York City (July 19, 2011) – Hidden Sparks announced today that Karen Kruger, M.S. has joined the staff as Director of Education. Karen will provide educational oversight to all current Hidden Sparks programs to further enrich and enhance them, and will help guide Hidden Sparks expansion to other cities, made possible through a 2011 Covenant Foundation Grant. She will also oversee curriculum development, and play a part in collaborative work with The Churchill School and Center, to continue to strengthen and expand the Hidden Sparks educational model.
Karen comes with a wealth of experience in the field, having served as Hidden Sparks’ ICP (Internal Coach Program) School-based mentor for the past year, where she mentored internal coaches, a regional facilitator, and the lead trainer for workshops funded through No Child Left Behind. Working with middle school teachers and administrators from New York City middle schools, Karen also served as a field facilitator and course instructor for ‘Schools Attuned’, teaching courses offered by “All Kinds of Minds”, developing curricula for workshops, and mentoring and supervising teachers in grades K-12.
A former adjunct professor at Bank Street College of Education where she received her master’s degree, Karen has taught in elementary and middle schools from Kindergarten through 8th grade. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Karen joins Hidden Sparks to continue its outreach and success in helping struggling children by enhancing educators’ professional skills. Karen comments, “I’m honored and excited to be a part of this very important organization that is making an enormous difference in Jewish day schools. Children who struggle to learn deserve to be understood, supported, and taught effectively. Hidden Sparks helps teachers become better educators of all learners. I’m looking forward to continuing and expanding these efforts that will literally change children’s lives.”
Debbie Niderberg, Executive Director said, “Karen’s wealth of experience and knowledge has already made her a strong member of our team. We view her appointment as a sign of our commitment to supporting professional development of educators across the country. Our innovative programming and the increasing demand from schools led us to look for an addition to our team who will fit in with our ethos of innovation and exceptional professional talent. We were very fortunate to find someone of Karen’s caliber to fill this role. I’m confident that Karen will play a key role in providing high quality educational leadership and guidance for our teachers.”
