Maranda Anderson Named Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Maranda Anderson has been hired as the new Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment with the School District of Washington, effective July 1.
Anderson will replace Dr. Judy Straatmann, who will retire following the school year after spending 23 years with the School District of Washington and 33 years in education overall.
Anderson currently is the Director of Curriculum, Assessments, Federal Programs, and Summer School with the Gasconade County R-1 School District in Hermann, overseeing the departments of assessment, federal programs, and professional development.
“I feel very humbled and blessed that I’ve been given this opportunity because I know Washington is a very strong school district. I’m super excited to be a part of this team,” Anderson said. “I’ve always liked their collaborative approach and how they are so forward thinking. All of the opportunities they have for their students is what draws me to this position. Being able to weave those real-world skills into the curriculum and having the Career Center as a means for students to experience real-world type skills and career paths is essential. “
Anderson has been in education since 1998 and has been with the Gasconade County R-1 School District for all 23 years of her career. She taught various grade levels during her first 17 years in education, including Kindergarten, fourth grade, and third through eighth grades Title 1 reading and math. She has been in her current role for six years.
With the School District of Washington, Anderson will be responsible for the administration of overall instructional operations of the District. She will serve as a member of the Superintendent’s Executive Team with a central role in District planning, analysis, efficiency efforts, and long-range planning.
“After three intense rounds of interviews, Maranda proved to be articulate, experienced, and passionate, not only about the job description, but about the community and her desire to be a valuable member of the leadership team. I believe she will be a great fit,” said School District of Washington Superintendent Dr. Lori VanLeer.
“I’m excited to learn how Washington approaches the ins and outs of the day-to-day process,” Anderson said. “In my current role, I network with various assistant superintendents in the area, which has provided me with a little bit of a background on how Washington does things.”
Anderson will be part of a new-look administrative team at the SDOW’s Central Office. Dr. Jennifer Kephart, who was a part of the selection process of the new Assistant Superintendent, will officially take over her role as Superintendent on July 1. John McColloch, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, joined the District on July 1, 2020. Dr. Rachael Franssen, Assistant Superintendent of Personnel and Support Services, has been in that role for five years and with the District for 16 years.
“We are thrilled to have Mrs. Anderson join the Washington team,” Kephart said. “Her vast experiences and knowledge with instruction will advance the district as we continue to provide rich learning experiences for each of our students and support for our teachers.”
Anderson is looking forward to working with Kephart to help establish the administrative team.
“She seems very kind and approachable,” Anderson said of Kephart. “She really has a desire to get to know me and what I can bring to the district. She’s eager to figure out how we can work together to make great things happen. I have complete faith that by working together and coming up with the best plan for every process moving forward, we’ll continue the tradition of excellence in Washington.”
Anderson already has been in touch with Straatmann to begin the transition process.
“I’ve worked with Dr. Straatmann pretty closely over the last six years. I’m going to have big shoes to fill,” Anderson said. “We’ve discussed meetings I can attend and different things we can work on together as I prepare for the job.”
Anderson graduated from Central Methodist University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. She graduated from Southwest Baptist University in 2001 with a Master of Science in Educational Administration and completed her Educational Specialist degree in administration from Missouri Baptist University in May of 2018. She’s a graduate of Marion County R-II in Philadelphia, MO.
Maranda’s husband, Todd, also has been with the Gasconade County R-1 School District since 1998 and currently is the Athletic Director at Hermann High School. They have two sons, Trent and Parker. Trent is a freshman at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he is a member of the baseball team. Parker is a sophomore at Hermann High School. They also have a foster son, Miles, who is in first grade.
“I love to attend my boys’ sporting events and anything to support my family. Trent is playing baseball at UMSL and Parker plays football, basketball and baseball at Hermann. Part of what helped me get to know a little bit more about Washington is Parker played on a Washington traveling team, the Velocity, for a few years, so I got to know several people. Listening to their conversations helped me learn a little more about Washington,” Anderson said. “We love to travel. The more of the world we can see, the happier we are. Todd and I also like to run. We like to be active and do outdoor activities.”
Anderson is eager to get started in Washington.
“I can’t wait to meet the staff, learn more about them, and how I can support them. I want to be easily accessible,” Anderson said. “I’m really big on collaborating and supporting teachers, listening to what they need and doing anything in my power to get them what they need to be successful. They are the ones in the trenches working with the students.”
Maranda Anderson
Maranda Anderson is pictured with her husband, Todd, and sons Trent (back), and Parker (right).