Matt Thede

Matt Thede, M.S.Ed., is an Assistant Principal at Mount Vernon High School in Mount Vernon, Iowa. He is a former Biology and AP Biology teacher at Prairie High School, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he also led curricular improvements and professional development initiatives in the areas of standards-based grading, unit design, instruction and assessment, etc., and aligned those efforts with the district’s progress as a professional learning community. After leaving professional baseball in 2003, Thede has been an educator since with a teaching background in Science. His educational experiences range from working in rural communities and school districts (Benton Community, Van Horne, IA) to urban/city districts (Cedar Rapids Prairie High School).

Thede has a strong belief in collaborating with and developing schools that desire to improve and respond to student needs, especially in the area of grading, instruction, and assessment. Thede has also been a presenter at State Standards-Based conferences, speaking on the topics of Evidence-Based Reporting and leading grading changes in secondary schools. He has a passion to help schools of any size and background implement lasting changes that positively impact student achievement with the resources they have. Thede has consulted with several schools around the midwest, taking his leadership and experiences from initiatives he’s led and helping other schools do similar work. In addition, he was involved in working with gradebook developers to create a gradebook module that works for educators using standards-based practices.

Thede received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Wartburg College, a master’s degree in education from Graceland College, and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Drake University.