Derek Vandegrift has a sterling academic and research background that he applies to the classroom and to his current administrative role. Talking up to students rather than talking down to them, Vandegrift couples curiosity and flexibility in finding the most effective ways to instruct without sacrificing his core approach. His involvement in the Teaching American History grant program demonstrates a deep thinker who creatively reaches students and staff and motivates them to search for "hidden history." In particular, Vandegrift asks students to predict outcomes if different decisions had been made; this reinforces his philosophy of teaching history as a continuum and makes the subject more interesting. Students also gain a richer understanding of cause-and-effect by looking at history from the vantage point of the subjects rather than from one steeped in modern values and hindsight. His mature approach puts abstract values such as freedom in the context of little-known historical events that require independent research and thoughtfulness to analyze. A trained mentor teacher and frequent conference presenter, Vandegrift is a leader in data analysis and curriculum development and has assembled regional workshops. He played a pivotal role in the school's history curriculum development and performance data analysis. Vandegrift's own classes were consistently at the top of schoolwide performance results on the summative final assessments. Now, as Director of History and Social Studies for Waltham Public Schools, Vandegrift works with a staff of nearly thirty teachers to develop curriculum and to improve classroom instruction across the district.
