- Spring Creek Elementary School
- Spring Creek Elementary School
Merritt Named New Director of Curriculum 6-12
Christine Merritt will continue her work with curriculum development in a familiar role.
Merritt is the new director of curriculum 6-12 for the State College Area School District, eight years after she finished serving as the director of curriculum 9-12. In between, she was the district’s English and academic literacy coordinator for grades 6-12, working with 60 people in four buildings to write English language arts curriculum and assessments.
She takes over from Jacquelyn Martin, the current Keystone Central School District superintendent.
“I am excited to work with a talented group of administrators, curriculum coordinators, and teachers to continue the excellent work in curriculum development and professional development,” Merritt said. “Our primary purpose should not be to meet a goal or standard but rather to help students exceed what they think their potential is.”
A 1990 Penn State graduate with a Master of Science, Secondary Education degree from Elmira College, Merritt has been an educator for 28 years. Before becoming an administrator, she taught English, first in the Horseheads School District in Horseheads, NY, then for 14 years to Park Forest Middle School seventh-graders and State College Area High School juniors and seniors. Twice she was named a State College Magazine Teacher of the Year, and she received the PSU Educator of the Year award from the Alumni Board of the College of Education in 2012.
From 2005 to 2009, she also served as a professional development associate in the district’s Professional Development School, an award-winning partnership with the Penn State College of Education. As a PDA, Merritt supervised intern English teachers at the middle and high school levels and provided professional development seminars.
Her credentials include completion of the Saint Francis University Principal Certification Program and 15 graduate curriculum and instruction credits from Penn State. She’s a member of the National Council for the Teachers of English and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.