IUSD announced this week that Laguna Beach administrator Mike Modeer has been selected to serve as the next principal of Rancho San Joaquin Middle School. His expected start date is July 1.
An innovative leader who is well-versed in educational technology and the new Common Core curriculum, Modeer has served the past seven years as an administrator at the middle school level, and he has an extensive background with college-readiness support systems as well as the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support program.
“Though we had a number of highly qualified candidates to choose from, Mike emerged as the No. 1 choice for Rancho, embodying the characteristics that were articulated in the collective feedback from staff and parents,” Superintendent Terry Walker said. “Most important, he is committed to the long-term success of Rancho.”
Modeer began his career as a teacher of math, college readiness and technology in the Rowland Unified School District in 2002. He most recently served as assistant principal at Thurston Middle School in the Laguna Beach Unified School District.
A graduate of IUSD’s Woodbridge High School, Modeer earned his bachelor’s degree in managerial economics from U.C. Davis and his teaching credential from Cal State Fullerton. He later earned his master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Chapman University.