Areas of Expertise: systems-level change thinking, curriculum development, superintendent experience

“I believe it is our responsibility to inspire and empower wonder about learning opportunities that can change the lives and futures of our kiddos and communities.”

Virgel partners with national policymakers and local learning communities throughout the country to redesign learning structures to become more learner-centered and based on proficiency, rather than seat time, and which promote both teacher and learner agency. He also works with KnowledgeWorks staff to build out competency education tools and services to help districts implement personalized learning.

Virgel previously served as the superintendent of RSU 2 School district in Maine. There, he collaborated with five communities to develop and implement a curriculum designed to ensure mastery of standards by all students. Before serving as superintendent, Virgel was a high school principal at Lindsay Unified School District in California. 100 percent of the district’s 4,100 K-12 students qualified for free and reduced lunch. There, Virgel helped implement a personalized learning model where “learners” didn’t earn letter grades, but rather are awarded mastery for subjects in which they’ve proven to be proficient.

Currently, Virgel also serves on multiple boards and leadership councils: PBLWorks Board; Innovation Lab Network Leadership Advisory Council; Jobs for Maine Graduates Executive Board; Maine Academic Decathlon Executive Committee; CompetencyWorks Advisory Board; Mastery Transcript Consortium Advisory Council and International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) Board. He is also a Deeper Learning Equity Mentor.

Virgel earned his bachelor’s from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and his Master of Education from Fresno Pacific University.