Derek Miller: Full Stack Computer Science Teacher

I am currently seeking a position teaching high school computer science courses. I have been teaching computer science courses full time at Yorkville High School since 2006 and created the curriculum for 18 unique computer courses at Yorkville. I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois in statistics and computer science. I am a member of the Computer Science Teacher Association, have been a national grader for the AP Computer Science A exam almost every year since 2013, and researched strategies to recruit and retain more girls in computer science for my doctorate from Northern Illinois University. I have also created questions for the AP Computer Science A exam, AP Computer Science Principles exam, and Illinois state computer science certification exam. I have presented my dissertation research at local workshops, and I also presented on the topic of service learning in the computer science classroom at a conference for computer science teachers held at Microsoft's headquarters outside Seattle in 2019. In addition, my students have created numerous computer applications for Yorkville that I have helped maintain including a rubric program, a program for tracking student use of our tutoring and testing centers, and a program for students to sign in and out of our library and other rooms. I am a strong candidate for any high school that wants to develop or maintain its computer science program.

Work Experience

Computer Science Teacher 2019 - Present
Naperville Central High School - Naperville, IL
I am currently teaching Consumer Economics, Computer Programming I, and Computer Programming II. The two programming classes are taught using the Python programming language. I developed a virtual economy app for my students to use in Consumer Economics to simulate what life will be like for them once they finish school.

Computer Science Teacher 2006 - 2019
Yorkville High School - Yorkville, IL
I taught a wide variety of computer courses including Computer Applications I and II, Web Design I, Web Design II for Designers, Web Design II for Developers, Computer Programming I, Honors Computer Programming I, Computer Programming II: Game Design, AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, Robotics and Drones, Computer Science Advanced Studies: App Development, Computer Science Advanced Studies: Computer Security, Computer Science Advanced Studies: Database Programming, Computer Science Advanced Studies: Network Programming, Computer Science Advanced Studies: Operating System Design, Computer Science Advanced Studies: Programming Challenges, and Computer Science Advanced Studies: User Interface Design. Developed the curriculum for all of these courses.

AP Reader 2013 - Present
Educational Testing Service - Cincinnati, OH and Kansas City, MO
I have graded the free-response portion of the AP Computer Science A exam every year since 2013 except 2015. I spend a week grading the exam with other AP Computer Science A teachers as well as college professors. I have always received the highest possible scores on my evaluations.

Exam Question Writer 2017 - Present
Educational Testing Service - Princeton, NJ
I first wrote question for ETS in 2017 for the computer science certification exam. Since then, I have been asked to write questions for the AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles exams. I typically write at least two sets of questions a year.

Peer Reviewer April 2019 - July 2019
U.S. Department of Education - Office of Innovation & Improvement - Washington, D.C.
I reviewed and evaluated grant proposals focused on computer science education.

District Webmaster 2011 - 2015
Yorkville Community Unit School District #115 - Yorkville, IL
I helped create, launch, and maintain a new website for the Yorkville School District. Developed training for teachers and administrators on the new system and worked to maintain the website and develop web applications for district use. I developed a database for the Read Every Day program at the high school, improved a student-created voting application for homecoming, prom, and student council, and a web page template for the math department at the high school. I stepped down as district webmaster so I could go back to teaching a full load of classes.

Math Teacher January 2006 - June 2006
Evergreen Park High School - Evergreen Park, IL
I taught Algebra B, Geometry B, and Intermediate Geometry on the block schedule. Algebra B and Geometry B were below-level math courses. I left to teach computer science at Yorkville High School.

Student Teacher August 2005 - December 2005
South Elgin High School - South Elgin, IL
I taught two Honors Geometry courses and two Algebra 1.5 courses. Algebra courses were similar to block scheduling in that students had more time in math than they would in a normal Algebra classroom.

Camp Counselor/Camp Director 2001 - 2009
Emagination Tech Camps - Lake Forest, IL and Rosemont, PA
I taught a number of computer workshops including BASIC Programming, Digital Photography, PASCAL Programming, Perl Programming, Flash Animation, and Web Development over the summer for children ages 7 to 17. I was promoted to Recreation Director in 2003, Assistant Camp Director in 2004, and Camp Director in 2008. I worked on curricula for the camp including Web Design, Advanced Web Design, Perl Programming, Flash Animation, Advanced Flash Animation, and Flash Games.

Education

Doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction 2013 - 2020
Specialization in Curriculum Leadership
Northern Illinois University - DeKalb, IL

Administrative Endorsement Program 2011 - 2013
Type 75 Administrative Certificate
Aurora University - Aurora, IL

Masters of Arts in Teaching / Secondary Education Certification Program 2004 - 2005
Certification in Computer Science and Mathematics
Aurora University - Aurora, IL

Bachelor of Science Degree 1999 - 2003
Degree in Statistics and Computer Science
University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign, IL

Committees and Extracurricular

Head Cross Country Coach 2008 - Present
Yorkville Middle School - Yorkville, IL
I have been the only head cross country coach at Yorkville Middle School since the team's founding in 2008. We have made the IESA State Championship every year since 2010 and have won four State trophies. I created a website (ymsrunning.com) that I use for the runners to keep track of their mileage and personal records. The team started with 20 seventh- and eighth-grade runners and has grown to close to 80 runners each year.

Assistant Robotics Sponsor 2015 - Present
Yorkville High School - Yorkville, IL
I worked for two years with our FIRST robotics team with the programming team. In one year we went from five members of the programming team to 15 programming team members. In 2017, we added a VEX robotics team to get more students involved, and I switched to being one of the three VEX robotics sponsors.

Videogame Club Sponsor 2012 - 2019
Yorkville High School - Yorkville, IL
Students in this club participate in a semi-annual videogame tournament. The students meet to discuss the games they want to play at each tournament and are in charge of promoting the tournament and bringing the equipment necessary to play each game.

Assistant Track and Field Coach (Distance Runners) 2010 - 2015
Yorkville High School - Yorkville, IL
I volunteered for a year as the distance coach of the middle school track team in 2009, and after that I was hired as a distance coach for the high school track team. I coached the junior varsity distance runners, but in my last two years I also coached vertical jumps and junior varsity sprinters.


Member of School Improvement Team 2008 - Present
The School Improvement Team develops and implements our high school's school improvement plan. I developed and implemented the specific plan for the CTE department, and I also worked on initiatives such as data analysis of reading initiative outcomes, a cum laude program to recognize graduating seniors, and specific ways to implement the district's new learning and grading policy at the high school level.

Member of Curriculum Coordinating Council 2014 - Present
The CCC manages district-level initiatives related to curriculum. From 2015 to 2016 the committee developed a new learning and grading policy for the district, and I was instrumental in the roll-out of this initiative, appearing at two school board meetings to answer questions from the school board.

Member of CTE Subject Area Committee 2016 - Present
This committee meets once a quarter to work across grade levels to analyze course outcomes and develop curriculum for our courses. I worked with the computer science teacher from the middle school both computer science teachers we have had at Yorkville Middle School were new to computer science, and I served as an unofficial mentor for them.

Member of Information Literacy and Technology Subject Area Committee 2011 - 2015
I worked on this committee to develop the curriculum for a new course at the elementary and middle school levels called ILT. I spent one year on the committee after the course was implemented, and then left to join the CTE subject area committee.

Member of Performance-Based Compensation Committee 2017 - 2018
This committee was formed to analyze potential ways to pay teachers based on performance. We read relevant research and talked to school districts who had already implemented performance pay. We determined that basing the pay on evaluations was not the best way to go, and we instead proposed a structure in which teachers could receive one-time stipends for completing district-approved micro-credentials.

Commitment to Best Practice Team 2008 - 2010
This committee was formed to determine if the high school should move away from the block schedule. After two years, we determined that the school should move to a traditional 8-period schedule with an "ACCESS" period allowing students to meet with teachers for extra help.

Student-Built Arcade Cabinet

Receiving the Most Influential Educator Award in 2017

Helping a Student During Prep Period

Students Presenting in Springfield About Computer Security

Presenting the Student of the Term Award While in Seattle

Presenting Dissertation Research