Staff & instructors
Who teaches here
Iowa does not require teacher certification for nonpublic school instructors. We hold our staff to a higher bar than the state asks for, because the instructional model does not work without it.
Head of School
Robert Von Der Becke
- Title
- Head of School, Lead Instructor, and Founding Director
- Experience
- 22 years in education, behavioral intervention, and martial arts instruction (since 2004)
- Credentials
- Masters-level preparation in Applied Behavior Analysis
- Masters-level Taekwondo instructor certification
- Masters program in Education
- Masters program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- ABA competencies
- Task analysis, pivotal response training, discrete trial instruction, behavioral intervention planning, data-based decision making, functional behavior assessment
- Taekwondo
- Master-level rank; certified instructor; curriculum design and rank assessment
- Role at the school
- Administers all academic programs; leads Taekwondo instruction; supervises all instructors; manages school operations; conducts family intake and progress conferences
Instructor framework
What we require of every instructor
Full-time, part-time, and volunteer alike. These are conditions of serving in an instructional role, not aspirations.
Required of all instructors
- Completion of foundational training in ABA principles as applied to classroom instruction, provided by the Head of School
- Completion of introductory Taekwondo orientation — values, terminology, and classroom integration
- Demonstrated subject-matter competency in the assigned instructional area
- Background check clearance prior to any student contact
- Signed Instructor Agreement acknowledging school policies, the behavioral framework, and confidentiality obligations
Preferred credentials
- Bachelor's degree or higher in education, a content area, or a related professional field
- Experience in individualized or special education settings
- Knowledge of the K12/Stride curriculum platform
- Experience in youth mentorship, coaching, or career development
We are hiring
Instructors & parent volunteers
The VA School is actively recruiting. If you have genuine subject-matter depth and the patience to teach one student at a time at their actual level, we want to talk.
Every applicant goes through an interview, background screening, and orientation before working with students. Instructors also complete foundational ABA training and a Taekwondo orientation, both provided by the Head of School — you do not need to arrive with either.
Instructor log
The school maintains a formal instructor log recording name, role, credentials, and start date for every person in an instructional role, alongside compliance records for ABA training, Taekwondo orientation, subject-matter competency, background check clearance, and the signed Instructor Agreement.
This log forms part of the school’s Iowa Department of Education accreditation submission and is maintained in the school’s records system.