District News

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) – As the driving force behind both City High Middle and the Center for Economicology, Principal Charlie Vandervliet is dedicated to shaping the next generation of innovators and community leaders.

“City High Middle is a unique place in which a variety of scholars with different backgrounds can come and thrive,” Vandervliet said.

Vandervliet started as a teacher at Grand Rapids Public Schools. She then transitioned to become the district’s first International Baccalaureate (IB) Coordinator.

“Leadership is something that's very natural,” she said. “When I fell in love with the IB programs, I knew that leadership was definitely going to be part of my life a lot earlier than I had expected.”

Now as principal, Vandervliet is exactly where she wants to be.

“When I thought about moving into a principal job, there wasn't any other place I wanted to be,” she said.

Vandervliet takes great pride in the impact her scholars have on the world.

“They never cease to amaze me,” Vandervliet said. “They're going to change the status quo. They are critical thinkers. They ask questions, they push back, they advocate for change. They want to be engaged in our community and our society.”

 “I do feel like we're training leaders. I think one day any one of these scholars could be my boss or could be leading this country or leading this city.”