New Superintendent Named for Kaohsiung American School

Search Associates Founder John Magagna and Senior Associate Ralph Jahr were pleased to announce that the Kaohsiung American School (KAS) in Taiwan has chosen Dr. Benjamin Ploeger as Superintendent for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Dr. Ploeger is currently Head of School at Eagle Ridge Academy Charter High School in Brighton, Colorado. Prior to his current position, he was an associate principal in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ben got his start in international education teaching math and earth science with the Peace Corps in Vanuatu in the Southwest Pacific. Since then, he has earned a master’s degree in education and a doctorate in educational leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. Dr. Ploeger also holds other graduate degrees from Xavier University of Louisiana.

KAS is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School where 700 students from over 30 nations can graduate with a U.S. high school diploma or the IB Diploma. The school is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and a member of the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS), the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS), and the Council of International Schools (CIS). (“Accreditations and Memberships”).

Established in 1989, KAS began as a pre-K-8 school located in a series of apartments in a hospital compound! Several years later, students desirous of pursuing an American high school education took correspondence courses through the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. In 2010, after several relocations, the school moved to its present campus and has recently been certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for its transformation into a stunning, state-of-the-art facility (“History,” “Superintendent’s”).

Search Associates wishes Dr. Ploeger and Kaohsiung American School the best on their exciting years ahead at this flourishing institution.