Dr. Cynthia Knight, Director
Recognized as one of Iowa’s most progressive leaders of intervention strategies in education, Dr. Cynthia Knight brings an outstanding set of credentials to NET High Academy. Concerned with the need to identify and provide innovative techniques to students who were disenfranchised, and sometimes misguided along the traditional paths of education, Dr. Knight opened Iowa Net High Academy in the fall of 2012. As the founder, and director of the academy, Knight has developed strategies and techniques that identify individual learning styles, and then prescribes an optimal cognitive pedagogy for each individual. Coupling a highly personalized, relationship based formula with her unique experiential based curriculum; Knight has shown unprecedented success with the Iowa Net High Academy’s students. In addition to her passion for education and young people, Knight also developed a deeper sense of empathy with her students and their parents when she witnessed the educational struggles of one of her own daughters. Utilizing personalized online learning techniques, internships, and service learning, 19 Net High students have earned their diplomas, with an additonal 18 students currently participating in the program.
In 2015, Dr. Knight launched a new intiative, NET High Academy, a private option for students and families looking for alternatives to traditional high school. This program is not tied to any state or local control restrictions. Instead, students can learn what they want to and need to in order to be college and career ready on their own schedule and with their own interests kept in the forefront.
In addition to NET High Academy and Iowa Net High Academy, Knight also serves as a college professor for Viterbo University, as well as teaching special education for Dowling Catholic High School.
Prior to launching NET High Academy and Iowa Net High Academy, Knight served for seven years in the Iowa Department of Education where she structured programs in special education, math, science, social studies, language arts/reading. She also served as President of the Iowa Council of Administrators of Special Education, membership chair for the Iowa Chapter of Council for Exceptional Children, and the Iowa Department of Education liaison to the Iowa Association of Supervision and Curriculum.
Knight’s background also includes a four year stint at Ankeny where she taught special education. A versatile educator, Knight also coached basketball, volleyball, softball and track.
Initially, Knight began her teaching career in Dallas, TX, where she taught first grade. The Union, Iowa native would return to her home state the following year and start her Iowa teaching career at LDF/SEMCO schools (now East Marshall), in LeGrand, Iowa.
Dr. Knight and her husband, Steve, reside in Des Moines. They have two daughters, Jordan and Camdine and grandson, Steven Russell Nail.
