Kris Melroe, Assistant Director of Schools & Agencies, earned a BA from Luther College in 1971. After graduating, she worked in the Minneapolis area on numerous health related projects. Kris founded a clinic that specialized in women's health. She also did research for a NGO (non-governmental United Nations organization) health project, examining sterilization and birth control practices on four Indian reservations. Her findings were used in planning the United Nations "Decade of the Woman" and resulted in her receiving the 1983 National Recognition Award from the group Women of All Red. In 1976, Kris left the Midwest and moved to Seattle, where she worked in various capacities with different social service groups, including serving as co-director for the Lesbian Resource Center.

Being drawn to the field of education, Kris received her teaching certificate and later her Special Education endorsement from the University of Washington. Kris joined Morningside in 1980, where she remained for five years as an elementary teacher. Here she honed her skills in instruction and precision teaching. After taking some time off to have two children a family. Kris taught for the Renton School District as a Special Education teacher for seven years. While in Renton, Kris designed and implemented a precision teaching training program for new special education teachers and was a member of the Renton Education Association's negotiating team. Kris was a faculty member at Pacific Oaks College, teaching a graduate class in Special Education as part of their teacher training program.

Kris returned to Morningside to work in the Morningside Teachers' Academy, where she supervises school-wide implementations of the Morningside Model of Generative Instruction. Kris currently travels extensively to coach & train public school teachers. Her primary focus has been working with Native schools from South Dakota, Montana, Oklahoma, & Hawaii.