Managing Director, Program

She/Her

As Senior Director, Writing Pathway Innovation Lab, Jessica co-leads a multi-year research project aimed at providing teachers with a clear, open-source roadmap for implementing high-quality writing instruction. In partnership with educators and researchers, the project will identify a logical progression of writing skills to inform teaching in the classroom and advance the teaching of writing nationally.

Before joining Teaching Lab, Jessica was the Director of Research and Instruction for the Writing Pathways Initiative at Quill.org. In this role, she led the recruitment and onboarding of over 100 teachers for a nationwide study on the state of writing instruction. She also used her expertise in literacy instruction to guide research design and facilitate teacher learning. Previously, Jessica was a senior faculty member at The Writing Revolution, where she designed and delivered in-person and online courses on writing instruction to an international audience of educators.

Prior to that, she served as the Associate Director of Middle School Literacy at Success Academy Charter Schools, overseeing the development and publication of Success Academy’s middle school literature curriculum and coaching leaders and teachers across the network. 

Throughout her career, Jessica has taught multiple grade levels and subject areas, including 4th grade bilingual education, English as a Second Language, and 6th grade writing. She holds a B.A. in Social Studies from Harvard College, an M.S. in Special Education from Hunter College, and an M.Ed. in Public School Building Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Jessica speaks Spanish fluently and enjoys singing with her choir, curling up with a good book, cooking new recipes, and traveling as much as possible!