Jenkins helps identify, develop, and implement a variety of interventions, transformation, support, and accountability strategies for schools and districts.
HARTFORD, Conn. — Dr. Melissa Jenkins has been appointed to the role of Chief Turnaround Officer by the State Board of Education, as Education Commissioner Charlene Russell Tucker announced Wednesday.
Mr. Jenkins will be tasked with leading efforts to identify, develop and implement a variety of intervention, change, support and accountability strategies for schools and districts across the state. The commission said he will strengthen leadership support, instructional practices, community engagement and school climate enhancement, as well as oversee the Commissioners Network and the state's Alliance District Program.
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“Education is my lifelong passion and I am committed to ensuring that all children have equal access to a high-quality education, regardless of their background or circumstances,” the board said. Stated.
Russell Tucker noted that Mr. Jenkins has more than 20 years of experience as an award-winning educational leader, during which time he has demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence, curriculum development, and educational innovation.
“We are confident that her passion, dedication and track record will enable her to effectively lead our Turnaround Office and support our districts and schools,” Russell Tucker said, according to the board.
The board said that in this role, Mr. Jenkins will continue to work to ensure that all children have access to a high-quality education and the tools they need to reach their full potential. She added that she began her career in education as a classroom teacher. She “experienced first-hand the transformative power of education in shaping young minds.”
Mr. Jenkins most recently served as Chief Academic Officer for Bridgeport Public Schools, working with approximately 600 teachers and 50 administrators to develop standardized operations for K-12 literacy education across 28 schools. We have established procedures.
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According to the board, she also developed a K-12 teacher leadership program aimed at improving internal communications, managed $7 million in academic programs, and improved equity to address the needs of diverse students. Prioritized, 37 schools developed and implemented professional development plans to implement CT Core Instructions. Rotate and supervise literacy coaches and implement a student-centered coaching model.
Jenkins also began assessing performance tasks for two middle schools and seven high schools, which the board said resulted in a 74 percent improvement in student writing ability.
Previously, Jenkins served as executive director of early childhood education, director of literacy for grades K-12 and principal of High Horizons Magnet School in Bridgeport. She has also held a number of positions in the education field in the state of Connecticut, including Western, where she also served as an adjunct professor at Connecticut State University.
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Throughout her career, Jenkins has received the Prudence C. Randall Teaching Award, the Connecticut Reading Association's Reading Administrator Award, the Bridgeport Public Education Fund's George Bellinger Leadership Award, and the Educational Leadership Institute's Education Policy Fellowship.
After Wednesday's board meeting where she was appointed, Jenkins thanked members for selecting her for the position.
“I am grateful for the confidence that Commissioner Russell Tucker and the State Board of Education have placed in me, and I look forward to working with educators, stakeholders, and community members to create bright futures and endless possibilities for our students. I'm looking forward to it,” Jenkins said. According to the board, he said:
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. You can contact him at: dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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