Jacqueline Jones is the former assistant commissioner for the Division of Early Childhood Education in the New Jersey State Department of Education. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan appointed her to her current position in July 2009. This is the first time the Department of Education has had an early childhood leaning office, and Jones will be at the forefront of the Obama administration’s goal of strengthening the department’s role in early childhood education. [i]
Path to Power
Jones has received both a doctorate and a master’s degree from Northwestern University in communication science and disorders. She also has a bachelor’s degree from Hunter College in speech pathology. Prior to her work in New Jersey, Jones worked for 16 years at the Educational Testing Service as a senior research scientist and director of early childhood research and development. Jones also has been a visiting associate professor at Harvard University and a visiting scholar for the National Assessment of Educational Progress at ETS. She directed many federally funded projects on early childhood learning and lectured on early childhood education issues.[ii]
Jacqueline Jones:
At a Glance
Current Position: Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Early Learning
Career History: Former assistant commissioner for the Division of Early Childhood Education at the New Jersey State Department of Education. Senior research scientist and director of early childhood research and development at Educational Testing Service. Visiting associate professor at Harvard University.
Birthday: N/A
Hometown: N/A
Alma Mater: Hunter College. Northwestern University.
Religion: N/A
Office: 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202
The Issues
The Department of Education has focused on four areas of school reform: standards and assessments, effective teachers and leaders, data systems and how to turn around struggling schools. One way that Jones and others at the Department of Education have looked at addressing those problems is through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization Act. The goal of that program is prepare children, particularly those from low-income areas and minority students, for success in the classroom.[iii] This is part of the Obama administration’s plans to overhaul the No Child Left Behind Act. Some of the overhaul goals are to identify the lowest-performing schools and invest in them to improve learning among students.[iv]
However, experts say many education problems stem from a lack of proper early childhood education. The Department of Education has several early learning programs.. In a student aid bill introduced in 2009, an Early Learning Challenge Fund proposal was included. The program is designed to improve the quality of early learning programs from birth to age 5. Although mired in some controversy, Duncan has been steadfast in keeping this program.[v] While in her position in New Jersey, Jones was a key figure in the state’s pre-K program, which helped to narrow achievement gaps in high-poverty school districts. Jones was also a key figure in building New Jersey’s school support infrastructure and in improving the quality of early childhood providers and should be able to translate those experiences nationwide in various Department of Education initiatives.[vi]
Jones also plans to take funds made available to her department to reach out to make sure those programs that look at early childhood can be effective in transitioning students to next level. She wants to make sure Title I money is being used for preschool; that language and literacy programs are key priories; to foster excitement among students; and to overhaul science and technology. The ultimate goal for Jones to have funding for innovated programs for children from birth to 3rd grade and to have early childhood education woven through all existing Department of Education programs.[vii]
In Her Own Words
“If you see preschool as a warm and fuzzy thing you do for children or as baby-sitting, then it’s easy to cut,” Jones told the Associated Press. “But if we can meet the educational needs before kindergarten, we can save a tremendous amount of money in special education and remediation.”[viii]”
Campaign Contributions
There is no apparent record of any campaign contributions made by Jacqueline Jones according to OpenSecrets.org.
Footnotes
[i] http://www.newamerica.net/blog/early-ed-watch/2009/former-new-jersey-early-childhood-head-jacqueline-jones-advise-duncan-early-lear
[ii] http://www2.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/jjones.html
[iii] http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/2010/03/elementary-and-secondary-educa.shtml
[iv] http://www.stlp-20.org/pressroom/2010-03-02.html
[v] http://earlyed.newamerica.net/blogposts/2010/harkin_and_duncan_say_they_wont_walk_away_from_early_learning_grant_proposal-30525
[vi] http://www.newamerica.net/blog/early-ed-watch/2009/former-new-jersey-early-childhood-head-jacqueline-jones-advise-duncan-early-lear
[vii] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbzcIVzDAmU
[viii] http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j8n07tvC-q-Zniay8k2UEpqlON1QD9HC6QPO0