Jessica Charles

Jessica Charles is an academic researcher and administrator at Bank Street College, currently serving as the Associate Dean of Research and Innovation at the Graduate School of Education. She supports faculty scholarship, conducts research on teaching and educator preparation, and leads the Educator Preparation Laboratory (EdPrepLab), a national consortium focused on improving teacher and leader development. Prior to her current role, she directed educator programs at University of California, Berkeley; managed strategic partnerships at Lewis & Clark College; taught in high schools across three states; co-founded two high schools for underserved students in rural Oregon; and contributed to teacher education at San Quentin State Prison. Her work bridges practical educational reform with theoretical inquiry.

Educational Background:

• PhD in Education (Teacher Education emphasis), University of California, Berkeley

Jessica's research interests center on teacher education, interprofessional collaboration in schools, district partnerships, and performance assessment in leadership development. She has extensively studied the formation of professional learning communities and strategies for improving educator practices under adverse conditions.

Research and Publications include peer-reviewed articles on collaborative pedagogy, multimedia projects, and frameworks for district-level educational reform. Notable works cover descriptive inquiry for accreditation, teacher team dynamics in high-needs schools, and throughline approaches to systemic educational partnerships.

Contact: jcharles@bankstreet.edu