Background:
Nichole Jackson is an associate partner in the Strategic Advising practice area at Bellwether.
Nichole began her career as a middle school teacher in Miami, Florida, before holding positions as a curriculum support specialist, assistant principal, transformation leader, and K-8 principal in large urban school districts in northern Virginia and Maryland. At the school level, she worked with building administrators and academic teams to close achievement gaps through focused school improvement plans and targeted intervention and enrichment programs. Nichole also served in district leadership roles where she collaborated with a diverse array of stakeholders, policymakers, higher education officials, and business leaders to increase equitable education opportunities for underserved student populations. Nichole also provided guidance in policy development, grants administration, public-private partnerships, and board of director relations.
Prior to joining Bellwether, Nichole served as Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ executive director for innovation and school choice. In this position, she oversaw a portfolio of district managed charter schools, identified opportunities for impact and program scale and helped nonprofit groups and governing boards make informative decisions regarding strategic direction.
Nichole holds a doctorate in education leadership and policy studies from George Washington University, a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Miami.
Why I Do This Work:
As a kid, I had teachers who valued student potential and those who only saw ZIP code. The latter almost always equated these five numbers with a low bar for success. Even then, this ‘if-then’ scenario was unsettling. As an adult, I am still amazed when this practice is used to determine student outcomes. I do this work in hopes that one day this practice will be eliminated.
Contact Information
nichole.jackson@bellwether.org
Connect on LinkedIn
Experience at Bellwether
Strategic Planning
Program Evaluation / Evaluation Capacity-Building
Performance Improvement / Sustainability
Grant Development and Implementation
Policy Research and Analysis
Market Assessment
CMO / Charter School Operators
District Schools
Client segments served
K-12 Schools
Postsecondary / Higher Education
School Districts
CMO / Charter Schools
State Education Agencies
Nonprofit Organizations
