Jenny is a senior research scientist at NORC where she evaluates educator pathways and teacher diversification initiatives and provides expertise on educational ecosystems in rural America. With over a decade of research experience, Jenny works regularly with state and local partners to develop qualitative and mixed methods studies that evaluate a variety of educator pipeline programs. Her approach to research is asset-based and informed by her six years as a high school teacher.
Jenny currently serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) for a study of Educators Rising programs in rural Wisconsin, which encourage middle and/or high school students to become educators in rural communities to address teacher shortages. She is Co-PI on a study to develop an equity-centered rural education research agenda based on a comprehensive literature review of the last 20 years of rural education and qualitative interviews with rural community members across the country. She is also PI for an impact evaluation of the Engaging Youth for Positive Change civic engagement program in rural communities. She also serves as Project Director on a study that examines how institutions of higher education, working as part of a collaborative, confront structural barriers that inhibit the graduation of Black and Latinx students through organizational change.
Prior to joining NORC, Jenny served as an associate program officer at the Spencer Foundation and assistant director at the Rural Education Research & Implementation Center at the University of Wisconsin.
Quick Links
Education
PhD
University of Wisconsin-Madison
MEd
Ohio University
BS
Ohio University
Appointments & Affiliations
Advisory Board Member
The Rural Educator
Advisory Board Member
Educating Youth for Positive Change
Member
Rural Education SIG Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Committee, AERA
Project Contributions
Publications
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Wisconsin Rural Schools Pursue Homegrown Solutions to Teacher Shortage
NORC Article | October 4, 2023
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opens in new tab"Educational Governance and Contemporary Policy in Rural America."
Chapter | January 1, 2021
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opens in new tab"Place Anonymization as Rural Erasure? A Methodological Inquiry for Rural Qualitative Scholars."
Journal Article | January 1, 2021
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opens in new tab"Why teachers stay: Shaping a new narrative on rural teacher retention. "
Journal Article | January 1, 2021
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opens in new tab"A Clear View of Rural Education." in Cultivating Rural Education: A people-focused approach for the states.
Book | January 1, 2021