Meet Jessica:
Equity, Experience, Empathy
Education has always been an integral part of who I am. I grew up the child of international educators and school leaders. I spent the first 10 years of my life living in Dubai, UAE, where my mother taught Early Childhood and my father became Elementary Principal of the Jumeirah American School (now the American School of Dubai). After a few years back in the States, we moved again when I was a teenager to Osaka Japan, where I attended (and graduated from) the Osaka International School. Growing up internationally and the child of educators made me who I am today: a person who values diversity, loves travel and new experiences, and fervently believes in rigorous education that lifts up and celebrates all students.
As a young adult, given my background, I was sure that when I had my own family we would follow in my parents' footsteps and move overseas. However, as I moved to Watertown 12 years ago, my partner David and I came to love and appreciate the diversity and caring, engaged community Watertown is. We now could not imagine raising our family anywhere else. We are the proud parents of two children entering third grade and kindergarten at the Cunniff this fall. I have served on the Cunniff School Site Council for the past 4 years, am a member of the Cunniff Diversity and Belonging Council and the WPS Anti-Bias Coalition. My experiences in these groups has given me invaluable knowledge about what is wonderful about our public schools, as well as insight into the difficult work left to do to achieve the district’s stated goals of Excellence, Equity, and Community.
A school mental health counselor for nearly 20 years, I hold a Master’s Degree in Risk and Prevention and a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Adjustment Counseling from Harvard Graduate School of Education. I have been a Behavior Specialist in the Cambridge Public Schools for the past seven years. Prior to that, I was a School Adjustment Counselor, serving students with social, emotional, behavioral, and learning needs, both in public schools and private special education day schools. It is this wealth of expertise that grants me such a unique perspective on schools, systems, and their impact on individual families.
