Jamie Davies O'Leary graduated from Messiah in 2005 and joined the Teach For America program in Camden, New Jersey, where she taught kindergarten for two years. Working in one of the nation's lowest performing districts (and poorest cities) opened her eyes to broader policy and political problems affecting public education and urban areas, and she decided to enroll in a Masters of Public Affairs (MPA) program at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. There she studied domestic policy with a focus on urban issues, was selected as an Education Pioneers fellow and created a teacher recruitment strategy for a New York City-based group of public charter schools, and passed her final qualifying policy exams with distinction. Upon graduation in 2009 she returned to her home state of Ohio and joined a non-profit think tank (Thomas B. Fordham Institute) where she researched and wrote about K-12 education. Currently she is the Chief Communications and Advocacy Officer for the Ohio Council of Community Schools (OCCS), one of Ohio's largest statewide authorizers of charter schools and also the largest authorizer of virtual and "blended" charter schools. In her role, Jamie manages the company's communications strategy, which includes communications to all partner schools, the media, lawmakers, and the public. She also leads the legislative strategy in order to advocate for policies and practices that help OCCS' 46 charter schools and the 28,000+ students they serve, and promote high-quality options for families and students. She lives in Columbus with her husband, daughter, and two cats.
Email: jdavies211@gmail.com