Jess Rose

Jess Rose joined Barr in July 2023 as Senior Program Officer on the Education Team, leading the Catalyze New Models strategy focused on transforming high schools across New England to become places where students thrive, particularly those who have been systemically marginalized and underserved. Jess is the daughter of an educator and grew up in a house that talked about school all the time. Her own high school experience was transformational for her; she is forever grateful for her high school teachers who indulged her in countless explorations of what the purpose of school could be. Through these experiences she began to wrestle with burning questions of equity–particularly around race, class, and gender–and has been fueled to create systemic change in schools ever since.

Jess comes to Barr after 17 years working in public education at the school, district, and state level. She taught middle and high school English and Arts, including photography and theater, in a traditional district as well as a public charter in Boston. Her heart is in teaching and learning and the power that exists between students and teachers when grappling with meaningful and juicy learning. She worked at the Rhode Island Department of Education creating and implementing educator evaluation under Race to the Top, which allowed her the opportunity to work with every district across the state. Most recently, Jess spent six years as Assistant Superintendent in the Lincoln Public Schools in Massachusetts. At Lincoln, Jess’s core work was focused on equity and deeper learning. She is most proud of her leadership in conducting the district’s first equity audit, and in leading the development of the district’s Portrait of a Learner and its subsequent Framework to operationalize the portrait and bring it from poster to practice.

Jess earned a B.A. in Education Studies from Brown University, and an M.Ed. in Arts and Education and a Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Jess loves spending time with her husband and young daughter, hosting friends for dinner, and is happiest when curled up on the couch under a blanket reading a book or watching a movie.