Biography
Jean Wallace
My personal journey into education is a second career that began when I first walked into a college classroom at the age of 40. My life-long love of science, of nature, of wanting to know all I could about the world around me re-ignited a passion that eventually took me from the college classroom to the non-profit world and finally into the system of education. At the same time, Charter School Law had been enacted with the legislative intent to infuse innovation and change into the existing school system. To achieve this intent, as the CEO of a public charter school, I was challenged by law to work outside of the system and, along with a great team, graciously accepted this challenge.
For over a decade, exceptional teachers, dedicated parents, and amazing students continuously defined and realized our collective purpose. Together we achieved tremendous success, leaving a legacy of a top-ranked Philadelphia public school earning local, state and national recognition. Among our many successes was an award from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the development of an innovative K-8 curriculum that took our entire team four years to write and refine. Businesses invested in us and schools from across the country sought us out as a model to replicate. Parents lined up to enroll their children. One open house brought 800 prospective families. Waiting lists topped 1000 applicants. At the ground level, we designed and constructed a twenty-million dollar campus where children as young as 5 years old could safely explore and discover the natural world around them. Academic success through meaningful student engagement was our defined purpose.
In 2016, I left full-time work to care for my aging mom. I continue to reflect upon this collective success by writing and staying current with research. I am always reminded of what can be accomplished for children when everyone works together for a defined purpose. As I see it, the system of education still struggles to define its purpose. And, until we can all agree on the purpose of school, regardless of the model, success for every child will remain an undefinable challenge.