Janice K. Jackson

Janice K. Jackson, EdD, is a Chicago-born educator, administrator, and civic leader whose life and career reflect a deep-rooted commitment to public education and equity. A product of Chicago Public Schools, Jackson attended Head Start, elementary, middle, and high school in the city before going on to earn her BA and MA from Chicago State University, and a Master’s in Leadership & Administration and a Doctorate in Education Policy Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

She began her professional journey in education in 1999 as a social studies teacher and debate coach at South Shore High School. From there she moved into school leadership: she helped design and then served as founding principal of the Al Raby School for Community & Environment, and later opened George Westinghouse College Prep High School. Over time she rose through the ranks of Chicago Public Schools, serving as a district network chief (overseeing dozens of schools) and then as Chief Education Officer before being appointed CEO (Superintendent) in December 2017.

As CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Jackson managed a system of over 300,000 students, a multi-billion dollar budget, and tens of thousands of staff. Her leadership emphasized equity—launching initiatives such as the Office of Equity—and sought to improve outcomes for students through improved performance, stronger safety policies, operational transparency, and accountability. She also led CPS through difficult moments, including a restructuring of student protections, responses to findings of mishandled cases, and navigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on schools.

In mid-2021, after 22 years with CPS, Jackson stepped down as CEO and transitioned into leadership roles in the nonprofit and policy space. She became CEO of HOPE Chicago—a two-generation scholarship organization providing wraparound support for students and their parents—and a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Foundation, focusing on equity in education. More recently, she was named Executive Director of the Education & Society Program at the Aspen Institute, where she will lead national work to reimagine student experience and deepen education policy impact.