About
A former special education teacher and administrator, Jane West is a Visiting Professor at the University of Maryland and Policy Advisor to several national education organizations, including the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the National Network of State Teacher of the Year, the Higher Education Consortium for Special Education, and the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children. Focusing on bringing the voice of expert education practitioners into the national policy dialogue, Dr. West supports professionals, including teacher educators, expert teachers, researchers, principals, and doctoral students, in engaging in the policymaking process by honing their message, supporting it with evidence, engaging at the right time during the process, and building effective political alliances. Among her many accomplishments, Dr. West led the effort to build an influential 100-organization coalition, the Coalition for Teaching Quality, to advocate for a professional continuum for teaching and leadership with a focus on a diverse workforce and bringing the most accomplished educators to the students with greatest need. She also contributed to multiple legislative provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act that promote teacher leadership and comprehensive educator preparation to address critical teacher shortages and recruitment and retention challenges, particularly for diverse student populations and high-need schools. She edited two books about the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a law she participated in crafting. Dr. West holds a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Barbara, an M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Ph.D.in special education from the University of Maryland.