Jill Norton

Jill most recently worked as director of education policy at Abt Associates, where she led projects for the Massachusetts Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education and Early Education and Care. Prior to that she worked at the state’s Executive Office of Education as a senior policy adviser in the Patrick administration. There, she helped establish and oversee a $3 million grant program supporting summer enrichment programs for English learners in gateway cities, supported the creation of a first-in-the-nation social innovation fund for adult education, and developed programs for career pathways for middle and high school students. When the Baker administration came in, she was one of a handful of staff in the Executive Office of Education who were kept on. She helped lead a project that compared Massachusetts’ assessments and made recommendations to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which ultimately led to its decision to revise MCAS and replace PARCC.

Prior to joining state government, Jill was the Executive Director of the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy from 2008-2012. During her tenure, the organization grew through funding and staff, doubled the research and events output, and led statewide research on topics like building 21st-century skills, revising state assessments, reforming school discipline policies, and identifying best practices in special education and for English learners.

Prior to the Rennie Center, Jill was the Director of Professional Development for the New England School Development Council (NESDEC), where she worked with educators throughout the six New England states to develop targeted professional development for K-12 teachers and administrators. Prior to NESDEC, Jill managed the customer service department for Tom Snyder Productions, an educational software publisher.

Jill received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Michigan State University, where she spent an additional year completing a full year internship and graduate courses in Teaching Curriculum. She also attended the National Center for Montessori Education-New England and earned her Primary Teaching Certificate. Jill earned her M.Ed. from Harvard University where she focused on Education Policy and Management. She has been a public school teacher in Michigan and Massachusetts.