Jim Oconnor

About Jim Oconnor

Jim is a goal-driven leader focused on ensuring that all young people have access to an…

Experience

1. Project Director

   Advance Illinois

   May 2010 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   Overseeing organization’s statewide teacher and principal quality initiatives featured in TNTP’s \"Getting to Better Prep\"-Selected to present on education reform to multiple audiences totaling more than people-Won grant funding for and led team that produced state-wide report on school turnaround that examined the reforms in 10 Illinois high schools that received $114M in federal grants-Assisted eight districts in crafting a strategy to improve their lowest performing schools resulting in three districts being awarded over $15M in School Improvement Grant funds-Selected by Illinois\' Secretary of Education for 15-member state-level National Governor’s Association group and led Pathways Working Group that produced Improving Teacher Preparation Policy and Programs in 2017-Chosen as member of Performance Evaluation Advisory Council, a 32-member body appointed by the Illinois State Board of Education to create a new way to evaluate teachers and principals that incorporates student growth measures-Led initial process that created a system of Illinois district and educator preparation program partnerships, the Continuous Improvement Community of Practice, one of the first of its kind in the nation-Oversaw production of five biennial reports on state of education in Illinois and organized 63 statewide events, attended by over 4,900 people, on time and on budget-Chosen by peers from 45 organizations that are part of the PIE Network as 1 of 10 nominees for Most Valuable Player, an award that recognizes leaders who advance reform nationally

Education

• University of Notre Dame

  BS, Biology

  1991 — 1995

• University of Chicago

  MS, Biological Sciences

  1998 — 2000

• National Louis University

  MA, Educational Leadership

  2008 — 2010