Jim Oconnor

Project Director @Advance Illinois

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

University of Notre Dame

BS, Biology

University of Chicago

MS, Biological Sciences

National Louis University

MA, Educational Leadership