Jennifer Park Joins Teachstone as Director of Applied Research and Public Policy

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teachstone^®, a leader in the field of quality early childhood education, announced that Dr. Jennifer Park joined the company as the Director of Applied Research and Public Policy. Park will lead collaborations in research and evaluation, and will drive all public policy initiatives.

"We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer to our team," said CEO Brad Groff. "Under Jennifer's leadership, we will continue investing in our research foundation and further deliver on the promise of CLASS—improving teaching and driving outcomes for children."

Cofounder and Board Member, Bob Pianta added, "Teachstone has transformed the market's approach to understanding early learning quality, moving from a regulation- and credentials-based model to one that prioritizes supporting teachers' interactions with children. With Jennifer leading our research and public policy efforts, Teachstone will take a more proactive approach to both areas."

Park has served as a preschool teacher, researcher, evaluator, and school administrator. As the first research director for Teaching Strategies, she developed a strategic plan in response to the growing demands for efficacy-based funding in early childhood. Park led a statewide effort in Florida to improve early childhood quality that was unanimously adopted by the 31 local school readiness governing bodies. Park holds a BS in Health Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, an MS in Family and Child Sciences and a PhD in Child Development from Florida State University.

"I'm thrilled to join the Teachstone family," said Park. "There's such an opportunity to shift the discussion from one of compliance to one of supporting teachers in honing their craft, building relationships with children, and, ultimately, transforming the way our children learn."

About Teachstone
At Teachstone, everything we do is about improving the ways teachers interact with their students. We offer training for coaches and observers, deliver online programs, design professional development—all of it grounded in one proven fact: classroom interactions have a lasting impact on children's academic and developmental success. We help teachers improve those interactions with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System^® (CLASS^®). This proven observational measure takes the guesswork out of determining what is—and is not—effective teaching. When paired with professional development resources, the CLASS gives educators the insights they need to make lasting changes in the ways they connect with children.

Contact Info:
Lisa Rogoff
Director of Product Marketing, Teachstone
434.244.5414
[email protected]

SOURCE Teachstone

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http://www.teachstone.com