|
Janine's role as an advocate has sometimes included very public battles with those who would prefer to see perpetuation of a status quo that stalls educational progress.
JANINE's 1ST BOOK FOCUSES ON "PATHFINDER PARENTING" AS A MEANS TO MOTIVATE CHILDREN. |
Janine's Bio
Janine Walker Caffrey is an educator, advocate, author and speaker dedicated to improving educational opportunities for all. She taught in public schools for over a decade in the areas of special education, English for speakers of other languages and physics. She is proud of her own public school roots including earning her bachelor's degree from Rowan University in New Jersey, back in the days when it was known as Glassboro State College. She earned her master's degree at Penn State, focusing on how public school funding structures influence instructional practice. Soon after completing this degree, she began working as an educational leader for an international non-profit organization, serving as its chief school administrator for publicly funded programs for at-risk youth, operating in partnership with local school districts across eight states and the Cayman Islands. This work included collaborating with state legislatures, state departments of education, and a wide variety of school districts including (among many others) Miami, Chicago, New Orleans, Orlando, and the Department of Juvenile Justice district in South Carolina. In 1998, Janine earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Her dissertation focused on the role of academic assessment in improving educational quality for at-risk youth. After ten years of working across the country and the Caribbean, Janine turned her focus to her own local community, and opened a non-public school in Florida that integrated the arts with academics, and welcomed students with diverse learning needs. During this time she also worked as an instructor at the University of South Florida, helping new teachers develop expertise in curriculum development. After spending six years leading the school she founded, she moved to New York City and spent several years as an assistant superintendent, working first to improve parental involvement across the city, and then supporting a network of schools serving mainly international students. Janine was honored to serve as the Superintendent of Schools in Perth Amboy, NJ from 2011-2014. In the 2012-13 school year, she enjoyed being back in the classroom one period a day, teaching Physics to 9th grade students at Perth Amboy High School. Janine is currently providing coaching to schools in the area of leadership, school design and reading, and developing exciting new software to support reading instruction. Janine enjoys writing, and has published two parenting books - Drive: 9 Ways to Motivate Your Kids to Achieve and Nurturing Brilliance: Discovering and Developing Your Child's Gifts. She has developed a parenting strategy called "Pathfinder Parenting" and loves to share this message with parents through video, television, radio, and speaking engagements. She also loves theatre, music, walking, and boating, but her greatest joy is her family. She has been married to Drew Caffrey for over 32 years. Together they have two grown children and an amazing grandchild who continues to delight and inspire them. |
She extends her role as educator by helping the public understand critical educational issues. Her article on teacher tenure was instrumental in raising the level of public interest in this topic. She makes frequent appearances at public events and in the media to discuss a variety of issues.
|
