Jeanne Allen
VP, K-12 programs
HotChalk
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
Took an entry level job related to government which I studied, to learn & network.
Interviewed for many jobs on Capitol Hill, took the 1st one offered, and worked my tail off.
Was noticed and offered a job at US Dept of Education where I learned how things really work in federal government.
After 4 yrs was ready to move on when the Heritage Foundation offered me a pay cut & Education policy position.
I took it and learned everything I could about the state of Education & started working to solve it.
It was clear we needed a new organisation to do that so in 1993 I founded the Center for Education Reform.
After much progress and 20 yrs I stepped aside so the next generation could lead and I could expand my activity somewhere else.
And then the cause of helping grow great teachers at HotChalk became my new, additional quest.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Bachelor
Dickinson College
Dickinson College
Career
VP, K-12 programs
I advance school choice, empower parents & create new opportunities for educators.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Technology
Upholding a Cause and Belief
Day to Day
I read everything about the subject. Everyday I analyze, talk to people I know and people I don't know about what they do and share ideas about how I can help. I report my progress to others, ask lots of questions to get others' ideas, write a lot of notes and memos and spreadsheets with new discoveries and share news and important developments with others outside my organizations. It's a combination of doing research, analysis, public relations and business development.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Get a job during the summer that stretches you, even if it's not what you want and doesn't give you tons of money. Find things to do that push you to write, to read and to be with people that don't make you comfortable. Expect and be happy to do grunt work. Be positive, inquisitive and learn as much as you can about the way policy and politics work. Look back in history to how things got this way and what has been done to fix it. Learn what works, what doesn't. Learn to lead in college.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Peers:
"You should follow the rules, we don't do things that way here." They said, "why do you want to create anything new - do it with established organizations." And they said - and some still do - "oh why are you making such a fuss, it's not that bad!!"
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
