Jennifer L. Ferrari

Jennifer L. Ferrari serves as the CEO and President of the Education Research & Development Institute since January 2019 and has held multiple leadership positions in Distinctive Schools, including Senior Advisor and Vice President & Chief Schools Officer since January 2017. Prior experience includes roles in the North Shore School District 112 from 1996 to 2017, where responsibilities spanned from Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning to principal and English teacher. Jennifer holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Loyola University Chicago, alongside a Master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction from National Louis University and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Biology, and Education from Lake Forest College. Areas of expertise include strategic planning, community engagement, curriculum development, professional development, instructional coaching, and administrative leadership.