Rising Stars: Meet Jessica Garrison

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Garrison. 

Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my education career as a teacher and then moved quickly to a principal position. I loved being a principal and truly supporting teachers as an instructional leader. About four years into my principal role, I was offered an incredible opportunity to be on the leadership team managing a charter school district as the Vice President of Educational Services. I really took on teacher professional development and instructional support. This was a role I really fell in love with. This was a huge position and required a lot of time. Teachers, especially in a charter school district, need a lot of support and development. There was such a huge need for teacher development. I wanted to support every teacher I worked with at their level and in the way that they needed, just like we expect teachers to do for their students. I was starting my family and was on my third pregnancy and really was struggling with the life and work balance. It then became my dream and passion to start my own business that supported teachers in whatever way and need they had. I started The Literacy Link, educational consulting, and teacher development. Our sole goal is to link teachers to research-based instructional practices. The Literacy Link supports teachers across the nation. We have schools in Missouri, Texas, and opening a school in fall of 2023 in Denver, Colorado. We support teachers through professional development, modeling, planning, and data analysis. We also work closely with districts to evaluate their strategic plans and develop growth goals for their students. We support the curriculum and assessment process for districts to ensure teachers have a solid understanding of the what, why, how, and when of teaching and learning. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Owning your own business is very challenging. Thankfully, The Literacy Link has continued to service and support more schools, classrooms, teachers, and students every year. Balancing the challenges teachers and students face in the classroom will also be what we work hard to navigate and strategize. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Our sole goal is to link teachers to research-based instructional practices. The Literacy Link supports teachers across the nation. We have schools in Missouri, Texas, and opening a school in fall of 2023 in Denver, Colorado. We support teachers through professional development, modeling, planning, and data analysis. We also work closely with districts to evaluate their strategic plans and develop growth goals for their students. We support the curriculum and assessment process for districts to ensure teachers have a solid understanding of what, why, how, and when of teaching and learning. 

We are most proud of the success and confidence that teachers feel once they learn new instructional strategies that reach their students. We are also very proud of student growth data in all the schools that we work with. What we are most proud of is being a part of opening the Windmill School in Denver. Our schools will be an inclusive model of education that supports all students to learn in the classroom environment and receive the needed supports to be successful in an inclusive setting. Windmill’s mission is to create educational spaces where all students are not only included but where they belong as meaningful members of their learning communities. 

How do you define success?
We define success by teacher reflection, confidence, and student growth data that aligns with teacher learning. Anytime that we get the opportunity to work with teachers, it is our expectation that they leave with new information, knowledge, and confidence to implement the strategies learned. When we get the opportunity to observe in classrooms and see the teachers using the strategies they are learning or share stories about their success, we know we are successful in our work. 

Contact Info:

• Website: theliteracylink.org
• Instagram: @the_lit_link
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-garrison-ed-d-1b7676101
• Twitter: @the_lit_link
• Other: https://anchor.fm/literacy-link and https://www.windmilldenver.org/

Image Credits
Literacy Link Podcast
Jessica Garrison
Amber Huskey