Dr. Ward-Jackson is a first generation college grad who has also earned three Masters degrees (M.A., M.Ed., M.Th.) and two Doctoral Degrees (Ed.D., Ph.D.); she is a life-long learner who continues her education by participating in Post-Doctorate Professional Development in advanced Educational Leadership at Harvard University. Dr. Ward-Jackson has a 19-year research, practice, and administration background. She is a Bernard Osher Fellow as well as an alumna of Teacher Cadet and the Phi Delta Kappa Future Educator Institute at Dominican University (then college). Before joining Making Waves Academy in 2012 as the Middle School’s Academic Dean, Dr. Ward-Jackson served students in both traditional public school communities and within the For-Profit supplemental education sector. A self-proclaimed “fence straddler,” she has taught Kindergarten, 5th grade, and 11th grade in the K-12 system and has also taught as a Lecturer and Adjunct Professor collegiately (she presently holds an appointment at Holy Names University and is a Summer Session Guest Lecturer at UCLA). Dr. Ward-Jackson worked in For-Profit Supplemental Education Services in the capacities of Director of Education, Center Director and Executive Director over the course of 8 years, serving San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Castro Valley, Oakland, Acalanes, and Mount Diablo Unified School Districts. Always mindful of the power of post-secondary education and its profound impact on her life, Dr. Ward-Jackson has also given back as an Admissions Representative and Ambassador for UC Berkeley and is a 10-year Selection Committee Member for the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office (specifically the Incentive Awards Programs). Dr. Ward-Jackson is presently a Divisional Director at Making Waves Academy, a high performing, 5th-12th grade, Independent Public County Charter Academy in Richmond; she isolates this role as the most impactful and fulfilling role of her career to date. In this role she harnesses all of her previous experiences to effectively engage administrators, teachers, parents, and students in academic rigor, relevance, results, and relationships. A proud Hercules resident, Hercules Community and Library Services Commissioner, and Hercules Education Foundation Director, Dr. Ward-Jackson is a family oriented person who enjoys traveling, singing, writing, and cultivating others towards success.
