Jessica McKinney

Jessica McKinney is a Director at Watershed Advisors, where she supports states in focusing their resources on key priorities to help students and families thrive. She brings expertise in education policy development and program implementation.

To build solutions, Jessica applies student-focused cross-sector experience, including in federal and local government. At the U.S. Department of Education, Jessica developed and implemented P-12 policy and grants, including in assessment and accountability, support for educators, out-of-school time programs, and career and technical education, among other areas. She also has experience at D.C. Public Schools and Baltimore City Public Schools.

Jessica began her career teaching elementary grades in Chicago and Washington, D.C. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in public policy from The George Washington University. Jessica is a Certified Government Financial Manager. She currently lives in the Hudson Valley of New York.