Jenny Curtin

Jenny Curtin is a senior program officer for Education, leading the New England strategy focused on a new vision for secondary schools. Her portfolio supports the development of engaging school models that ensure all students graduate from high school fully prepared for a range of postsecondary options.

Prior to joining Barr in 2016, Jenny was at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for 11 years. At the Department she primarily focused on supporting schools through grants, networks, and training to connect more students to success. In her role as coordinator of high school graduation initiatives, she led state efforts in support of secondary school innovation and increasing high school graduation rates. With Jenny’s leadership of projects such as the multi-faceted MassGrad Initiative and the state’s Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS), Massachusetts experienced unprecedented reductions in the state annual high school dropout rate and continual increases in cohort graduation rates.

A graduate of Tulane University, Jenny first became passionate about K-12 education through volunteering in New Orleans public schools. She received a master’s in public policy and certificate in nonprofit management from Johns Hopkins University, where she also worked at the Sar Levitan Center and refined her interest in opportunities for disconnected youth. She has also been a Fellow in the Institute for Educational Leadership’s Education Policy Fellowship Program. Jenny grew up in Maine and enjoys everyday moments and adventures with her husband and two young daughters.