85 Advisors adds to its senior leadership team with the appointment Amy Jones as COO and Head of Education Technology
NEW YORK, NY – February 1, 2018 – 85 Advisors is pleased to announce that Amy Jones has joined the firm to lead a new Education Technology focused advisory practice in addition to assuming the role of Chief Operating Officer. She will be based out of the firm’s New York City office.
“Amy brings extensive education industry experience and an impressive track record of transforming institutions, systems, and practices to deliver better educational outcomes for students,” said Steven Freitas, Executive Managing Director at 85 Advisors. “We are thrilled to have an individual of Amy’s caliber lead our emerging EdTech practice, as her deep strategic and product insights will be of tremendous value to 85 Advisors’ clients.”
Amy has nearly 20 years of education leadership and administration experience. Prior to joining 85 Advisors, she was Chief Academic Officer and Deputy Chief Executive for Special Education for the New York City Department of Education, the largest school district in the United States with 1.1 million students and a $24 billion operating budget. In this role, she directed professional development for more than 100 thousand staff members supporting more than 290 thousand students with disabilities. In addition, she oversaw numerous projects to reengineer instruction and systems for the multi-billion dollar Division of Specialized Instruction and Student Support, including learning management systems, management information systems, analytics, student information systems, inventory and ERP, personalized learning, assistive technology and accessibility of education materials.
Amy was widely recognized for strategic vision and leadership of large-scale change efforts to transform NYC schools and ensure better learning outcomes for all students. Earlier in her career, she served as a teacher, an adjunct professor for online graduate courses, Director of University Partnerships for Teach For America and a school principal.
Amy earned a M.A. in Organization and Leadership with a focus in School Leadership from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis.