Jessica Garner is the Managing Director of Innovative Learning at ISTE ASCD, bringing a deeply teacher-rooted perspective to the AI and innovation conversation. She spent 27 years in public education, including 13 years as a classroom teacher, and her career has consistently centred one priority: making the learning experience better for students and more sustainable for the people teaching them.
Jessica was named North Carolina Teacher of the Year (2009–2010), a milestone that shifted her work from classroom practice into broader leadership roles. She went on to work at the state level and led district-wide initiatives focused on teaching and learning, curriculum, and instructional improvement across multiple school systems. She’s built her reputation on bridging vision and implementation: what should change, what can change, and what teachers realistically need to make it stick.
At ISTE ASCD, Jessica leads work directly with districts and educators, supporting schools as they navigate AI with clarity rather than panic. She’s especially focused on keeping the conversation anchored in pedagogy, student needs, and real classroom constraints. Her approach is both optimistic and grounded: AI can create meaningful efficiencies and unlock better learning, but only when schools stay intentional, protect students, and avoid turning technology into the goal instead of the support.
If you want, I can tailor each bio to match Captivate tone (more formal) vs website tone (more punchy and human).
