Employment
Dr. Jenny Grant Rankin is a former Fulbright Specialist for the US Department of State who keynotes large conferences, writes books, writes an online column for Psychology Today, and teaches college courses. She has lectured at such institutions as the University of Cambridge (teaching the PostDoc Masterclass), the University of Oxford (St. Anne's College), Columbia University (teaching a class for its SAFE Lab research initiative), and trained US federal agents. She writes (14 books, over 180 papers and articles, and an ongoing blog column for Psychology Today) for researchers, educators, scientists, and those who share information or data. An active member of Mensa, Dr. Rankin also serves as one of the founding members serving on American Mensa’s Diversity Committee and she volunteered for many years as Coordinator of the Mensa Gifted Youth Program in her region. She began her career in higher education, followed by a rewarding career in K-12 public education. Dr. Rankin spent many years as a junior high school English teacher, teacher on special assignment (TOSA) and technology coordinator, junior high school assistant principal, school district administrator, and then chief education & research officer (CERO) of a successful edtech/data company she co-owned from founding to sale (when it was awarded a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award for being the second best place to work in the US for a company under 1,000 employees).
Below you will also find details on Dr. Rankin's:
June 24, 2016 to Present
Writer
Psychology Today
Address: Psychology Today, 115 E. 23rd St., 9th Floor, New York, NY 10010 https://www.psychologytoday.com
Department: Education
Duty: Writing the education-focused “Much More Than Common Core” blog column (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/much-more-common-core) for the Psychology Today website
August 21, 2019 to August 21, 2024
Fulbright Specialist
U.S. Department of State
The Fulbright Specialist Program is a U.S. Department of State program through which U.S. academics and established professionals engage in two- to six-week, project-based exchanges at host institutions across the globe.
Duty: Working at host institutions following project-based placement
Information: https://fulbrightspecialist.worldlearning.org
Tenure 2019-2024: Given the disruption caused by the coronavirus update, on March 12, 2020, the U.S. Department of State approved for any individuals who were on the Roster as of March 12, 2020 to receive an extension to their current Roster tenure. Thus Dr. Rankin’s initial Roster end date was August 21, 2022 (as tenure usually lasts for 3 years), but due to COVID Dr. Rankin’s ultimate Roster end date was August 21, 2024 (5 years).
April 4, 2022 to April 21, 2022
Instructor
Columbia University
Address: SAFElab at Columbia University, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027 https://safelab.socialwork.columbia.edu
Department: SAFElab, School of Social Work
Duty: Teaching a UXR Fellowship class for Columbia University’s SAFElab research initiative
January 20, 2016 to October 18, 2017
Lecturer
University of Cambridge
Address: The Old Schools, Trinity Lane, Cambridge CB2 1TN, United Kingdom www.pdn.cam.ac.uk/postdocs/postdoc-masterclasses
Department: Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience
Duty: Teaching the Post Doc Masterclass once per year
July 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012
(with project-based work continuing to 2017)
Chief Education and Research Officer (CERO)
Illuminate Education Inc. (an Educational Technology Company)
Address: 47 Discovery, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92618 949-242-0343 www.illuminateed.com
Full-Time
Supervisor: Lane Rankin, CEO/President, 949-242-0343
Sample Duties: leadership training staff and educators at all levels data report and system design presenting writing/building online help system creating abstracts to accompany all reports working with County Dept. of Ed. on user group meetings and multi-district needs orchestrating events like 250-attendee user-conference creating communication tools (board meeting booklets, programs, RFPs, media pieces, etc.)
June 6, 2008 to June 3, 2010 (filled in for the same role August 2009 and August 2010)
District Administrator (Program Specialist for Assessment, Instructional Services)
Saddleback Valley Unified School District
Address: 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, CA 92691 949-586-1234 www.svusd.k12.ca.us
Full-Time
Based: District Office
Supervisor: Kathy Dick, Assistant Superintendent, Instructional Services, 949-586-1234
Sample Duties: leadership training educators at all levels on data, assessment, etc. coordinating assessment building, test administration, and data analysis for 35,000-student district creating data reports and communication tools for varied stakeholders disaggregating data, spotting/tracking trends, etc. for district building help system and materials to accompany data working with County Dept. of Ed. on special projects classroom observation and feedback leadership and evaluation of assigned staff serving as District’s representative at State and County meetings
August 30, 2007 to June 30, 2008
Assistant Principal
Anaheim Union High School District
Address: 501 Crescent Way, Anaheim, CA 92803 714-999-3511 www.auhsd.us
Full-Time
Based: Orangeview Junior High School
Supervisor: Kevin Astor, Principal, 949-364-6100
Sample Duties: leadership guiding staff in data analysis and use overseeing testing creating data reports and communication tools for varied stakeholders disaggregating data, spotting/tracking trends, etc. for school student guidance and discipline classroom observation and teacher evaluation district and site committees parent and community outreach working with local police and organizations on school’s crime/gang/drug problems planning events streamlining processes
August 28, 2003 to June 30, 2007
Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA)
Buena Park School District
Address: 6885 Orangethorpe Avenue, Buena Park, CA 90620 714-522-8412 www.bpsd.k12.ca.us
Full-Time Split with Other/Teacher Role
Based: Buena Park Junior High School
Supervisor: Debra Diaz, Principal, 714-521-5134
Sample Duties: leadership planning and conducting staff professional development material adoptions creating data reports and communication tools for varied stakeholders disaggregating data, spotting/tracking trends, etc. for school coordinating testing training and guiding site staff in data, assessment, etc. articulation with feeder schools and high school working with budgets researching and developing/writing curriculum leading/serving on district and site committees parent and community outreach before Jenny became TOSA, BPJH’s Base API was dropping; after Jenny became BPJH’s TOSA and began/conducted BPJH’s staff development, BPJH’s 633 API (2003) rose to 655 (2004), 703 (2005), 708 (2006), and then 726 API (2007), and the school shed its state-assigned Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program (II/USP) status
August 28, 2000 to June 30, 2007
Teacher (English, AVID English, Newspaper, and Intervention)
Buena Park School District
6885 Orangethorpe Avenue, Buena Park, CA 90620 714-522-8412 www.bpsd.k12.ca.us
Full-Time Split with Other/TOSA Role Starting 2003
Based: Buena Park Junior High School
Supervisors: Debra Diaz, Principal, 714-521-5134; Rafael Santiago, AP, 714-616-1279
Sample Duties: won “Teacher of the Year” by 3rd year of teaching leading/serving on district and site committees training staff on Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Concepts serving as site technology coordinator built standards-based curriculum and test bank for English Department based on data averaging 49% higher student proficiency on state assessments (CST) in classes (with many Title I and EL students due to TOSA funding) compared to other English classes on site wrote curriculum for summer school writing program
January 4, 1999 to August 25, 2000
Program Coordinator of Visual Arts and Information Technology (IT) Departments
Learning Tree University (Purchased/Absorbed by Corinthian Colleges Inc. in 2003)
2332 McGaw Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614
Full-Time
Based: Irvine Campus
Supervisor: Judy Swanson, President, heyjude56@sbcglobal.net
Sample Duties: leadership hiring and training teachers maintaining compliance with university’s accreditation designing/writing course curriculum counseling students (academic) scheduling courses contributing to catalog (e.g., course descriptions) planning learning paths (degree tracks) hired to oversee Visual Arts Dept. but was promoted to oversee both that and the IT Dept. (LTU’s biggest department), working 2 jobs as 1 for 4 months until replacement for previous position was found student enrollment in VA Dept. rose by 105.63% within 1st 6 months of employment (best growth rate ever), instructor retention was at an all-time high, and after 7 months scores on student course evaluations (encompassing teacher performance) had improved by 29.8% while overseeing IT Dept., student enrollment in IT Dept. rose by 26%, revenue increased by 28%, # of courses offered and managed increased by 38.64%, and LTU President Michael Gould said student course evaluations within IT Dept. had “never been better” presentations (open house, recruitment, instruction, colleague trainings in technology and efficiency at headquarters’ Joint Program Meetings, etc.)
August 27, 1997 to December 11, 1998
Substitute Teacher
Saddleback Valley Unified School District & Irvine Unified School District
Addresses: 25631 Peter Hartman Wy., Mission Viejo, CA 92691 & 5050 Barranca Pkwy., Irvine CA 92604
Volunteering
Dr. Rankin has a long history of volunteer service. As a teenager she volunteered at the Laguna Beach Public Library, where she singlehandedly ran a weekly book+craft class for children, and she also volunteered at the Laguna Art Museum and through Amnesty International. Her Amnesty work continued through college, and her activism in animal rights arose.
Dr. Rankin's weekly letter writing and petition signing continues to this day (largely for education, human rights, animal rights, and environmental issues), joined by her service in the following role:
2020 to Present
Founding Member
American Mensa Diversity Committee, began October 1, https://www.us.mensa.org
2014 to Present
Judge & Reviewer
Volunteering as a judge or reviewer for many events, such as the California Educational Research Association (CERA) Classroom Innovation Grant Award, California Student Media Festival (CSMF), Dale Junior High School 8th Grade Academic Showcase, Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, Miss Anaheim's Outstanding Teen Scholarship Pageant, Orange County Mensa Scholarship Essay Competition, and Saddleback Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) STEAM Expo Material Innovation Challenge Design and “Shark Tank” Competitions.
2013 to Present
Presenter
Despite being a paid keynote/plenary presenter, Dr. Rankin has volunteered her time for many speaking engagements, especially for many years for the American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Mensa, International Comic-Con, and local school districts (where I also mentor teen students).
2015 to 2023
Coordinator
Mensa Gifted Youth Program in Orange County (assistant coordinator beginning July 20 of 2015, coordinator beginning April 9 of 2019; resigned March 5, 2023, but continued until new coordinator assumed the role October 1, 2023), www.us.mensa.org/learn/gifted-youth
2016-2017
Volunteer
Africa New Day schools, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, www.africanewday.org
1988 to 1999
Volunteer
Volunteering for AIDS Project Los Angeles, Amnesty International, and the Humane Society.
1984 to 1987
Volunteer
Volunteering at the Laguna Beach Public Library and Laguna Art Museum.
Serving on Boards
2018 to Present
Advisory Board Member
ASU Prep Digital
2016 to Present
Advisory Board Member
Rocket Ready Program, Laguna Beach Unified School District
2016 to Present
Advisory Board Member
School Wise Press / K12 Measures
