Valerie Jacobson is a certified special education teacher and finance/operations professional who has spent the last 17 years establishing and running charter schools in New York City, having served as a founding administrator at two charter schools, an initial staff member at a new charter-management network and a special education teacher. As an administrator at Williamsburg Charter High School since 2009, Valerie worked with the school’s principal to increase the school’s grade from a D to an A on the school’s NYC DOE Report Card. Most recently, her work as Summer School Principal in 2017 yielded an 80% pass rate for under-credited students. Valerie holds a B.A. from Yale, an M.S. in teaching from Fordham, and recently graduated from Hunter College School of Education with NYS certification as a School Building Leader/School District Administrator. Valerie enjoys Hamilton, current events, traveling, art museums, and field trips to Shake Shack and BBQ.