Jamie Garwood

Jamie Garwood

2021 NACSA Leader

Director of Charter Schools, Ball State University

Dr. Jamie Garwood currently serves as the Director of Ball State University’s Office of Charter Schools (OCS). Prior to coming to Ball State, she helped develop and open a social justice charter school. Jamie also served as a founding board member of the Indiana Charter School Board, an authorizing body. Additionally, Ms. Garwood has more than 15 years of experience working in the non-profit sector, with accomplishments that include launching a community-wide literacy initiative to close the 3rd grade reading gap and developing one of the largest Real Men Read mentoring projects in the country. Jamie is an experienced evaluator of both schools and non-profit programs, including serving as an evaluator for federally funded 21st Century Learning Center (CCLS) after school programs. Dr. Garwood earned a Doctorate in Education Leadership by conducting a study of Indiana’s K-12 voucher program. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs, both focusing on education and social welfare research and policy.


Most Recent Posts
Here’s What Innovation Looks Like in Schools
The prevailing narrative about the pandemic and innovation is incomplete. Did the pandemic force America’s hand and finally propel innovation in schools? Did schools suddenly embrace new technology and begin...
How to Get Ahead: Invest in Performance Evaluations and Define Paths to Advancement
SEVENTH IN A SERIES Employees who are clear about how they’re doing, what they need to improve, what opportunities lie ahead, and how to get there, are more likely to...
‘Gap Busters’: Lessons from Charter Authorizers in Helping All Kids Achieve More
Accountability is fundamental to quality authorizing. Without it, we run the risk of not seeing the full educational picture in front of us and threaten our ability as educators and...