VANESSA JONES
Northeastern State University
Tulsa,OK
29
years of professional experience
Forward-thinking independent school leader with extensive experience driving child-centered early childhood and elementary programs. Currently leads Holland Hall's Primary School division, serving 330+ students and 45 faculty and staff, and overseeing daily operations, curriculum development, and strategic program changes. Adept at cultivating inclusive, inquiry-driven learning environments and strengthening faculty development and family partnerships to build joyful, high-performing school cultures.
Proactive and goal-oriented professional with excellent time management and problem-solving skills. Known for reliability and adaptability, with swift capacity to learn and apply new skills. Committed to leveraging these qualities to drive team success and contribute to organizational growth.
Work History
HEAD OF PRIMARY SCHOOL AT HOLLAND HALL EARLY PREK – THIRD GRADE
6 Years 4 Months- Provide academic, operational, and strategic leadership for a 330+ student division with approximately 45 faculty and staff. Partner with the Head of School, Chief Financial Officer, and Board leadership on institutional strategy, budgeting, enrollment, policy development, and long-range initiatives.
- Lead curriculum development and instructional improvement rooted in developmentally appropriate, inquiry-based, and experiential learning grounded in the latest research.
- Champion hands-on, interdisciplinary, and nature-connected learning experiences that foster curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and student agency while maintaining a focus on academic growth and student needs.
- Guided a two-year literacy review and transition from balanced literacy to a structured literacy model aligned with the science of reading, preserving developmentally appropriate and student-centered practices, reducing the need for additional tutoring and support to less than 10% of students.
- Enhanced curricular coherence and developmental alignment across grade levels to support student learning and growth.
- Recruit, supervise, evaluate, mentor, and support faculty and staff, fostering professional growth, collaboration, and a strong divisional culture.
- Redesign leadership structures and support opportunities for teacher leadership, professional learning, and faculty development.
- Collaborate with the Director of Teaching and Learning to refine faculty growth and evaluation practices.
- Support teacher preparation and professional learning through pre-service teacher opportunities and the Teacher Residency Program.
- Cultivated welcoming, relational school culture focused on children's developmental, academic, and social-emotional needs.
- Expanded Learning Assistance Plans into the Primary School to strengthen student support and collaboration among faculty, specialists, and families.
- Maintained visible, approachable leadership presence, building strong partnerships with families through proactive communication and community engagement.
- Oversee divisional staffing, budgeting, resource allocation, policies, and daily operations.
- Collaborate with the Head of School, CFO, and senior leaders on strategic priorities, operational decisions, and institutional improvement.
- Serve on the Academic Leadership Team and Leadership Council, contributing to schoolwide planning and cross-divisional collaboration.
- Improve divisional systems and processes, including substitute coverage and department leadership structures.
- Participate in accreditation and program review efforts focused on continuous improvement.
- Operations and Institutional Leadership
ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR
2 Months- Teach undergraduate courses in Early Childhood and Elementary Literacy and Birth-to-Two Development.
- Scheduled Creative Experiences for Early Childhood and Creative Thinking and Arts-Based Learning: Preschool Through Fourth Grade in Spring 2027, integrating graduate-level instruction in arts-based learning and creative pedagogy.
- Connected research, theory, and developmentally responsive practice to enhance professional learning for current and future educators.
- College of Education
PRIMARY SCHOOL FACULTY AT HOLLAND HALL, EARLY PREK & PREK PAULINE MCFARLIN WALTER MASTER TEACHER CHAIR
12 Years 10 Months- Designed and implemented play-based, developmentally responsive learning experiences that encouraged curiosity, independence, collaboration, and joyful discovery.
- Forged partnerships with families to enhance children's learning, development, and smooth transition into school.
- Mentored colleagues, enhancing faculty development through new-teacher orientation, technology initiatives, accreditation, and school improvement efforts.
- Participated on search committee for Head of Primary School, influencing faculty leadership and professional learning initiatives.
- Selected as the inaugural recipient of Holland Hall's Pauline McFarlin Walter Master Teacher Chair in recognition of teaching excellence and leadership.
PREK FACULTY AT OLD DOMINION DAY SCHOOL
2 Years 10 Months- Created play-based, inquiry-driven learning experiences emphasizing hands-on exploration, outdoor learning, and children's social-emotional development.
- Developed school-home partnerships that fostered children's confidence, empathy, independence, and resilience.
- Implemented anti-bias curriculum and inclusive practices to enhance early childhood teaching.
Education
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY - Curriculum Studies (Curriculum Leadership)
Recipient, Nirmal and Tara Sethia Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award
MASTER'S DEGREE - Early Childhood Education
BACHELOR'S DEGREE - Family Relations and Child Development
Skills
Curriculum Alignment & Instructional Leadership
Progressive & Experiential Education
Inquiry-Based & Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Child-Centered & Whole-Child Learning
Outdoor & Nature-Connected Learning
Student Well-Being & Social-Emotional Learning
Diversity
Belonging & Inclusive Practice
Family Partnership & Community Engagement
School Culture & Community Building
Faculty Leadership
Growth & Retention
Strategic Planning & Change Management
Budgeting
Staffing & Operational Leadership
Accreditation & Institutional Improvement
Educational Research & Program Evaluation
Cross-divisional teamwork
Restorative & Relational Leadership
Communication & Consensus Building
Affiliations
- National Association of Independent Schools
- Independent Schools Association of the Southwest
- ISAS Accreditation Team Member for Independent School Visiting Committees; two appointments
- National Association for the Education of Young Children
- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
- Global Online Academy
- Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning
- University of New Mexico Parent & Family Association Board Member; Scholarship Committee Chair, Fundraising Committee Chair
Timeline
ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR
Northeastern State University
08.2026 - CurrentRead More
HEAD OF PRIMARY SCHOOL AT HOLLAND HALL EARLY PREK – THIRD GRADE
Holland Hall
06.2020 - CurrentRead More
PRIMARY SCHOOL FACULTY AT HOLLAND HALL, EARLY PREK & PREK PAULINE MCFARLIN WALTER MASTER TEACHER CHAIR
Holland Hall
08.2007 - 06.2020Read More
PREK FACULTY AT OLD DOMINION DAY SCHOOL
Old Dominion Day School
08.1997 - 06.2000Read More
Oklahoma State University
BACHELOR'S DEGREE from Family Relations and Child Development
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Northeastern State University
MASTER'S DEGREE from Early Childhood Education
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Oklahoma State University
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY from Curriculum Studies (Curriculum Leadership)
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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Jones, Vanessa. “Cultivating Inner Peace: A Journey of Mindfulness and Nonviolent Transformation.” In Curriculum as Lived: Currere, Mindfulness, and Nonviolent Companionship, edited by Hongyu Wang and Jo Flory, 2025.
- Dissertation: Narrative of Nonviolence: An Autoethnographic Journey Toward Nonviolence in Education