Jane Hodgdon is a Group Leader in the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). She comes from a family of teachers and always knew she wanted to be in the classroom. After graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder, Jane moved to Mexico to teach English for six months. She used her proficiency in Spanish to secure her first fulltime position as a bilingual language arts and reading teacher in Denver Public Schools. Jane returned to Maryland several years later to pursue a master’s degree in applied anthropology at the University of Maryland College Park while working full time at ED. Passionate about the intersection of education, safety, health, housing, and economic development, Jane has worked to build partnerships across federal agencies, with national partners, and – most importantly – with local communities. Outside of work, Jane enjoys being in the hills and mountains, hiking with her friends, kids, and dog.