Dr. Maryann Dickar, Chief of Staff, Jersey City Public Schools, has spent the last ten years leading reform efforts at the school and district levels. She designed and opened schools in New York and New Jersey, implemented significant curricular and instructional changes, and has a deep knowledge of how policy, curriculum and pedagogy intersect and shape schooling in America. Currently, she is Chief of Staff of the Jersey City Public Schools where she directs Strategic Planning; developing new initiatives and building partnerships. Prior to that, she was the Director of Professional Development in New York City’s Department of Education. She was responsible for implementing key aspects of the Federal Race to the Top program and integrated a new teacher evaluation system to accompany the Common Core. Prior to the NYC-DOE, she was a professor of Teaching and Learning at New York University. Her research focused on school reform and teacher development.