Title: Principal
Company: St. Patrick’s School
Location: Cashton, Wisconsin, United States
Jessica April Williams, EdD, Principal at St. Patrick’s School, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in educational administration.
Dr. Williams has been the principal of St. Patrick’s School since 2020, and celebrates more than two decades of excellence as an educator and administrator for both K-12 and adult students. Inspired to teach by her own childhood teachers, she earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary and middle level education at Viterbo University in 2004, and continued her studies at National Louis University, from which she graduated in 2010 with a Master of Arts in educational leadership, as well as a Doctor of Education in the same subject in 2017. Dr. Williams began teaching in 2000, beginning as an elementary art instructor at Franklin Elementary, and moving to Sacred Heart School as a pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teacher for the 2004 to 2005 academic year.
In 2008, following three years as a fifth grade classroom teacher, music specialist and tutor at Wallace Elementary School, Dr. Williams accepted a position with the Menominee Indian School District. She held numerous roles, including serving as a district summer school principal, during which time she taught elementary school students, and as an adjunct professor and teacher education candidate supervisor for the College of Menominee Nation. Dr. Williams subsequently began moving into educational administration in the early 2010s, working as a course designer for Learning Journeys from 2011 until 2013, and as a regional service network director for Cooperative Educational Services Agency 5 in 2012.
In 2013, Dr. Williams accepted a position with WestEd serving as a school improvement and family engagement facilitator, departing in 2016 when she was named as an assistant superintendent of the Diocese of La Crosse, a role she held proudly until 2020. In addition to her commitment to administrative distinction at the school level, she has been an adjunct professor for Viterbo University since 2013, and the CTE teacher certificate program coordinator and TDC alternative licensure program coordinator for CESA 7 since 2014. Dr. Williams continues to work with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction as an external reviewer for the 21st Century CLC grant program, and serves as a teacher candidate supervisor and program administrator for eduCATE-WI.
Dr. Williams has presented at four major educational conferences on such topics as classroom technology integration, and has served as a scholarship application reader for the Herb Kohl Excellence Scholarship, the Wisconsin Academic Decathlon, and the Bishop John Paul Endowment Fund, among other programs. In recognition of her commitment to her field, she was named as a Menominee Woman of Influence by the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin Youth Development and Outreach Department and presented with numerous accolades by the International Women’s Leadership Association, most recently a Top Female Executive for Outstanding Professional Excellence and Dedication award. Dr. Williams is active in the Professional Learning Association, the Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development and the Wisconsin Education Association Council, among others, and looks forward to continuing her work as an administrator and growth mindset trainer.
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