Jodi Leckbee

Senior Specialist

jchan@niet.org

Jodi Leckbee is currently a Senior Specialist with NIET and has supported NIET’s mission since 2013 through a range of leadership and implementation roles. Her experience includes serving as project director for the SEED 1 and SEED 2 grant initiatives, Texas Director, and Senior Specialist, partnering with districts and states to strengthen educator effectiveness and advance equitable outcomes for students.

Currently, Jodi serves on NIET’s Southwest Team and Strategic Projects Team, where she supports state-level grant initiatives and the implementation of the Strong Foundations grants, and the scaling, and sustainability of the TAP System. Her work focuses on building coherent instructional systems, developing leadership capacity, and ensuring high-quality implementation aligned to NIET’s research-based framework.

Jodi holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Texas Tech University and a Master of Education in Educational Administration from The University of Texas, where she also earned her principal certification.

Jodi Leckbee

Why are you passionate about working at NIET? 

I truly believe that teachers are the factor that makes or breaks the success of a school. No matter the circumstances one teacher can change the lives of so many students. By NIET focusing on building capacity in teachers and the systems that work around teachers we can make lasting change. Sustainability is not measured in keeping grants and titles, but once a teacher thinks differently about their teaching and invests in their professional efficacy, they only get more and more effective with students moving forward. This ripple effect is the power of our work at NIET. The perspective I have on the sidelines coaching and cheering and consulting amazing people who work so hard to get better for kids is a privilege that I do not take for granted. I am lucky to have found myself in a place where I get to be a small part of these transformations and enjoy the success of the educators around me.

Who is your favorite teacher?

Dr. Kitzmiller in junior college was the first teacher to truly assess learning in multiple ways. He lectured and gave notes only one class period a week. The rest of the time we were in groups or researching in teams or watching videos and responding. He announced all A papers in front of the class and made us walk up to receive them. I never worked as hard in any class as I did in his. I wanted to earn his respect and in the process I learned how to study and learn as a college student.

What do you do in your free time?

I am a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America and I run my own meet-up group called Austen in Austin. I am a certified Jane Austen nerd: I have the clothes, the hats, the dance moves, the obsession with all things Mr. Darcy! I attend monthly meetings in my region and annual meetings once a year where all Janeites like myself get together in large groups of 600-800 to learn, dance and talk with like-minded folks about the wonderful works of Jane Austen.