Jodi Leckbee Chan, Director, Texas

Jodi Leckbee Chan

Director, Texas

Jodi Leckbee Chan is the Texas director for NIET. She has worked as a project director for the SEED 1 and SEED 2 grant projects, an executive master teacher, and senior program specialist with schools in Texas and across the U.S. for going on 12 years.

Prior to joining the NIET team, Jodi worked for 13 years has a high school English, Film Studies and Theatre Arts teacher where she also served as an academy coordinator and redesign facilitator when her campus received a Gates Foundation grant to redesign into smaller learning communities. She is a trained Critical Friends Group coach and has completed Cognitive Coaching training.

Jodi graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She completed her master's of education in educational administration from the University of Texas and earned her principal certification.

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.