Sandra Jones, PhD, HILL Director

Sandra Jones has been a school educator for 30 years, serving as a teacher, professional development coordinator, principal, and academic dean. In addition to her operational responsibilities as Director of the HILL since 2001, Dr. Jones is an Associate Professor in the Graduate Program in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston. Dr. Jones and her colleagues assist reading specialists, literacy coaches, principals, district administrators including assistant superintendents and superintendents to lead school-wide literacy initiatives throughout the nation.  Recognized for her work in the area of leading literacy change, she most recently co-authored (with colleagues Darci Burns and Catherine Pirri) "Leading Literacy Change: Strategies and Tools for Administrators, Teachers and Coaches" which was published in 2010 by Cambium Learning Sopris West. Dr. Jones and her colleagues have been invited to present at the National Reading First Conference for three successive years. Dr. Jones served as the Professional Development Coordinator for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Massachusetts Reading First Plan for six years.  She was responsible for training the statewide regional Implementation Facilitators, consulted to the Office of Reading and provided statewide professional development to the 120 Reading First and John Silber schools’ leaders. Dr. Jones was also a member of the Massachusetts Reading Leadership Team and the Statewide Adolescent Task Force. Dr. Jones has also provided professional development to New York, Arkansas and New Hampshire Reading First literacy leaders.  Before co-founding the HILL, Dr. Jones was the Academic Dean at The Carroll School, a nationally recognized school for children with language-based learning disabilities and the founding Director of The Carroll Center for Teaching and Learning in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Dr. Jones received the Partners in Excellence Award for her work at the HILL and the MGH Institute of Health Professions.