Rebecca Thessin

Rebecca A. Thessin is an Assistant Professor of Educational Administration at the George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development. Dr. Thessin conducts research in the areas of instructional leadership, professional learning, school and district improvement, and leadership preparation. She recently concluded a study funded by the Spencer Foundation to examine how principal supervisors and principals collaborate to facilitate school improvement in high needs schools.

Prior to her current position, she served as the Chief School Improvement Officer for the Montgomery County, Maryland, Public Schools, and she also served as the Associate Superintendent for Professional Development and School Support for this same district. In these roles, she implemented a districtwide approach to school improvement and coached principals at the district’s traditionally lowest-performing schools to improve teaching and learning. She previously served as the Director of School Improvement and Professional Development in the Stamford, CT Public Schools; as the Aide to the Deputy Superintendent in the Boston Public Schools; as an administrative intern at a Boston high school; and as a high school teacher in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and West Virginia.

Dr. Thessin holds a doctorate in the Urban Superintendency from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Master’s degrees in School Leadership and in Education Policy and Management from Harvard and a Bachelor’s degree in History and Teacher Preparation from Yale University. Dr. Thessin teaches in GW’s Educational Administration licensure and doctoral programs, and frequently instructs courses on instructional leadership and action research, as well as on the administrative internship.

Education

• Ed.D., Harvard University
• Ed.M., Harvard University
• B.A., Yale University