Introducing Laura Jackson: New COO of TARA Education Technologies

Laura Jackson is originally from Senoia, GA - a rural community located south of Atlanta. After graduating from Georgia College & State University with her Bachelor’s, she pursued a Master’s Degree in Education with a concentration in Middle Grades Education and S.T.E.M. 

After completing her master’s program, Laura moved to Atlanta to teach 7th/8th-grade math at an independent school for students with specific learning disabilities. She found joy in supporting students with ADD and Dyslexia but felt gravitation towards working with students in lower-income communities. This led her to transfer to Hapeville Charter School in 2019 - where she taught 6th-grade math and 7th grade advanced math.

In 2020, she joined Ian Cohen in TARA Teachers, and in January 2022, she is now the new Chief of Operations.

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How did you transition from educator to EdTech? What ultimately led you to make the decision to leave the classroom?

“I started working with Ian on TARA when I was still teaching full-time in Atlanta. Like many teachers, I was in a constant “fight or flight” mode that I couldn’t seem to overcome - despite countless hours of extra prep and planning on weekends. It was exhausting, emotional, and I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. 

Unfortunately, many teachers feel similarly. Thousands of teachers are currently in the same boat. Regardless of class size and support from school leaders, teacher burnout is sky-rocketing and as a result, teacher retention is wavering while teacher shortages climb. Schools and students are losing exceptional teachers due to a lack of true teacher support and resources.‍

I knew something had to be done - not just for me, but for all teachers, school leaders and the education industry in general. I caught myself thinking more and more about what the world would look like if teachers felt confident, prepared, and respected in their careers. That’s when I joined Ian to make this thought a reality.”

How does your experience as a classroom teacher impact the work you do at TARA? How will it help diminish teacher burnout?

“It impacts everything I do at TARA.

As a teacher, I experienced first-hand all of the challenges that contribute to teacher burnout - the administrative burdens, paperwork, lack of time and resources. I understand what it’s like to be in their shoes and it’s extremely personal to me.

This insight [coupled with Ian’s teaching experience] is what drives our team to continue designing real solutions for teachers.

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You touched on the idea of a lack of teacher support. How will TARA’s approach resolve this?

We believe our approach is different because we apply a “teacher-lens” to everything we do and all of the decisions we make. This starts with taking a wider look at the teaching experience as a whole and then analyzing all of the day-to-day tasks to see how they fit together in practice.

We understand the pain points and daily grind - and we designed an assistant to help teachers do what we couldn’t in our classrooms.”
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‍It’s no secret that many women in the tech industry have felt their gender has affected the way that they are perceived or treated. Are there any challenges you’ve faced as a woman in a predominantly male industry?‍

“I’m extremely lucky to work with a team that is consistently encouraging and empowering. We work really hard to create a culture of inclusivity at TARA. That being said, this disparity certainly exists.

I think there is an overall lack of confidence from women stepping into tech because there are very few female role models and leaders in the industry.‍

Women are underrepresented in this space [and often underpaid] which discourages them from considering tech as a career option in the first place. But the tech industry is evolving and you can feel the shift.‍

I get really excited when I see more and more organizations pop up that encourage women to fight for their seat at the tech table.”

What are you and your team currently working on that excites you?

“I’m not sure I even know where to start! 2022 will be a big year for TARA and for our users.

We have several new features and tools in the works - but I think I am most excited about our new Progress Monitoring tool designed for Special Educators.

In the past few years, we learned that Special Educators have vastly different responsibilities compared to General Educators. We’ve conducted numerous surveys/interviews and found that keeping track of individual student progress, goals, and data can be very challenging and overwhelming for teachers.

‍Our new tool is designed to streamline this process and support daily organization. Our team is super excited to provide the support and resources that these teachers deserve.”