Mary Jane T Pearson

Dr. Pearson brings to the firm a special combination of academic, government, and business savvy. She has more than thirty years of teaching experience, most recently as a full professor in the largest, most diverse university system in the nation, California State University, where she continues to teach as Professor Emeritus. She was also a founding partner and chief academic officer at a nationwide education company that joins with public schools to offer an accelerated learning program for disruptive and low-performing middle and high school students. For more than a decade, she led the design and implementation of the entire education program for the largest private for-profit preschool – middle school education company in the United States. Dr. Pearson served as the Secretary of Education’s Regional Representative for the United States Department of Education on all education-related matters for Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Guam, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. She has particular expertise in early childhood/primary programs and in special education, having served as an early childhood and special education policy advisor and academic representative to national, state, and local agencies, business development teams, and public policy interest groups. In addition, she has designed exemplary results-oriented academic and behavioral programs for low-performing and disruptive middle and high school students. Dr. Pearson is a member of the Board of Directors for the Dubai Bradenton Preparatory Academy, a leading American college preparatory school in Dubai Sports City. Dr. Pearson's unique credentials as a teacher educator include chairing the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the largest educator licensing agency in the U.S., charged with program review and accreditation of more than 700 university and college educator preparation programs for all educators throughout the state. During her nine-year tenure as a commissioner, she co-authored the research on beginning teacher support and assessment that has become the national standard in the support of new teachers. Each year, nearly 30,000 novice California teachers are required to complete this program, the California Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA), in order to earn their professional teaching license. While chair of the Commission, she also led the redesign of California’s educational programs and teacher preparation for English language learners and for students with disabilities. In recognition of her contributions to the field of teacher preparation, she was named 'Teacher Educator of the Year' in 1990 in the State of California. "Dr. Pearson believes that the Chartwell Education Group has assembled a formidable team of strategic advisors to serve a select group of clients: The firm is focused on the delivery of effective advice and counsel in all areas of education based on the diverse, independent proficiencies and opinions of its members. Together, we can make a dramatic difference for both domestic and international education."