Jon Wenger

PhD Student in School Psychology

Greater Chicago Area

About

As the math department chair at Little Wound High School, I worked in education system where student success is better predicted by number of bedrooms than willingness to work. I strive to address these systematic inequalities through data driven, research-based policy reform. While at the University of Chicago, I am gaining not only the toolkit, but the community input necessary to serve most effectively.

Experience

  • PHD Student, School Psychology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Sep 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 11 mos

  • TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health (4 yrs 1 mo)
    • Strategic Advisor
      Dec 2023 - Aug 2024 · 9 mos

    • Special Projects Manager
      Aug 2020 - Dec 2023 · 3 yrs 5 mos

  • Graduate Intern at Start Early
    Aug 2019 - Aug 2020 · 1 yr 1 mo

    Most of my work at the Ounce consists of data analysis, visualization, and communicating those results to various stakeholders. I used python and R to analyze the SPED records of 30,000 infants and toddlers. This analysis uncovered trends in service delays and geographic disparities in SPED services. I recently used python to automate a large portion of The Ounce's data reporting process. This automator will save Ounce employees approximately 80 work hours each legislative session.

  • Policy and Advocacy Fellow at Leadership for Educational Equity
    Jul 2019 - Sep 2019 · 3 mos

    As a Policy and Advocacy Fellow, I created a parent and community outreach curriculum for Ryan Banks Academy, Chicago's first tuition free boarding school. Additionally, I curated Ryan Bank's donor database and was a key member of the group responsible for hiring new board members and treasurers. Finally, I worked with the state to ensure that Ryan Banks was complaint with various state and city accreditation requirements

  • Graduate Research Assistant at Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago
    Sep 2018 - May 2019 · 9 mos

    I conducted fieldwork in Chicago Public Schools and recruit +100 Pre-K parents to enroll in M-PACT, a $1M three-year study measuring how behavioral tools affect childhood quantitative skill acquisition (Principal Investigators: Dr. Ariel Kalil and Dr. Susan Mayer).