Jessica Giles
Executive Director

Jessica Giles is the Executive Director of Democrats for Education Reform DC (DFER DC) and its affiliate nonpartisan, nonprofit organization Education Reform Now DC (ERN DC), where she fights for a high-quality public education system for all students in every ward. Jessica began her career in education as a child care provider in Blythewood, South Carolina. She worked for several years caring for infants and children. During this time, she observed opportunity gaps beginning when children were as young as 18 months, underscoring the critical need for every child to learn in high-quality, safe, and nurturing environments. In 2012, she moved to Washington, DC, to fight inequities in the childcare industry and public education system.

From 2015-2019, Jessica served on the Council of the District of Columbia’s former Committee on Education. During her tenure in public service, she helped ensure greater equity in the childcare industry and public education. Specifically, under the leadership of former Councilmember David Grosso, Jessica advanced legislation to protect the education rights of students with special needs, improve educational opportunities for students in the care of DC, and increase the supply of high-quality, affordable childcare for low-income families in DC. Jessica also worked on issues in the Human Services committee, where she fought to protect the rights and dignity of individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Jessica began her work at DFER DC in 2019 as the Deputy Director and became the State Director in 2021. She has a bachelor’s degree in History from Furman University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from American University. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, a proud Ward 7 resident, and mom to her six-year-old rescue dog, Sammie.