Jennifer Coco

Jennifer Coco works as the Local Policy Manager for the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools. Jennifer is an attorney and advocate passionate about education law and policy and achieving equity for kids.  In the course of her career, Jennifer has consistently advocated for systemic change to improve outcomes for vulnerable children, particularly within the areas of special education, ending the School to Prison Pipeline, and English Learner programs.  Prior to joining the Center, Jennifer was the founding Director of Policy & Advocacy at New Pathways New Orleans and an attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.  She is proud to have achieved systemic change for New Orleans students with disabilities in federal court and local policy reform, and to have served as the first elected Chairperson of the Louisiana Advisory Council on Student Behavior and Discipline.  Jennifer currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Children’s Bureau of New Orleans, a local organization that provides community-based mental health services.  Jennifer completed her law degree from the DePaul University College of Law, and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.