Our Standards-Based Grading Philosophy
As seasoned educators with extensive backgrounds in standards-based grading, we know the power of engaging students with purposeful planning and authentic learning experiences. Our Curriculum Planning Tool helps teachers to define how their courses work in a more meaningful way and immerses them in the standards-based grading philosophy.
Our gradebook clarifies learning objectives, makes teaching decisions more intentional and the curriculum more cohesive. It eliminates busywork for students and multiplies the ways for them to demonstrate knowledge.
JumpRope’s tools empower teachers to do what they do best while collecting meaningful data and providing specific feedback to learners.
Founded by teachers
who are passionate about
standards-based practice.
Determined to engage students with active pedagogy,
purposeful planning and authentic learning experiences,
Jesse Olsen began creating custom software tools for his
New York City classroom. He built a team of seasoned
teachers and engineers to create a gradebook steeped in
authentic assessment principles. After helping districts
across the country transform their teacher practice,
JumpRope is now the premier partner for successful
standards-based grading implementation.
By implementing software that tailors teacher practice to the way students learn, we’re paving the way for an educational revolution. Our background as educators and track record with successful implementation makes JumpRope the ideal choice to effect this transformation. We’re not just selling a gradebook - we’re facilitating a paradigm shift that empowers students, teachers, and entire school districts.
Jesse Olsen
Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer | New York, New York
Most would call Jesse the brains behind the outfit, but in reality he's just super stubborn. Admittedly, though, his knack for coding and ability to not have a life are probably the company's two most valuable assets.
In his early life, Jesse went straight from geek to teacher as he studied engineering at the University of Portland and moved across the country to teach high school math at Validus Preparatory Academy in the Bronx (that's NYC, as he quickly learned). During JumpRope's founding years, he continued to teach full time, and only recently did he take the plunge into JumpRope full time. He remains the chief academic officer, chief product officer, developer, and general pain-in-the-butt around the office.
Justin Meyer
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer | Portland, Oregon
Most would say that Justin was crazy to drop his engineering job in beautiful Portland, Oregon to move to New York City to be the sole full-time owner of a bootstrapped startup... but we strongly suspect that he was crazy to begin with.
Before becoming the educator / engineer / accountant / salesman / manager that he is today, he already had a number of roles under his belt: snowboard instructor on Mt. Hood, travelling wakeboard salesman (not to mention semi-pro wakeboarder), power-supply specialist, and fashion aficionado.
Jenna VanLooven
Director of Customer Success | Portland, Oregon
Jenna is, by a significant margin, the nicest person that works at JumpRope. Being talented managers of human resources, we suspected that she would do quite well in the role of customer support.
Jenna is on the other end of the line if you ever need help or experience a problem with our tools. While you're at it, feel free to ask her for a farm-fresh recipe, a suggested wine pairing, or some free-range eggs from the chickens that she keeps. She's so nice, she must just give them away for free!
Hayley Tanler
Implementation Specialist | Bend, Oregon
Before joining the JR team, Hayley spent most of her time as a middle school teacher. She taught math and science for several years in Oregon until she and her husband had the opportunity to travel with his work. They spent a year and a half living and working all over the US taking in the local culture and history before moving back to Oregon.
Besides utilizing SBG practices in her classroom, Hayley also has experience in Middle Years Program curriculum (International Baccalaureate) and is a strong proponent of group and project based investigative learning.
Don't hesitate to ask Hayley about her travels (including the man eating manatee in Florida), or about her experiences as a teacher transitioning to standards based teaching and learning! Plus, she has a soft spot for all of you math teachers and soccer fiends out there!
Sara Needleman
Teaching and Learning Specialist | Portland, Maine
Before she began working with graduate students in the University of Southern Maine's (USM) Teacher Education Department, Sara spent 12 years in classrooms as a middle school teacher. Her classroom practice exemplifies her belief that when students know what they are trying to learn and they see a clear and viable path to the learning, they are motivated to inquire as opposed to acquire. They seek understanding, not a good report card.
Her university professional life includes teaching Proficiency-Based Planning and Assessment, Curriculum Design and English Methods and supervising interns in their classroom placements. She serves on USM’s Core Curriculum Committee and her college’s Curriculum Committee. As a middle school teacher, she taught Earth Science, Physical Science, social studies and English Language Arts on four-, three- and two person teaching teams and wore the hats of team leader, department chair, PLC coach, and district leader for standards-based grading.
She tells us her family makes her feel she is one of the luckiest people she knows and that nothing beats spending time playing, skiing, hiking and eating with them.
Vanessa White
Customer Support Specialist | Portland, Maine
During Vanessa’s ten years of middle school teaching, she led the science department, chaired school improvement committees, provided professional development, developed district and statewide assessments, and coached science competitions and cross country running. Throughout her experiences she saw the struggles teachers, students and administrators often faced when adapting to large scale change. This coupled with her desire to support educators in being more effective while retaining their joy of teaching, spurred Vanessa to complete her graduate work in educational leadership.
Having moved from the warmth and sunshine of North Carolina to the frozen tundra of Maine, Vanessa has learned to appreciate even the smallest amounts of warmth in this world! Hiking, volunteering, learning new things and do-it-yourself projects are great sources of her sunshine today. Vanessa comes to JumpRope with the heart and mind of a teacher, and the passion of someone truly eager to see the future of education.
Stacey Gall
Operations Manager | Portland, Oregon
Stacey is a numbers person. Although her duties with billing and bookkeeping keep her in a behind the scenes role, she enjoys communicating with our customers as much as possible. Her accounting background comes from her previous jobs as the accounts receivable clerk at a local design company and an accounting assistant for a property management firm. She has a B.S. from Oregon State University. A native Oregonian, Stacey loves to spend her free time outside in the beautiful Pacific northwest with her husband, two daughters, and their dog, Brooks.
