Middle School English Teacher
Before joining GDS in 2025 as a Middle School English teacher, Ashley Jackson taught middle school English in Newark, New Jersey. From there, she went on to become the Assistant Director of Humanities at a school network in New York City, where she supported curriculum implementation. During her teaching years, she also served as an instructional coach, grade-level chair, and DEI facilitator. Throughout her career, Ashley has focused on helping young people fall in love with reading, writing, and discovering their own voices. She holds a B.S. in History and Education from Florida A&M University and is a proud HBCU graduate.
When she’s not teaching, Ashley can usually be found wandering around a bookstore or reading. Her favorite genre is historical fiction, and her all-time favorite book is The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers. She also takes her step goal very seriously and loves taking long walks just to see where she ends up. Ashley enjoys FaceTiming her long-distance friends and family, and she loves solo travel—her favorite destination so far has been Montreal.