Dr. Angelique Jessup is the Founder and Principal Consultant of The Connectus Group, where she partners with mission-driven organizations in education and human services to strengthen capacity through organizational development, qualitative research, and strategic planning. A political scientist by training, she brings nearly 20 years of experience advancing equity and systemic change in urban education through district policy development, literacy initiatives, and community engagement. Previously, she served as Program Director at the Fund for Educational Excellence, where she directed the Baltimore Campaign for Grade Level Reading, leading a coalition of 100+ partners to narrow literacy achievement gaps. Additionally, she served as Manager of College and Career Readiness for Baltimore City Public Schools, overseeing district-wide initiatives across 25+ schools. Dr. Jessup holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan and a B.A. with honors from The College of New Jersey.

Publications:

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Retaining the Teachers Baltimore City Students Need, 2023. Fund for Educational Excellence (contributing author)

The State of Reading in Maryland: The Silent Crisis of our Ten Year Decline, 2024. Maryland Reads (contributing author)

Pillar and Grant Support: Literacy; UMD MILE, MacGill/UMD MILE