Jean Clements attended the University of Oregon, where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education and Special Education, and worked as a research assistant for the University of Oregon’s Direct Instruction Model Follow-Through Project. Jean returned to Florida as a high school teacher of children with learning disabilities in the Hillsborough County Public Schools, currently the seventh largest public school district in the country. After teaching and working in various positions, including district-wide specialist for the learning disabilities program, high school exceptional education specialist and department chair, and a district-wide specialist assisting secondary schools and teachers with all exceptional education programs, she was elected president of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, serving as full-time union president from 2002 until retirement in 2018. Jean served many years on the governance board for the Florida Education Association, on state and national association task forces and committees, and numerous district committees and task forces in Hillsborough. A member of the national American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Program and Policy Council, she served on national committees studying and recommending policy on various topics, including high school reform, teacher evaluation, and Common Core State Standards. She was deeply involved in school reform, consulting with and presenting to United States Department of Education, the U. S. Secretary of Education, Education Writers of America, projects of the Aspen Institute, Member of Congress and Congressional work groups, and many education related foundations and organizations.