Governor Perdue Appoints Jennifer Rippner Executive Director of the Office of Student Achievement

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the appointment of Jennifer Rippner as Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (OSA). Rippner currently serves in the Governor’s office as education policy advisor.

"Education policy must be directly tied to data analysis and research, and I am confident that Jennifer will continue our progress in raising the bar for achievement in Georgia schools," said Governor Sonny Perdue.

Rippner, who will continue to serve as a policy advisor to the Governor, will replace Dr. Martha Reichrath at OSA. Reichrath has accepted the position of Deputy Superintendent for Standards, Instruction, and Assessment under State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox.

"Dr. Reichrath and her team have done a solid job in helping Georgia implement the accountability provisions of No Child Left Behind," said Governor Perdue. "Their work has enabled Georgia to become a national leader in accountability reporting. The projects Dr. Reichrath will now be overseeing at the GDOE are extremely crucial to the goals of our state – increasing SAT/ACT scores, implementing the new curriculum and overseeing Georgia’s testing program."

Erin Hames, currently a legal fellow in the Governor’s office and law student at Georgia State University will join the education policy team for Governor Perdue on a part-time basis. Hames was formerly a middle school teacher.

Rippner has served as Governor Perdue’s education policy advisor since June 2005. Before that she directed the Charter School and Alternative Education Programs for the Georgia Department of Education. She also served as the Director of the Florida Charter School Accountability Center in Tallahassee and was the School Director of an elementary charter school in Micanopy, Florida. She earned a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida.