Jeanne L. Paynter, Ed.D. currently works as an educational consultant and faculty associate at the Johns Hopkins University. She is the founder and Executive Director of Educating Innovators, which partners with schools to implement unique teaching and learning approaches to engage and challenge all learners, including those who are academically advanced or gifted and talented. Previously she served on the faculty of McDaniel College, Maryland where she taught graduate courses in curriculum and gifted education.
Jeanne has had wide variety of experiences in K-12 public education that have shaped her interest in talent development, leading to the design of a new approach that brings gifted pedagogy to all, talent-targeted teaching and learning. Currently she serves as the President of the Maryland Coalition for Gifted and Talented Education (MCGATE).
As the state specialist for gifted and talented education at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), Jeanne directed numerous grant projects to increase the participation and success of low income and minority students in PK-12 advanced programming. Previous to her work at MSDE, she was the Coordinator for Gifted Education and Magnet Programs K – 12 in Baltimore County Public Schools, a large urban-suburban district.
Jeanne’s personal passions are motivation, creativity, and talent development in K-12 education, and she has made numerous presentations on these topics to national and international audiences. In addition, she has authored award-winning research on the topic of intrinsic, extrinsic, and moral motivation.
Jeanne earned her Master’s Degree in Gifted Education and Doctorate in Teacher Development and Leadership from the Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science degree in English from the Towson University. She resides in Baltimore, Maryland.
