Academic Degrees

• M.Ed. Special Education – Autism, James Madison University
• B.S. Special Education – Eastern Mennonite University

Jesse Rodriguez is the Associate Director of Innovation for the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) I’m Determined Center at James Madison University. I’m Determined is a state-directed center funded by the VDOE that focuses on providing direct instruction, models, and opportunities to practice skills associated with self-determined behavior.

Jesse works with state and external partners to continually innovate how we learn, practice, and build opportunities for young persons to develop self-determination. This includes the ongoing development of media to the development of new tools and resources and seeking out new and novel mediums of learning self-determination.

Before this role, Jesse was an Education Coordinator with the Region 5 Training & Technical Assistance Center (TTAC), and started his career as a special education teacher, serving students with intellectual disabilities and autism. Jesse believes in experiential learning, especially when it comes to educating and supporting students with and without disabilities so that today’s society can thrive from working among our similarities and differences.