EMPLOYMENT: President, Sycamore Street Consulting; Vice Chancellor for Educational Linkages and Access, Ohio Board of Regents; Director of Authorization, Ohio Board of Regents.
EXPERTISE: P-20 collaboratives; pre-college programs; teacher improvement; technology initiatives; workforce education.
Jonathan Tafel is President of Sycamore Street Consulting, Inc. (SSC) specializing in college access and P-16 system design. The primary focus of SSC is the formation of community collaborative approaches and opportunities to increase the successful preparation and participation of students in post-secondary education options.
Jonathan retired in 2008 from the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR) where he served as the Vice Chancellor for Educational Linkages and Access in the development and coordination of education reform initiatives with the Department of Education and higher education. He provided leadership in the analysis of critical state issues and policy development surrounding direction and change strategies in enabling student access and achievement, including College Tech-Prep, Ohio College Access Network (OCAN), Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness (GEAR UP) Initiative, teacher education improvement, technology initiatives and workforce education. He administered special academic programs such as Centers of Excellence in Math and Science education and the Ohio Resource Center for Math, Science and Reading. He was instrumental in the design and development of Ohio’s Articulation & Transfer comprehensive system resulting in increased student mobility and statewide transfer guarantee.
He joined OBR in December 1983, as Administrator of Program Authorization. Appointed Director of Authorization in September, 1987. Appointed Director of New Initiatives and Special Projects in March, 1992. Appointed Vice Chancellor for Educational Linkages and Access in March, 1999.
Previous experience includes: The chair of Secondary Education, School of Education, The University of Portland. Coordinator of Redesign Curricula, College of Education, The Ohio State University. Teaching Associate and Research Associate, Humanities Education and Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University.
- A., Liberal Arts, Urbana College, 1966
- S., Social Studies Education, The Ohio State University, 1968
- A., Education, The Ohio State University, 1974
- D., Education/Sociology, The Ohio State University, 1979
Swail Landis 