Jeremy Packman – Building Structure Inside Education

What does it take to turn ideas into systems that actually work? For Jeremy Packman, the answer is not innovation for its own sake. It is structure.

Mr. Packman is a long time school administrator in California. He has spent 25 years in public education, including 14 years in leadership roles. His career has moved from the classroom to complex administrative work, with a focus on student services and MTSS.

His work is not flashy. It is operational. But over time, it has shaped how schools function day to day.

Early career: From AmeriCorps to the classroom

Jeremy Packman did not start off in school administration. He started on the ground.

After college, he moved to California to volunteer for a year of AmeriCorps service. He worked with the Bay Area Youth Agency Consortium (BAYAC), tutoring students in literacy at an elementary school in the canal district of San Rafael, an area supporting low income families in need of extra resources.

“That year made it real,” he says. “Education felt meaningful. It was a different world from the one in which I was raised. It opened my eyes to the inequities of the system, and fueled my drive to institute change”.

So, he stayed in California and entered the classroom.

He began as a substitute teacher in Berkeley. Within a few months, he was asked to take on a long-term role teaching computer classes at Willard Middle School.

Soon after, he became a full-time history teacher in East Oakland, where he taught American and World History for eight years.

That period shaped his view of systems.

“You see very quickly where things break down,” he says. “Not because people don’t care, but because the structure isn’t there.”

Moving into leadership: Systems over intent

Mr. Packman’s transition into leadership started with extended learning programs. He oversaw after-school initiatives and managed grant reporting.

It was his first exposure to system-level thinking.

From there, he moved into Assistant Principal roles, then later became a Principal.

The shift was clear.

“As a teacher, you focus on your classroom,” he says. “As an administrator, you’re responsible for how the whole system holds together.” 

He began focusing on areas that required precision – student services, special education, and compliance.

“Timelines, documentation, service alignment, parent rights – those fundamentals do not change,” he says. “When systems are clear, families feel informed. When systems are unclear, tension rises.”

His work became less about ideas and more about execution.

Leading through uncertainty: Lessons from COVID

One of the defining moments in Packman’s career came when he served as a principal during COVID-19 closures and reopenings.

The environment was unstable. Policies changed quickly. Expectations shifted.

“When uncertainty is high, communication should be predictable,” he says.

But that was not always possible.

“With COVID, there was a lot of uncertainty. Plans were constantly shifting. Even when communication was frequent, it was anything but predictable.”

That experience reinforced a key lesson: structure and clear communication matter most when conditions are unstable.

It also shaped how he approaches leadership today.

“You can’t control everything,” he says. “But you can control how clearly you communicate and how consistent your systems are.”

Multi-tier system and supports: Where ideas meet reality

Over time, Packman focused more on creating more efficient systems to provide equitable supports and achieve stronger outcomes. Within a school setting, regardless of its ranking or designation, a very complex society exists that is full of wide educational gaps and behavioral inconsistencies, often impacting marginalized populations in negative ways. 

“Due to the variety of student needs that present daily, it is not always possible to meet all students where they are. This is frustrating for teachers and administrators alike” Packman shared.

In his experience, it is pivotal that all teachers apply consistently rigorous tier one instruction, assess their students regularly, and share data with their administrative team. School administrators should then meet with their “Coordination of Services Team (COST), to discuss how to apply additional supports (tier 2 or 3)  for each student, both within and outside of the classroom. 

“If this is not documented, reviewed, assessed, and revised, we will continue to run into the same concerning patterns” Packman said.  In his experience, he has seen the importance of teacher/staff voice and general buy-in for implementing any new approach with fidelity, especially when it differs from a teacher’s usual approach. “Change is a major cause of anxiety for some people, so patience is also pivotal.”

The personal side of leadership

Packman’s approach is shaped by more than professional experience. He speaks openly about the loss of his brother, Josh, who passed away from cancer.

“There’s no way to overcome the loss of family,” he says.

That experience shifted how he views pressure and priorities. It reinforced the importance of patience. Perspective. Staying steady in difficult situations.

“Perseverance. Patience. Growth mindset,” he says. “Not as slogans. As operating principles.”

What comes next: Systems, technology, and scale

After 25 years in public education, Jeremy Packman is thinking about what comes next.

He is exploring opportunities in education technology. The focus is not on disruption. It is for improvement.

“There’s a lot of fragmentation in how systems are managed,” he says. “There’s room to make things more aligned.”

He is interested in tools that improve tracking, reduce errors, and make processes clearer for both educators and families.

Technology, in his view, should support systems – not replace them.

Why Structure, Not Strategy, Drives Results

Jeremy Packman’s career is built on a simple idea: good systems make hard work more effective.

He has applied that idea in classrooms, school leadership roles, and complex student service environments.

The result is not a dramatic change overnight. It is a steady improvement over time.

“If services don’t match what’s written, the system isn’t working,” he says. “Clarity protects students.”

It is a practical philosophy.

And in education, practical tends to last.