Shaina Brenner is the Supervisor of Grants and Federal Programs for New Jersey’s Jackson School District, where she oversees federal programs and grant-funded initiatives supporting students, educators, and schools across the district. A former elementary educator, Brenner has built her career around innovation, sustainability, educator leadership, and creating opportunities for students and school communities.
Brenner began her career in education through New Jersey’s alternate route pathway. As a classroom teacher, she became known for extending her impact beyond instruction and taking on leadership roles focused on school culture, student engagement, professional learning, and systems-level improvement. She was named Educator of the Year in Perth Amboy for the 2017-18 school year and again in Jackson for 2021-22. In the Jackson School District, she served as a district teacher leader, led the district’s mentoring program, and provided professional development to educators in evidence-based reading instruction and behavior management. She also founded and led student programs including the Kindness Club and STEM Club, developed social-emotional learning resources for grades K-5, and led schoolwide initiatives including Read Across America and Career Day.
Sustainability and environmental education became a significant focus of Brenner’s leadership at Elms Elementary School. She helped lead the school’s Green Team and spearheaded initiatives including a schoolwide recycling program and food share program, student-led energy and recycling efforts, and environmental learning opportunities. She also helped incorporate topics such as ocean pollution, beach erosion, and pollinators into the district’s second grade curriculum. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Education named Elms a National Green Ribbon School, the only New Jersey school to receive the honor that year. Brenner later secured a $10,000 Sustainable Jersey for Schools grant to create an Outdoor Environmental Learning Center and Garden at Elms, which celebrated its grand opening in 2025. Her work in sustainability has since expanded beyond Elms as she brings initiatives such as recycling and food share programs to schools across the district.
Brenner’s leadership has also extended into statewide education advocacy and policy. She served as a 2025-26 JerseyCAN Teacher Leader Fellow, where her work included drafting A5292, legislation related to instructional technology. Since 2025, she has served on the New Jersey Commissioner’s Teacher Advisory Council, contributing educator voice and classroom perspective to statewide conversations about education. She also serves as an Advisory Board member for Learning Forward New Jersey, supporting work focused on professional learning and educator leadership.
Now, as Supervisor of Grants and Federal Programs, Brenner works to align resources with district priorities, ensure responsible stewardship of federal and grant funding, and develop programs that respond to the evolving needs of students, educators, and schools across Jackson.
Brenner earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Rutgers University in 2007 and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Montclair State University in January 2025. She received the Milken Educator Award in 2022.
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2007 B.A., Communication, Rutgers University
