Jillayne Torrey Flanders

Jillayne Flanders (she/her) is a seasoned education consultant with deep expertise in early childhood education, social-emotional learning, and leadership development. Based in Southampton, Massachusetts, she is currently self-employed, providing consulting services to state agencies, school districts, nonprofits, and national education organizations. She holds a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Educational Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and brings a systems-level perspective grounded in decades of educational leadership.

Jillayne spent 27 years as an elementary school principal in Massachusetts, leading PK–6 schools and supporting diverse school communities across two districts. Her career reflects a sustained commitment to whole-child education, equity, and instructional excellence. Following her retirement from district leadership, she continued to influence the field through executive roles, including serving as Associate Director and Executive Director of the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals’ Association, and most recently as Executive Director of the Center for Educational Improvement (CEI). In that role, she also served as Co-Principal Investigator on a federal SEED grant supporting the Compassionate School Leadership Academy.

As a consultant, Jillayne has partnered with a wide range of organizations, including the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Zaentz Early Childhood Initiative, Boston College’s ConnectED, SEL4MA, and the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Her work centers on antiracism strategies, equity-based children’s literature, mentoring, and educational administration, with a consistent focus on cultivating inclusive school cultures, strengthening leadership capacity, and improving outcomes for young learners.

• UMass/Amherst - CAGS, Ed Admin
• UMass/Amherst - MEd, Ed Admin
• UMass/Amherst - BA, Elem Ed/Envi Sci/Honors

• Passios Principal of the Year MA 2010
• National Distinguished Principal NAESP 2010

• NAESP
• NAEYC
• DKG
• MSAA
• MAAEYC
• SEL4MA

• CAYL
• Easter Seals of MA