JENNIFER E. LOPEZ is the Director IV of the Department of Education’s National Educators Academy of the Philippines effective February 1, 2024.

Rising through the ranks, Director Lopez started as a Secondary School Teacher 1, then got promoted to Master Teacher 1, then later on to Education Program Supervisor at the Curriculum and Learning Management Division (CLMD) of DepEd Region IV-A CALABARZON. With her active participation in the development of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teacher (PPST), she was invited to lead the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development (BHROD), and currently, the National Educators Academy of the Philippines.

As the Director III of BHROD, she bravely took on the challenge of laying the groundwork for a high-performing organization by strengthening its human capital – our educators. The major initiatives of the bureau, during her term, include the initial integration of the research work that she has been actively involved with, the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers in all the HR systems, including the Results-Based Performance Management System (RPMS). Data gathered from the use of PPST-based assessment tools for teachers were being used to inform and develop policies on teacher hiring, promotion, career progression, and teacher professional development. The bureau has also led in the ISO9001:2015 Certification as One DepEd, One National Quality Management System (NQMS) of DepEd’s pilot offices and the issuance of Executive Order No. 174, Establishing the Expanded Career Progression System for Public School Teachers.

As Education Program Supervisor in charge of English and the Special Program for Campus Journalism, she transformed and propelled Region IV-A to a historic 6-peat overall championship in the annual National Schools Press Conference. She also authored two significant regional policies: Curriculum and Learning Management Systems Framework of DepEd Region IV-A CALABARZON (RM No. 8, s. 2015) and the Regional Guidelines on Comprehensive Reading Policies (RO No. 1. S. 2018). It was also during this time that she gave her excellent contributions to the major projects of the Philippine National Research Center for Teacher Quality (now Research Institute for Teacher Quality) with the Department of Education that impact teacher quality, such as the development, validation, and implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers, School Heads and Supervisors and all the other projects related to it. RCTQ recognized then that they had reached many important milestones because of her generous participation and sustained engagement in all their research activities to benefit the teachers and,
complementing her experience is her academic preparation. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics with specialization in Applied Linguistics at the Philippine Normal University, Manila, her Master of Arts in Teaching Applied Linguistics at Southern Luzon State University with an academic excellence award, and her Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in English at the same university in Lucban, Quezon. She has also acquired her Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics and Certificate in Assessment in English Language Teaching with distinction at the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Language Centre (SEAMEO RELC) in Singapore.

Dr. Lopez was also a recipient of the following notable awards and recognition: 2024 Southern Luzon State University – College of Teacher Education (SLSU-CTE) Outstanding Alumni, 2022 Philippine Normal University (PNU) Gawad Sulo Eminent Alumni, Career Executive Service Board’s (CESB) 2021 HR Executive Champion, 2018 Gawad Lagablab Leadership Excellence Award in Campus Journalism, 2016 Lions’ Club International Leadership Excellence Award in Campus Journalism, 2017 Civil Service Commission (CSC) Region 4 PAGASA Award, 2017 DepEd CALABARZON’s Most Outstanding Woman, 2017 DepEd CALABARZON’s Gawad Bituin Most Significant Idea Winner, 2010 SM Lucena’s Gawad Tanglaw Most Outstanding Teacher, and 2009 DepEd Lucena City’s Most Outstanding Teacher. She is also a holder of Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) rank IV.

Since 2021, she was designated as Member of the Career Progression and Specialization Program – Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (CPSP-CATS) Committee of Professional Teachers by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). In 2023, she was appointed by the President of SEAMEO Council Her Excellency Vice President Secretary Sara Duterte as Governing Board Member of SEAMEO QITEP in Language and was elected as the Chairperson of its 14th Governing Board Meeting held in Bali, Indonesia.