Jani Koester has been a Lead TEP Resource Teacher in the Madison Transition Education Program (TEP) since March of 1989, before that she was a Special Education Teacher for 7 years. As an educator of children and youth for over 36 years, she has spent the last 29 years as a TEP team member implementing McKinney Vento and supporting families experiencing homelessness in the Madison Schools. She actively supports Madison's 4K - 12 programs through identification, enrollment, 4K, after school, summer school programming, Early Childhood Homeless Workgroup (0-5 year olds), community outreach, shelter connections, advocacy within and outside the district along with professional development.

Jani has also been an active member of the Homeless Services Consortium HSC (local CoC) for years. She is currently serving her 4th year on the HSC Board of Directors. Along with the HSC involment on the community plan and committees, she is currently serving her second year as the President of the board and her 4th year as a member on the boards executive committee. She values her involvement on the board, especially when she is able to bring the voice of children and their families to the conversations and decisions of the HSC. She is currently chairing the committee for the upcoming Youth Homeless Summit which will occur in September.