Executive Director, Institute for Excellence in Education
Dedicated to the core mission of ensuring students are prepared for success in college, work and life, Sherry leads a team of professionals focused on strengthening K-12 leadership and instruction, as Executive Director of the Institute for Excellence in Education since 2012. Recognizing that all schools must have effective leadership, ultimately inspiring teachers and engaging students, Sherry leads the way in offering innovative school improvement and professional development programs, impacting student and school success in Michigan and throughout the nation.
Sherry worked tirelessly to ensure an unwavering commitment to student achievement – going above and beyond to coach faculty and leadership to deliver excellence, and win for kids. Sherry’s talents were widely recognized as instrumental in growing and improving countless schools. Early on her journey, driven by a passionate belief that all children deserve a quality education, Sherry dedicated over 25 years to enriching the lives of students, where she made a difference, firsthand, while serving as a classroom teacher and school leader. Sherry remained committed to sharing best practices and overseeing the development and delivery of instructional programs for all students.
Maintaining a steadfast commitment to professional enrichment, Sherry completed the prestigious Gerstacker Fellowship Program in 2009, a selective program designed to expand and enhance the leadership skills of aspiring individuals. Prior to that, in 2007, recognized as an advocate for student success, she led White Pine Middle School to achieving Michigan’s Best and Excellence in Education Awards through a steadfast commitment to their service learning program. An emerging leader in the field, Sherry was recruited to serve on the Board of the Michigan Association of Middle School Educators from 2007 – 2010, where she advanced middle school beliefs and provided resources to educators, parents and communities designed to meet the unique needs of young adolescents in Michigan. Sherry’s recently published article, Failure is Not an Option highlights the success of one IEE school as they moved from the bottom 5% of schools in the state of Michigan to the top10%. Sherry’s influence spans the nation as she works collaboratively with the National Forum To Accelerate Middle-Grades reform as forum member and Michigan Project Director on their Investing in Innovation Grant (2013) and Supporting Effective Educator Grant (2015), awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. Sherry has attended the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Future of Learning (2010) program and Turnaround School Leaders (2015) program.
Sherry earned her EdD from Walden University, Educational Specialist’s degree from Saginaw Valley State University in 2009, Master’s in Educational Administration, Master’s in Middle Level Education, and Bachelor’s in Education from Central Michigan University in 2003, 1999 and 1992, respectively. Combined with her rich experience in public education, Sherry is widely recognized as an expert in the industry and has contributed much thought leadership through numerous professional development and presentation opportunities throughout the state and nation.
