Deborah Jewell-Sherman

Senior Lecturer on Education

Profile

Deborah is a graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Education's Urban Superintendents Program and has built a reputation over the past decade as one of the most successful urban district superintendents in the country. Prior to being named superintendent, Deborah served as a principal in Fairfax County and Hampton City Virginia. She has served as superintendent of the Richmond schools since 2002. Since her appointment, 95 percent of Richmond's lowest performing schools have achieved full accreditation under Virginia's Standards of Learning reform legislation. In addition, the district has improved from 18 percent to 91.7 percent of all schools meeting this standard as measured by the State Department of Education (2008). Similarly, the number of Richmond schools meeting the Annual Yearly Progress criteria of No Child Left Behind increased from 20 percent to 87 percent under her leadership (2008). Based on her many successes, Deborah was recently named Virginia Superintendent of the Year 2009 by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS).

Degrees

• Ed.D., Harvard University