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Biography of Sheryl R. Abshire, Ph.D.
Dr. Sheryl Abshire is the Chief Technology Officer in the Calcasieu Parish Public School System in Lake Charles, Louisiana. As a leader in technology integration, she was the catalyst to initiate the integration of technology into all curriculum areas throughout her school district, the state, and internationally. She has comprehensive experience with the Universal Service Fund's Schools and Libraries Program (E-Rate) and its impact on the nation's K-12 schools. Dr. Abshire testified before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) National Broadband Plan Workshop on education emphasizing the importance of E-Rate. Additionally, she testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in support of the Universal Service Anti-Deficiency Temporary Suspension Act.
Dr. Abshire has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education, a M.Ed. in Elementary Education, an Educational Specialist in School Administration and Supervision from McNeese State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of New Orleans in Educational Leadership and Administration. A thirty-seven year veteran educator, she has worked as a school principal, K-5 teacher, a library/media specialist, a classroom teacher, and as an adjunct professor at McNeese State University, Louisiana Tech University, and Lamar State University.
She has been involved in diverse staff development programs throughout the nation and in Great Britain involving restructuring schools through the infusion of technology and curriculum enhancements. As a 1991 NEA/NFIE Christa McAuliffe Fellow, 1990 Louisiana Technology Teacher of the Year, 1992 National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductee, 1998 Louisiana Computer Using Educator of the Year, 1999 McNeese State University Distinguished Alumnus, 2008 University of New Orleans Outstanding Doctoral Student in Educational Leadership, and the 2002 National Christa McAuliffe Award winner, Dr. Abshire is a nationally recognized consultant/speaker. She serves on numerous national, state, and district committees focusing on the role of technology and curriculum integration in changing educational practice.
Dr. Abshire is the past co-chair of the NEA Membership Advisory Committee, currently serving on the NEA Legislative Committee and is the past chair of the Louisiana Association of Educators Instruction and Professional Development Committee. She served as a member of the national K-12 advisory councils for Compaq Computer, and Knowledge Adventure. Presently she serves on the national advisory boards for Dell, Blackboard, eSchool News, Pearson Digital Learning, and Scholastic Administrator. She is the Chairman of the Louisiana Department of Education Committee to Advance Technology Standards and since 1997 has served as Chairman of the Louisiana Technology Advisory Commission with the responsibility to oversee and approve proposals for the expenditure of over $200 million in technological advancements in the Louisiana schools. In 2003 she was named a national semi-finalist for national Ed Tech Leader of the Year. In May of 2009, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) awarded Dr. Abshire their first Public Policy Advocate of the Year Award for her decades of work promoting educational technology.
Dr. Abshire serves as the immediate past Chair of the Teacher's Retirement System of Louisiana Board of Trustees and oversees the placement of over $15 billion in retirement funds. She is the immediate past Board Chair for the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) in Washington, D.C., is on the Executive Committee and also chairs their Public Policy Committee. She is on the board and past president of the Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators (LACUE). Additionally, she is a member of the ISTE Standards and Accreditation Committee working on the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) Refresh Project and the current chair of the Louisiana Chief Technology Officers Association (LA-CTO). As a nationally recognized speaker and author, she has shared her expertise with audiences at numerous national, local, regional, and state conferences.
She and her husband, Andress, have been married for forty years and have three children. Dr. Abshire is an active member of her community serving as a sustaining member of the Junior League of Lake Charles, Alpha Delta Pi Alumni Association, and is engaged in numerous community organizations.