District Leader, Educator, and Administrator to Lead Statewide Outreach Efforts
(Nashville) – Jamie Woodson, President and CEO of the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), announced today that Dr. Sharon Roberts will join the organization as Chief Operating Officer. Roberts, who currently serves as Director of the Lebanon Special School District, will begin her new role at SCORE on January 2, 2012.
“Sharon Roberts is recognized as one of Tennessee’s most outstanding educators, having spent over 30 years as a teacher, school administrator, and district leader,” Woodson said. “SCORE is focused on the successful implementation of our state’s education reform efforts, and Sharon’s leadership will be critical to supporting this work. We are thrilled she will be joining our team, and are excited about the perspective and background she brings as an experienced practitioner.”
In her role as Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Roberts will lead SCORE’s outreach program, targeting and engaging stakeholders across the state. Her work will include driving statewide reform efforts through information and guidance, maintaining and deepening relationships with education partners, and identifying successes and challenges in implementation. Roberts will also have a leadership role in SCORE’s organizational operations, working with the CEO and staff to further SCORE’s mission, vision, and strategic plan.
Dr. Roberts is a native of Knoxville, and received her Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She began her career in education in 1981 as a special education teacher in the Grainger County School System. She also worked for more than 21 years in the Knox County School System where she served as a special education teacher, middle school science and reading teacher, instructional coach, principal, Assistant Superintendent for Supplementary Student Services, and Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services. Roberts was appointed Director of Schools for the Lebanon Special School District in 2005 and is President of the Association of Independent and Municipal Schools (AIMS) Evaluation System of Tennessee, where she has overseen the implementation of one of the state’s three alternative teacher evaluation models. Dr. Roberts currently serves as a member of the Tennessee State Board of Education’s Advisory Council on Teacher Education and Certification, and the Tennessee Board of Regents Teacher Education Redesign Director of Schools Advisory Board.
“SCORE has a clear goal – for Tennessee to become the fastest improving state in the nation in terms of student achievement,” Roberts said. “I am thrilled about the opportunity to work with educators, administrators, parents, and community members throughout the state to make that goal a reality. I will certainly miss the Lebanon Special School District community, but look forward to working with Lebanon and many other school districts across Tennessee in this new role.”
Dr. Roberts will leave her role as Director of the Lebanon Special School District on January 1, 2012.
The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with state and local governments to encourage sound policy decisions in public education and advance innovative reform on a statewide basis.