School Experience
Sharnell served in five public elementary schools in a variety of positions, including classroom teacher, resource teacher, technology coordinator, and assistant principal. She has taught language arts, math, laboratory science, social studies, and technology in self-contained, departmentalized, and gifted classrooms. She has written and received numerous grants and participated in technology planning and school improvement processes in a variety of roles. As a teacher, she implemented research-based instructional strategies such as literature circles, writing workshops, hands-on math and science, learning centers, cooperative grouping, peer tutoring, and portfolio assessment.
District Experience
Jackson served in a variety of senior positions in the district administration of Chicago Public Schools, most recently as Chief eLearning Officer until retiring in June 2008. Sharnell assembled and led a team of 70 exceptional educators and technologists responsible for leveraging technology to improve teaching and learning. Her office researched and selected the most innovative and effective technology systems to increase academic achievement through student-centered learning. The office also designed and implemented comprehensive professional development for principals, technology coordinators, and classroom teachers to improve data-driven decision making competencies and promote continuous instructional improvement.
National Leadership
Sharnell has been a pioneering and persistent advocate of important educational trends such as college-and career-ready standards, data-driven decision making, customized learning, continuous improvement, 21st century skills, digital media and content, project-based curriculum, actionable assessment, cross-cultural collaboration, public-private partnerships, and family and community involvement. She has been recruited to serve on a wide variety of boards, advisory councils, and task forces by prominent educational institutions, nonprofits, and businesses such as the U.S. Department of Education, International Society for Technology in Education, Consortium of School Networking, Cable in the Classroom, and Microsoft.
