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Cheri Pierson Yecke, Ph.D. began her career as a classroom teacher in Stafford, Virginia, where she taught seventh grade History and Civics. In 1995, she was appointed the first teacher ever to serve on the State Board of Education by Governor George Allen. Soon after, Governor Allen also appointed her to the Early Childhood Education Board and the State Council of Higher Education.
The following governor, Jim Gilmore, then appointed her Deputy Secretary of Education, and eventually Secretary of Education, where she was responsible for all of the K-12 schools and all colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
President George W. Bush appointed Yecke to serve in the U.S. Department of Education, where she also served as a special liaison to the White House. She left Washington DC to become the Chancellor of Education for the State of Minnesota, appointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty.
In 2005, Yecke was appointed the Chancellor of Education by Governor Jeb Bush in Florida, where she was in charge of all K-12 schools in the Sunshine State.
After Governor Bush was term-limited from office, Yecke accepted a position at Harding University. She served as Dean of Graduate Programs and as a Professor of History and Political Science there from 2008 until her retirement in 2015. While at Harding, she taught Constitutional Law and Administrative Law at the undergraduate level, and graduate courses in Educational Leadership. She was also the Assistant Provost for Graduate Programs.
Dr. Yecke's work has been published in national magazines, peer-reviewed journals, and newspapers across the country. She is also the author of two books: The War Against Excellence: The Rising Tide of Mediocrity in America’s Middle Schools and Mayhem in the Middle. She has conducted research on such topics as gifted education, middle schools, K-8 schools, self-esteem, and state and national K-12 accountability models. She is currently working on her next book, The Historical Little House Companion.
Her work has been published in national magazines, peer-reviewed journals, and newspapers across the country. She has given over 350 keynote addresses/presentations in over twenty states and remains a sought-after presenter.
Dr. Yecke earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Hawaii, a Master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and a Ph.D. at the University of Virginia. She is married to Major Dennis Yecke, USMC (retired), and they have two grown daughters, Anastasia and Tiffany
Explore Cheri's published books to date, here, on Amazon.com.
