Sheila received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Rutgers University and her Master of Arts degree in Special Education, Elementary Life Credential. She received her Administrative Credential from California State University, Hayward. She was awarded a full scholarship from the State and Local Executive Institute, Graduate School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley in order to earn her certificate in Executive Management. 
 

Experience

A teacher for more than 20 years, Sheila was elected and served on both the Oakland Unified School District Board of Education and the Oakland City Council.

She is on the Executive Committee of Economic Development Alliance for Business (EDAB); a member of the board for the Alameda County Workforce Investment Board (WIB); and the Executive Committee of the Interagency Children’s Policy Council (ICPC). Sheila is also an honorary co-chair for the Alameda County Superior Court Children’s Waiting Room Project. In the past, she served on the board of United Way, Junior Achievement, the Board of Directors for the East Bay Leadership Foundation, and on the Board of Directors of the East Bay Symphony.  She was recently appointed to the Board of the Chabot Science and Space Center.

Honors

• Alumnus of the Year 1998-99, California State University, Hayward

• Outstanding Educator of the Year, Peralta Presidential Council of Alpha-Delta-Kappa
• Educator of Excellence, Hispanos Saludos
• Programs of Excellence, Association of Contra Costa School Administrators

• Fellowship, Bay Area Writing Project

Sheila Jordan was born on March 18 1945 in the Bronx, New York.  During her childhood, she lived in public housing for the families of World War II veterans.  Sheila attended New York City public schools until the family moved to New Jersey.

Sheila earned a B.A. in English from Rutgers University and an M.A. in Special Education from San Francisco State University.  She holds a lifetime teaching credential, a credential for teaching the learning handicapped, and a Certificate in Public Management from the Graduate School of Public Policy of U.C. Berkeley.

She worked in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District for 20 years in various programs for special needs students. She won awards for innovative programs, was chosen by the school district to serve as a mentor to other teachers, and was elected by her fellow teachers to represent them at various state and national conferences of teachers' organizations. 

She has been a Fellow/Teaching Consultant of the Bay Area Writing Project, and served on the board of the National Teacher's Research Project. She organized and led workshops in Alameda and Contra Costa schools, training teachers to teach writing. Sheila was an early computer‑using teacher, frequently presenting at educational technology conferences.

After Oakland experienced its third teacher strike in ten years, Sheila Jordan was elected to the Oakland School Board by a wide margin, promising to end adversarial relations between the District and its teachers. Upon taking office, she found a corrupt and inefficient downtown administration. Sheila took the lead in efforts to eliminate administrative fat, stop corruption and patronage, and to restore financial discipline to the district, while preserving key programs like elementary music, science, and art.  Sheila served as School Board President in 1988‑89 and played an important role in the Budget and Finance committee, overseeing the Oakland school district's quarter billion dollar budget.

In 1992, Sheila Jordan was elected to the Oakland City Council with 80 per cent of the vote. She served as chair of the Cultural Services Committee and of the City-Schools Partnership Committee. She was also an active member of the Finance Committee, overseeing a half billion dollar budget. At the national level, Sheila Jordan was appointed by the President of the National League of Cities to serve on its Economic Development Policy Committee. Sheila Jordan spearheaded development of a city-wide youth policy, the Oakland Youth Policy Initiative, and of city/school community gardens.  She chaired the Recycling and Market Development Task Force that led the effort to increase recycled content in City purchases and to develop new local recycling job opportunities.  Her interest in the arts and cultural affairs continues.

In 1997, she administered the County's program aimed at pregnant and parenting teenagers. She initiated a new program designed for school dropouts, using a novel combination of independent study, alternative schools, community outreach, and job training. The program, now operating as part of a state-funded grant, demonstrates the possibilities of creating an educational alternative for youth on the streets. Sheila worked with the Oakland City Council to bring together the United Parcel Service and the Teamsters to create job opportunities for program participants as part of the national welfare-to-work campaign of the period.

Whether as a teacher, a public school parent, an administrator or a public official, Sheila Jordan has displayed the energy and initiative to urge needed reforms on large institutions.