Shawn Bird, Ed.D.

National Board Co-Vice Chair

Dr. Shawn Bird currently serves as the Chief Academic Officer at the Houston Independent School District (HISD). In his role, Dr. Bird directs and oversees academic programming and leads policy development in student learning, teaching, research, and related student success areas. Dr. Bird grew up in Houston, TX and has served in public education for over 23 years. He began his career in public education as a teacher, and school leader at the secondary level before assuming central office positions of Principal Supervisor in the Los Angeles Unified School District, then expanding his role as the Chief Academic Officer for the Pasadena Unified School District and most recently as the Chief of Schools for Portland Public Schools.

Dr. Bird has always worked in urban settings and has a proven track record of improving student achievement. Dr. Bird’s research interests include high school reform, reading comprehension, English learners, and leadership development. He is the co-author of “Closing the Achievement Gap: How to Pinpoint Student Strengths and Differentiate Instruction and Help Your Striving Readers Succeed” (Scholastic, 2009).