Learning Forward Oklahoma
Data Systems and Management
Dr. Shirley Simmons is currently serving in the Norman Public Schools in Data Systems and Management in Norman, Oklahoma where she has also served as the former Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for eight years and the Director of Staff Development and Student Achievement for four years. In her district level roles, she has been responsible for all curriculum, assessment, instruction, and professional development in the 16,000 student suburban district. She has also served as a classroom teacher at the elementary and middle levels in the U.S. and Germany. She has been a middle school and elementary building principal in Kansas and Oklahoma. Her passion areas are in the areas of technology, libraries, makerspaces, and inquiry.
Dr. Simmons has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Oklahoma teaching The Adult Learner course as well as teaching Action Research courses for the University of Phoenix. She is a long-time member of the Education Professions Advisory Committee at the University of Oklahoma.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Wichita State University, a Master’s in Educational Administration from Kansas State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma in Adult and Higher Education. She was named the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) 2019 Distinguished Administrator of the Year. She has been highly involved in the district’s technology initiatives and is excited to support and foster student and teacher learning in a technology-rich environment.
