Staff
Sondra L. Ferren
Coordinator, Gheens Institute for Innovation
E-mail
Sondra Ferren is a 34-year veteran of JCPS. She began her teaching career at Byck Elementary, an inner-city school in west Louisville. Ferren was the cofounder and architect of the nationally recognized parent/child education model, the Byck Cradle School. Expanding her work in the field of early learning, she was named director of Preschool Programs in 1990. Ferren designed the district’s first Early Childhood curriculum and assessment model for state-funded preschool. Under her guidance, the JCPS family education program, state-funded and tuition-based preschools, and the district-initiated Preschool Program for 3-year-olds expanded to serve more than 5,000 students and families. Ferren’s career also includes experiences as a coordinator in administrator recruitment and development, a specialist in community development and intergovernmental relations, and an interim principal. She currently serves as the coordinator of the Gheens Institute, where she facilitates project development and evaluation and seeks grant opportunities to promote innovation in the schools. Ferren also serves as the Maupin Elementary magnet facilitator and teaches as an adjunct instructor at the University of Louisville (UofL) in the field of early childhood education. Ferren has been recognized for her work by such organizations as the Business Women's Association of Louisville and Spalding University.