Elfreda W. Massie, Ph.D.
Dr. Elfreda W. Massie, Senior Vice President, of Blackboard Connect Inc., is one of the country's most passionate and accomplished educators. She has experience at the highest levels of education and has demonstrated a lifelong commitment and track record in driving quality instruction and results in the classroom and improving the achievement and participation of all students.
A veteran with over 30 years' experience in public school administration, curriculum and instruction, Dr. Massie has gained accolades within both the private and public sectors for her lifelong work to improve the education and lives of the nation's young people and their families.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dr. Massie received her doctorate in philosophy – with an emphasis in education policy, planning and administration – from the University of Maryland. She received a master's degree in education at John Hopkins University and a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Pittsburgh.
She began her career as an elementary school teacher in Baltimore County, Maryland. Since then, she has held key positions in the field of education, including District of Columbia Public Schools’ Interim Superintendent and Chief of Staff; Baltimore County Public Schools’ Deputy Superintendent and Director of Personnel services; and Montgomery County Public Schools’ Associate Superintendent for Personnel Services.
Dr. Massie was the Managing Director of Notification Technologies, Inc, a company that assists school districts in using technology to communicate effectively with parents and staff, and Vice President for Professional Development and Vice President for Strategic Alliances of Harcourt Achieve, an educational publishing company.
She currently serves on the board of the See Forever Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the growth and development of the Maya Angelou Public Charter School, a multi-campus, alternative high school located in the District of Columbia for students who have not succeeded in traditional schools. She is also a board member of the National School Boards Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that works to promote excellence and equity in public education.
Dr. Massie has dealt with many of the most critical issues facing education today and is continuing to effect positive changes through the work she is doing in the private sector. She continues to work very closely with school districts, helping them to increase community and parental outreach, increase student achievement, improve student attendance, and communicate during emergency situations. She is a positive and creative innovator and problem-solver, and gets results through proactive strategies, teamwork and collaboration.