Sherman Dorn is an expert on the history of education policy in the U.S. As the director of the Division of Educational Leadership and Innovation at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Dorn examines and critiques collective definitions of education problems. His work focuses on public and private education, the evolution of school accountability, and schools as communities.

His particular research topics have included how America has defined dropping out of high school as a problem, distinctions between public and private education, how school accountability has evolved, and how schools are defined as communities.

In more than a quarter-century in higher education, Dorn has taught more than 2,500 students, led academic units in two large public research universities, written or co-edited four books and is an in-demand speaker.